Things fall Apart and Okonkwo; A Classic Greek Tragedy and Tragic Hero
Things Fall Apart and Okonkwo; A Classic Greek Tragedy and Tragic Hero
Both the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, and its main character Okonkwo closely adhere to the definitions of a classic Greek tragedy and a typical tragic hero. First of all, Okonkwo is a tragic hero by the Greek definition. While Okonkwo wasn’t born to a nobleman or king (as the definition of a tragic hero states), he was a man of high status and respect in his community, as Obierika stated near the end of the book. “That man was one of the greatest men in Umuofia.” (Achebe 208). Second, the novel follows the format of a Greek tragedy by presenting Okonkwo as a mixed character. He was a mixed character in that he was neither thoroughly good nor thoroughly bad. His good side was shown in the novel at times, like when it was shown that he wanted Nwoye to be manly only because “He wanted him to be a prosperous man.” (53). However, at other times, he was very misguided and wrong, which led him to make large mistakes with very negative repercussions. One example would be when Okonkwo’s youngest wife, Ojiugo had forgotten to make his lunch. “And when she returned he beat her very heavily. In his anger he had forgotten that it was the week of peace.” (29). This violent and misguided mistake shows the side of Okonkwo that we may not think of as the perfect hero, but this violent and angry side of him balances with the side that wants to see Nwoye succeed, which makes him a mixed character. The next component of both a tragic hero and the tragic hero’s story that Things Fall Apart adheres to is the tragic fall. Okonkwo’s tragic fall was killing Ikemefuna, his adopted son. This event was his tragic fall because it led to other events in his life such as killing the son of Ogbuefi Ezeudu (the reversal), and his eventual exile. Okonkwo’s friend Obierika even foreshadowed the significance and imminent downfall that would come of his killing of Ikemefuna when he told him that “What you have done
Both the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, and its main character Okonkwo closely adhere to the definitions of a classic Greek tragedy and a typical tragic hero. First of all, Okonkwo is a tragic hero by the Greek definition. While Okonkwo wasn’t born to a nobleman or king (as the definition of a tragic hero states), he was a man of high status and respect in his community, as Obierika stated near the end of the book. “That man was one of the greatest men in Umuofia.” (Achebe 208). Second, the novel follows the format of a Greek tragedy by presenting Okonkwo as a mixed character. He was a mixed character in that he was neither thoroughly good nor thoroughly bad. His good side was shown in the novel at times, like when it was shown that he wanted Nwoye to be manly only because “He wanted him to be a prosperous man.” (53). However, at other times, he was very misguided and wrong, which led him to make large mistakes with very negative repercussions. One example would be when Okonkwo’s youngest wife, Ojiugo had forgotten to make his lunch. “And when she returned he beat her very heavily. In his anger he had forgotten that it was the week of peace.” (29). This violent and misguided mistake shows the side of Okonkwo that we may not think of as the perfect hero, but this violent and angry side of him balances with the side that wants to see Nwoye succeed, which makes him a mixed character. The next component of both a tragic hero and the tragic hero’s story that Things Fall Apart adheres to is the tragic fall. Okonkwo’s tragic fall was killing Ikemefuna, his adopted son. This event was his tragic fall because it led to other events in his life such as killing the son of Ogbuefi Ezeudu (the reversal), and his eventual exile. Okonkwo’s friend Obierika even foreshadowed the significance and imminent downfall that would come of his killing of Ikemefuna when he told him that “What you have done