Okonkwo Great Man, Tragic Hero - 981 Words

Ugonna Onyeukwu Period 4 January 15, 2013 Okonkwo: A Great Man, Tragic Hero A tragic hero is a archetype who fails to overcome or surpass his/her conflict. The book â€Å"Things Fall Apart† included a tragic hero. The book was written by the name of Chinua Achebe. The tragic hero in the book was Okonkwo, a warrior from a village called Umuofia. Chinua Achebe wrote the book with the purpose of showing how someone with high esteem can fall from greatness so dramatically because of that person’s actions. Okonkwo exhibited hubris, had a tragic flaw, and fell from a position of greatness. These were the things that showed that he was tragic hero. An important aspect of a tragic hero is their exhibition of hubris (a Greek term,†¦show more content†¦If he were to be in his village during that time maybe he could have protected his village from their control. There is another instance when Okonkwo’s fall from greatness is seen. During Okonkwo’s early his was shown to be a very strong man, both physically and mentally. Because of this he was known throughout all the villages as a great warrior in wars. This is also seen when he beats the wrestler â€Å"The Cat†, was previously unbeaten in a wrestling match (page 39). But because of his penultimate showing of his tragic flaw (uncontrollable rage), he is forced to kill himself to avoid punishment (page 207), which is the opposite of being strong mentally. These examples reveal his fall from greatness. A tragic hero is an archetype who fails to overcome or surpass his/her conflict. I think we see tragic heroes in literature because of what they can teach readers. The tragic hero of â€Å"Things Fall Apart†, Okonkwo exhibited hubris, had a tragic flaw, and fell from a position of greatness, all aspects of a tragic hero. From the points and explanations that were given earlier in this essay, it has been proven that Okonkwo is in fact a tragic hero. This topic is important because it can happen to anyone with some type of power and esteem. It cou ld be beneficial to think about tragic heroes because it could lead to the change of actions of well known and respected people because would gain a fear of a fall from greatness like whatShow MoreRelatedThe Tragic Hero Of Chinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart1453 Words   |  6 PagesIs a tragic hero really that tragic? A tragic hero is a person who is a character that makes the wrong decisions which cause the character destruction. The definition of a tragic hero is terrible because of how a hero ends up being in a downfall. According to Aristotle, a tragic hero is a character of noble stature and has greatness. The character must have high status position, but must also have nobility and virtue. In the book, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo, the great warrior whoRead MoreThings Fall Apart- Achebe1000 Words   |  4 PagesFall Apart, Okonkwo is a tragic hero. Aristotle’s Poetics defines a Tragic Hero as a good man of high status who displays a tragic flaw (â€Å" hamartia†) and experiences a dramatic reversal (â€Å"peripeteia†), as well as an intense moment of recognition (â€Å"anagnorisis†). Okonkwo is a leader and hardworking member of the Igbo community of Umuofia whose tragic flaw is his great fear of weakness and failure. Okonkwo’s fall from grace in the Igbo community and eventual suicide, makes Okonkwo a tragic hero by Aristotle’sRead MoreEssay on No Tragic Hero in Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart892 Words   |  4 PagesNo Tragic Hero in Things Fall Apart   Ã‚  Ã‚   According to Aristotle a tragedy is a drama...which recounts an important and casually related series of events in the life of a person of significance, such events culminating in an unhappy catastrophe, the whole treated with great dignity and seriousness. The novel Things Fall Apart, written by Chinua Achebe begins as a story about the life of a man named Okonkwo. It recounts the events beginning with his childhood and ending with his deathRead MoreThings Fall Apart875 Words   |  4 PagesOkonkwo is a tragic hero in Things Fall Apart Question ( 2 ): Discuss Okonkwo in Chinua Achebe s â€Å"Things Fall Apart† is a tragic hero. Answer: In Chinua Achebe’s novel â€Å"Things Fall Apart† Okonkwo is a tragic hero. Aristotle’s Poetics defines a Tragic Hero as a good man of high status who displays a tragic flaw ‘hamartia’ and experiences a dramatic reversal ‘peripeteia’, as well as an intense moment of recognition ‘anagnorisis’. Okonkwo is a leader and hardworking member of the Igbo communityRead MoreOkonkwo Tragic Hero Analysis821 Words   |  4 PagesAlexander the Great was also the mind behind the concept of tragic hero. A tragic hero, he depicts, is a hero who falls from affluence to calamity. This fall must be caused not by ill luck but at the fault of the tragic hero himself. To be considered a tragic hero aristotle had specific criteria. Goodness, being the first. A tragic hero must have good morals and their actions should follow suit. Appropriateness, the character must fit into the role they play in society. Lifelike, the tragic hero must be Read MoreIs Okonkwo A Tragic Hero709 Words   |  3 PagesAristotle says a tragic hero is someone who makes a decision that inadvertently brings an end to their life. In Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe the main character Okonkwo is considered a tragic hero, he faces all his challenges with great Courage and Pride. But all of his challenges he brought upon himself because of his tragic flaw, which is his hatred for his father Unoka. Unoka was a lazy drunk with no titles, this hatred drove Okonkwo to become a very good man. He became one of the greatestRead MoreCharacter Analysis Of Okonkwo831 Words   |  4 PagesOkonkwo: Tragic Hero According to dictionary.com, a tragic hero is â€Å"a great or virtuous character in a dramatic tragedy who is destined for downfall, suffering, or defeat.† In the book, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, the main character Okonkwo struggles with the fear of being like his father. Okonkwo also has a hard time dealing with the Christian missionaries and the British colonialism influencing his clan. Okonkwo is a tragic hero because of his fatal judgment errors and outside forces buildingRead MoreThings fall Apart and Okonkwo; A Classic Greek Tragedy and Tragic Hero1112 Words   |  5 Pagesand 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. â€Å"That man wasRead MoreThe Tragic Hero Of Things Fall Apart 1283 Words   |  6 PagesMacbeth and Okonkwo What comes to mind when you hear the word hero? You may think of superheroes, a significant figure in your life or anyone else who generally brings greatness about the world. A tragic hero on the other hand is a character who has a flaw that eventually helps aid to their downfall as a tragic hero. In the novel Things Fall Apart written by Chinua Achebe and Macbeth written by Shakespeare, we meet two prime examples of tragic heros. The elements of a tragic hero include hamartiaRead MoreChinua Achebe s Things Fall Apart1314 Words   |  6 PagesChinua Achebe masterpiece â€Å"Things Fall Apart† (1959) is the classic story of Okonkwo, a young man who strives to be revered by his village and family but because of his own internal character flaws meets his own demise. In the Igbo culture, family traditions are an important narrative throughout the novel. Okonkwo, the protagonist character of this story, begins with many attributes of what would be concluded as a hero with hi s cultural society. He is hard working, a material provider, feared and