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Examples Of Tragic Hero In Things Fall Apart

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The Tragic Hero
There are moments when watching a movie, tv show, or simply reading a book, one gets so connected to a character that reality seems to fade away, and it almost physically hurts when the character gets killed off. Numerous amounts of these characters are also known as tragic heroes; personas you connect with on a deeper level. Like Medea or Oedipus, they are literary characters who are brought down by insurmountable conflict, or through his/her own weakness. In Things Fall Apart, a historical fiction novel,the protagonist, Okonkwo, brings honor to his village when he defeated Amalinze the Cat in a wrestling contest. Despite his father’s weaknesses, (a lazy and wasteful man), he first-handedly gains fame and soon becomes all-powerful and wealthy. However, these attributes gnaw at him and transform him into an extremely turbulent man, leading him to perform unspeakable things, like even killing his own son. After a seven year exile, Okonkwo returns to Umuofia and discovers that many of his men have converted to Christianity. Unable to adapt to the change, everything seems to …show more content…

Chinua Achebe successfully defines Okonkwo as a tragic hero through his role as a protagonist of high estate, his possession of a tragic flaw, and the recognition of his fate, which relates to the novel

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