Okonkwo Tragic Flaw

“Things Fall Apart” by Chinua Achebe exposes a tragic figure, Okonkwo who possesses tragic flaws that eventually lead to his own downfall hence; it categorizes Okonkwo as a tragic hero. As Aristotle defines, “tragic hero is a noble man that displays tragic flaw or hamartia”. A tragedy will frequently promote the feeling of deep condolence towards the tragic hero because it often ends deadly. The protagonist character, Okonkwo embrace the absolute fit of tragic hero. He performs fatal flaw and banishes on behalf of it only to come back seven years later in a complete disappointment. All his life Okonkwo has been an undefeated man who is respected, honored and titled. Nevertheless, his anxiety of weakness and failure lead to his ultimate defeat.

However, Okonkwo was born to a poor man and certainly was not noble-born. Yet, Okonkwo displays abundant understanding towards the complications and willing to climb the ladder to achieve his success in his young age, which is other common trait in tragic hero. The advantage that he has is in Ibo society, they allow each man to earn their own titles without family inheritance so Okonkwo able to take this opportunity to create his own fortune separate from family bequest. In his young age he is able to have two barns full of yams and also three wives. He does not want to turn out to be just like his father poor, ignorance and nwaanyi (womanly in Ibo). Several time in the novel Okonkwo shows his quality of a tragic hero for example when he beat Amalinze the cat in the beginning of the novel. This gives the audience indirect characterization of strength and power. Other characteristics of a tragic hero consist of suffering more than he deserves. Being honorable and seems so immortal outside but broken into pieces inside allow the audience to relate to him. Okonkwo suffers in many ways one of them is when he has to be banished for seven years because of an incident and he has to let go everything that was once his. Which is again, it is something that no one