Elements Of A Tragic Hero In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart
Things Fall Apart consists of numerous tragedies and calamities. The novel contains situations which are unimaginable to have to experience. Primarily, tragedy befalls the protagonist of the novel, Okonkwo. Through implementing Aristotle’s criteria of a tragic hero and by using extracts from Things Fall Apart, I will discuss the extent to which I personally feel this undesirable and unfortunate ‘title’ can be added to Okonkwo’s revered existing titles.
According to Aristotle, a tragic hero is someone who has the following characteristics or attributes: someone who has a “flaw or error of judgment, a reversal of fortune brought about because of the hero 's error in judgment and the discovery or recognition that the reversal was brought about by the hero 's own
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Abrams, 2009). A tragic hero has “excessive pride” and lastly, “the character 's fate must be greater than deserved” (M.H. Abrams, 2009). In my opinion, all of the characteristics are vividly evident in Okonkwo’s personality. I will use various extracts to support my hypothesis, as well as extracts which were difficult for me to comprehend and as I result, in my opinion, contributed to Okonkwo becoming a tragic hero.
Okonkwo displays huge error of judgment in numerous cases. This is evident when a man, Osugo, contradicts Okonkwo, as the narrator explains, “Without looking at the man, Okonkwo had said: ‘this meeting is for men.’ The man who had contradicted him had no titles. That was why he called him a woman” (Achebe, 2014). When I read this, I immediately sympathise with Osugo. I am unable to understand how Okonkwo can make such a serious accusation. In order to achieve your first title, a man must
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