Why Is Okonkwo A Tragic Hero

He was the great warrior that nothing could bring down. But the white man came and struck fear into the clan. Nobody would try to fight back but Okonkwo, who had killed the messenger and saw that fear of his clansmen. He was shamed and died like his father with a shameful and disgraceful death. He showed in the book that even a great man could fall from the highest point and be disgraced by their own

Okonkwo's temper always manages to shine through, Things Fall Apart depicts this perfectly by stating, “It is not only Ikemefuna who feels fear… every nerve in Okonkwo tells him this is wrong, but when the moment comes, he kills his adopted son.” The inability for Okonkwo to be weak makes him solely cruel and with a weak father like Unoka he felt forced to adapt opposite ideals. Chinua Achebe shows how Okonkwo had to make a life for himself as his father had not allowed for many opportunities for him to come in play. Later the author of the article, Psychology & Behavioral Health Vol.2 the author talks about the motivation that it takes to overcome and cope with the fears that prohibit him from growing and being he optimal version of himself. Fight or flight is described as a physiological

Even though Achebe sets Okonkwo to his downfall, it is evident that Okonkwo is a great hero despite his rash behavior and temper. Generally, a tragic hero is born into royalty and has already attained the noble status. However, Okonkwo was born into a poor family, and according to Okonkwo his father was “weak and feminine”. Regardless his father’s failures Okonkwo acquires respect in the Igbo society by defeating a great wrestler: As a young man of eighteen he had brought honor to his village by throwing Amalinze the Cat. (1) Okonkwo furthermore spends his hours toiling away in an attempt to earn his way up in the patriarchal society.

Okonkwo was one of the most famous and fearful member not only of his clan in Umuofia but other nine villages as well. He worked hard to become a renowned and prosperous member of his clan and to break away from the legacy of his father Okoye who was referred to as ‘agbala’, a man who has not won any title and was another word for woman. Okonkwo was not an evil man but his life was dominated by fear of weakness and failure which made him extremely violent and aggressive. He hated everything associated with his father- music, gentleness and laziness. But much to the anguish of Okonkwo, Nwoye embodied most of his grandfather’s traits and this enraged Okonkwo deeply.

Macbeth’s quick transition of concern from Banquo to Fleance exhibits his disregard to the people close to him, a distinct behavior often tied to sociopathic people. Macbeth’s calm and collected attitude after the news of Banquo’s murder is unnerving and frightening, especially after seeing how affected he had been at the murder of King Duncan. When killing King Duncan, Macbeth was thoughtless and anxious, but when planned the murder of Banquo Macbeth was cool minded and collected. Macbeth was once a trustworthy man, but now is a disrespectful and violent king. Furthermore, after Banquo’s murder, his body is shown no respect as “Safe in a ditch he bides,/With twenty trenchèd gashes on his head” (Shakespeare 101).

As Andrew Jackson slowly rose to the complete power of president, controversy over his motives arose as well. Born in 1767 in South Carolina to a poverty-ridden family and an absent father, Jackson became one of the most debated presidents ever. His hot temper and self-reliance seemed to appeal to the people, yet his inability to take criticism and advice did not go unnoticed by the country’s government. To the bare eye he was a war hero, but if you dug deeper, you would discover he was a murderer, he was the common people’s choice, yet he seemed to not care about any other race besides his own. With these opposing characteristics, Jackson became the center of many debates and conflicts, hero or villain?

His body is a reddish hue and shriveled like an old man. He cannot do many things but he loves his brother with all his heart. However, the narrator hated his own brother and plotted to kill him several times. Just because someone is not physically able to do something does not give them a good reason to kill them. The story teaches the reader to love people for who they are, not what they look like.

In The Crucible, John Proctor’s tragic flaw-his considerable amount of dignity-drove him to his ruinous death, establishing him as the tragic hero. Even though John brought his destined defeat upon himself, he is still considered the tragic hero. In the beginning of The Crucible, John Proctor was thought able enough to stop the allegations of innocent people because he was outspoken against the accepted beliefs throughout Salem. This gives him the title of a virtuous character because he is being beneficial to the community. When Arthur Miller reveals John Proctor’s past liaison with Abigail Williams to the reader it is unknown by the rest of the community.

Aristotle describes a Tragic Hero as a man of high rank who exhibit a tragic flaw, other wise known as “hamartia,” who goes through a dramatic change, or “peripeteia,” and a moment of recognition, an“anagnorisis.” Okonkwo displays all these characteristic which, by Aristotle 's definition, makes him a tragic hero. He is a hardworking man and one of the leaders of Umuofia. His tragic flaw is his fear of failure and being seen as weak. He gets cast out of his village for seven years because of an accidental murder. The spread of Christianity leads to his downfall and eventual suicide.

The incoming missionaries changed the views of the villager’s beliefs, which caused many to convert to the new religion. Due to isolation, the villagers of the Ibo tribes are unfamiliar with strangers and immediately turn to their gods, who deem them as an instant threat. It was the ‘iron horse’ incident that brought the Ibo villages to the British’s attention in the beginning. The villagers of Umuofia began to descend in power because of the implementation of the British government system, which sentenced many of the tribe’s high ranked officials to prison. For decades, the history of African culture has been overlooked by the glorious imperialization of the British empire.