Okonkwo's Tragic Flaw

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Written in the 1959, Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, explores modern day feminist and postcolonial topics, as well as Aristotle’s ancient tragic flaw theory. Achebe expresses structuralism through Okonkwo’s tragic flaw. A tragic hero possesses a tragic flaw, holds a position of prestige and power, chooses his course of action, and gains awareness of circumstances that lead to his fall. Tragedy depicts the downfall of a basically good person through some fatal error or misjudgment, producing suffering and insight on the part of the protagonist and arousing pity and fear on the part of the audience. Okonkwo's tragic flaw is his fear of weakness and failure. As a renowned as a wrestler and a fierce warrior, Okonkwo has three wives and many children who live on his compound. Throughout his life, he wages a never-ending battle for status, while his life is dominated by the fear of failure and weakness. He is quick to anger, especially when dealing with men who are weak, or lazy debtors similar …show more content…
hubris denotes overconfident pride combined with arrogance. Hubris is often associated with excessive pride a lack of humility or knowledge. The accusation of hubris often implies that suffering or punishment will follow, an essential element in a tragic flaw and is often referred to as “pride that binds”. The hubris often causes a person engage in misconduct in order to fulfill their basic desire to be superior to others. In Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo turns to anger and aggressiveness, exposing his hubris. Okonkwo believes that he should beat members of his Nwoye, Ikemefuna, Ojiugo, and his wives and that he should ridicule men who remind him of his father, even for slight annoyances. Okonkwo does not even enjoy the leisurely ceremonial feast as others do. His impatience with the festivities is so great that he erupts. He converts his feelings, to avoid showing weakness. Daphne Rose Kingma

Who Is Okonkwo A Tragic Hero

usually have a flaw. Flaws can be big and some can be small but in Okonkwo’s case it hurt his reputation of being a manly, bestial man. Aristotle tells of many characteristics on how a character can be a tragic hero and most of his ideas fits Okonkwo’s flaws, personality, and actions. Aristotle also shares of traits on how their life was and what they went through. In Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe the author uses the plot to show the Protagonist of Okonkwo to portray him as a tragic hero. One way…

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Essay Downfall: Things Fall apart and early Age Okonkwo

strong with defined muscles, his fame was built on solid personal achievements and titles and this set him up for a big fall. In Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo is seen to have a strong likeness and the definition of Aristotle’s tragic hero. Okonkwo’s early suffering was brought on by his father’s weak work ethic. “He was lazy and improvident…incapable of thinking about tomorrow (Achebe 4).” “He neither inherited a barn nor title, nor even a young wife (Achebe 18).” Okonkwo realizes…

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Okonkwo Tragic Hero

powerful leader that was big. He was ruthless and strong. He was a fierce person that was well respected. Okonkwo is a tragic hero and has a fatal flaw that causes his downfall. His self confidence was the reason why he is known as a tragic hero. Okonkwo’s self confidence was too high, and he was always afraid of weakness and failure. In chapter one, the author describes Okonkwo’s physical appearance. He says, “tall and huge with bushy eyebrows and a wide nose that gave him a severe look (Achebe 3)…

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Oedipus Tragic Hero

According to Aristotle, a tragic hero has certain characteristics which include a noble birth and virtue. He also has greatness, but not perfection which helps the rest of humanity relate to him. Inherently, a tragic hero has a downfall, of his or her own doing, which frequently is a result of hubris. Typically, the consequence of this flaw is greater than the act committed, but the tragic hero’s fall from greatness will lead to greater personal self -awareness. The demise will also raise empathy…

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Okonkwo Tragic Hero Essay

A tragic hero is a literature character who’s downfall leads to his/her destruction. Okonkwo lives in Umuofia (a tribe in Africa), where the tribe are being split apart by British Colonialism. He is a tragic hero mainly because he gains sympathy from the audience, although he has accomplished many things, his tragic flaw leads to his downfall. Okonkwo was a man who was known in many clans, for example when he had “arrived in Mbanta as the proud and imperious emissary of war, he was treated with…

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Okonkwo's Tragic Hero In Things Fall Apart

chinua follows the life of his main character Okonkwo as he deals with the influence of British colonialism and christian missionaries on the Igbo community. Okonkwo is considered a tragic hero. Although he was an important figure in the Igbo tribe, his tragic flaw and outside forces led to his downfall. Okonkwo is a tragic hero, his own inner forces are his downfall, but often outside forces contribute to the downfall. Okonkwo actions got the best of him because “Okonkwo was not a man of thought…

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things all apart african literature Essay

Fall Apart Essay In Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo wasn’t portrayed as a tragic hero in my opinion. One of the flaws that a tragic hero has is having a moment of enlightenment towards near their downfall. During that moment they have understand that they are wrong and defeated on what they initially believed in themselves. Okonkwo didn’t have this flaw because he committed suicide in the end. Another theme is that a tragic hero must be of a noble birth. This wasn’t the case for Okonkwo as he was…

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Okonkwo Research Paper

Okonkwo’s fist were what paved the way for all the success he had achieved, but his fist were also his way of conveying his emotions. Growing up Okonkwo was ridiculed by others for being the son of an “agbala”, the Ibo term for a woman or man with no title(Achebe…

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Things Fall apart and Okonkwo’s Reputation Essay

not having a real job or titles. Also for borrowing money from a lot of the villagers, and not having any chance, or way of paying anyone back. He dies in Debt “Okonkwo's father was a man who was not looked up to throughout the village. This was because he was a man who was lazy and would not think of the future.” () Does Okonkwo’s reputation change throughout this book? Yes his reputation changes from the structure order of the beginning to become good, in the middle a little rocky but it’s…

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The Portrayal of Women in Things Fall Apart Essay

less than a slave. Chinua Achebe’s post-colonial novel, Things Fall Apart, do at some points of the novel support the case of the subjugated African women in the course of Okonkwo’s life through the practice of polygamy, paying bride price, and the atypical case of Okonkwo beating his wives at slight frustration. In Okonkwo’s eyes, women are mere property and the ones that keep a man sane. But, it is also through Okonkwo, we see women – mothers (Ekwefi), wives (Ojiugo), daughters (Ezinma), priestesses…

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