Crafting a thesis on Okonkwo as a tragic hero can be an arduous task, requiring a deep

understanding of Chinua Achebe's novel "Things Fall Apart" and a nuanced analysis of Okonkwo's
character. This process involves extensive research, critical thinking, and the ability to articulate
complex ideas effectively.

Okonkwo's multifaceted character, shaped by his cultural background, personal experiences, and
interactions within his community, presents numerous layers for exploration. From his strengths as a
driven and ambitious leader to his flaws stemming from his fear of weakness and failure, Okonkwo
embodies the complexities inherent in tragic heroes.

Analyzing Okonkwo's journey through the lens of tragedy involves delving into the cultural and
historical context of pre-colonial Nigeria, examining themes of masculinity, tradition, and change,
and evaluating Okonkwo's tragic flaw and its consequences.

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After seven years, Okonkwo’s exile was over, he comes back to Umuofia expecting a reasonable
amount of attention. Even though he worked himself to the bone nearly everyday in his life, not
wanting to end up like his father, he ends up dying in the same disgraceful manner. This flaw caused
Okonkwo to have problems with his family and tribe. The heart of this novel is not in its context,
however, but. He wanted his son Nwoye to be a successful man in his life. In this essay, we will
look deeper at the strengths and weaknesses of Okonkwo and how we can relate his strengths and
weaknesses to the Igbo lifestyle, traditions, and culture itself. A tragic hero, in literature, is a
character who makes a judgement error or has a fatal flaw that, when combined with fate and
external forces, leads to their suffering and defeat. Okonkwo is a model clansmen from based on his
success. His desire to appear manly often fogged his judgment. Although Livingstone and Stanley's
explorations contributed very little to deepen the Western understanding of the people or the land,
they did encourage plenty of speculation and conjecture. He suffers and causes the arousal of
feelings of piety and fear. They should be listed at the end of your paper, and they should be
organized alphabetically by the last name of the first author. His downfall is surely because of his
hamartia (error or frailty). In so doing, he rejects everything for which he believes his father stood. It
should be around 150-250 words and should provide an overview of your main points. Your topic
sentence introduces the main idea of your paragraph Your concluding sentence sums up your
paragraph and main idea in a fresh, new way. His rigid control caused him to deny so much that
occasionally it was able to break its boundaries in these types of scenes and served to turn his family
against him. After some time, Oedipus finally addressed that it cannot be denied any longer. It was
his fear due to which he takes part in killing Ikemefuna. As he comes to realize his hand in the
development of this state within the village, Okonkwo's emotions again take control of him and he
kills one of the white man's messengers in a rage. Needless to mention that he answered to the
objections that Plato raised against the poets while saying that it is a pure lie. He eventually earns his
way into being a clansman, warrior, farmer and family provider with three wives and nine children.
Aristotle is of the considered opinion that a tragedy is an imitation of an action. His position within
the tribe is made clear in his selection as one of the primary participants in the village's most
important celebrations to recognize and remember the ancestors. Just as the fire burns until it left a
pile of ash. This decision ultimately haunts Okonkwo and contributes to his downfall. Okonkwo has
a love for his village like the love they have for him. But because it was an accident, he was exiled
for only 7 years. Backed up by comparison to Oedipus Rex, Okonkwo is definitely what one would
call a tragic hero. In addition to in-text citations and reference lists, there are several other
components of APA style that you should be aware of.
That is, it is an instruction for you to do something. In-text citations are used to acknowledge the
sources of information that you use in your paper. Ikemefuna’s death is the beginning of Okonkwo’s
decline. ”Unfortunately for her, Okonkwo heard it and madly ran into his room for the loaded gun,
ran out again and aimed it at her as she clambered over the dwarf wall of the barn.(p.39)” He took it
as a challenge when Ekwefi commented on his inexperience at shooting a gun for his masculinity
and shot at her. The main character Okonkwo is portrayed as a tragic hero. Okonkwo, the main
character and tragic hero of Things Fall Apart has very glaring flaws. Okonkwo has portrayed his
hero status in the book in many ways. Okonkwo is a model clansmen from based on his success.
Okonkwo strives to be the manliest man of the Igbo village of Umofia. His anger and strong beliefs
show him as a representative towards his society; However, change is unpredictable and
unavoidable. He becomes leader of the clan because of his own hard work. A hero is an example of
valiancy and intelligence and in times of danger a hero must remain strong, valiant, and fearless. Let
us write or edit the research paper on your topic. The West thinks of African people as mostly child-
like, capable only of primitive understandings, and only slightly more than bestial in their natural
environment. It was his fear due to which he takes part in killing Ikemefuna. It may be debatable as
to whether the murder of a life-threatening stranger and the marriage of a consort are crimes. Topic
Sentence 3: John Proctor’s realization, that he must confess to lies and hold on to his dignity, enables
him to identify with the ideal tragic hero. Now the tragic flaw is not the only characteristic that a
Tragic Hero must have, the hero must do or have the following things happen to them- Hamartia
fatal flaw,a reversal of fortune, the character must realize there reversal of fortune, show excessive of
pride, and most importantly have a fate that is much greater than deserved. Out of fear Okonkwo
kills his adopted son Ikemefuna in order to reestablish his masculinity. A tragic hero must also have
certain characteristics such as hubris, hamartia, peripeteia, anagnorisis, nemesis, and catharsis. Things
Fall Apart is a novel that fulfils this requirement of tragedy; nowhere in the novel the readers realise
that the writer mocks the society. He outlined the characteristics of a tragic hero, a different type of
character from what we know of as a hero. The most common tragic flaw is hubris excessive pride.
As a result, Okonkwo's participation in the ritual symbolizes that he was successful in overcoming his
father's shame and had become the equivalent of nobility within the African tribal system. We find
him a person, who is at the peak and spending a flourishing life with his family. What makes the
story of the tragic hero interesting, though, is the element of shock. He became one of the lords of
clan and attended the meetings of the village. Unlike the others, Okonkwo would not back down,
and that is why he is a hero. Aristotle chooses a hero from the upper class because the higher the class
will be, the more tragic the downfall would be. Comparing The Tragic Hero In Things Fall Apart And
Oedipus. Okonkwo's tragic flaw ultimately leads to his tragic end.
Topic Sentence 1: Topic Sentence 2: Topic Sentence 3. It took several years before native writers,
such as Chinua Achebe were able to align Africa’s story with the West in the presentation of
Okonkwo as a tragic hero in his story Things Fall Apart (1959). Even otherwise, the decay of Igbo
culture in itself is a serious tragedy. In conclusion, APA style is a widely used set of guidelines for
formatting and citing sources in the social sciences. Further the tragedy causes catharsis of emotions
and feelings of pity and fear. This is not the only reason, I believe, that separates Coriolanus from all
of Shakespeare’s other tragidies: Coriolanus is the most unique tragic hero. In short, Things Fall
Apart is a tragedy for Okonkwo and also for Umofian society. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet,
consectetur adipiscing elit. Topic sentence 1: Topic sentence 2: Topic sentence 3: Thesis: Throughout
the play, Mary morphs from a naive girl to a treacherous woman of power, and finally into a more
intelligent woman who can take care of herself by any means. Throughout literary history, tragic
characters have helped readers to understand human conflicts. We find him a person, who is at the
peak and spending a flourishing life with his family. Margins: APA style recommends using 1-inch
margins on all sides of your paper. Okonkwo's hamartia, or fatal flaw, is his masculine power, which
cancels out all other things: gentleness, love, compassion, wisdom. According to Aristotle, a tragic
hero should contain four traits: goodness, appropriateness, lifelike, and consistency, which Creon
most prominently displays. Okonkwo fails to free himself from his major character flaws, which
ultimately brings about his tragic demise. He is tough, violent, and tries his best to show no emotions.
He knew because they had let the other messengers escape.(p.205)” This is the final push, Okonkwo
knows that the clan has changed when he realizes that Umuofia, a once aggressive and dominating
clan, has become peaceful. Your spouse is driving you crazy, and the community you love and lead is
falling apart. Just talk to our smart assistant Amy and she'll connect you with the best. It is easy for
Okonkwo to support the boy within the boundaries of his family holdings in keeping with tradition.
Do you want a unique paper written for you by the best essay writers. Resultantly, he suffers with
the penalty of his life. His position within the tribe is made clear in his selection as one of the
primary participants in the village's most important celebrations to recognize and remember the
ancestors. One example of Okonkwo's excess pride is when he participates in the killing of
Ikemefuna, a boy who was taken in by Okonkwo's family and had become like a son to him. Unoka
has never taught Okonkwo what is right and wrong, and as a result Okonkwo has to interpret how to
be a good man. As he was superior character, well known throughout the nine villages, his tragic
flaw: anger, rashness, short sightedness and violence brought his downfall. Not wanting to adapt to
British ways, Okonkwo still wanted to control his fate and committed suicide. He is a very adamant
person, even when his fellow villagers accept change, Okonkwo thinks independently and acts as he
sees fit. The essay “The Feminine Voice of Africa” discusses the real-life story of a railroad strike on
the Dakar-Niger line that lasted from 1947 to 1948. The Tragic Hero In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall
Apart 739 Words 3 Pages In Things Fall Apart, the main hero Okonkwo is the central character
viewing tragic hero.
Upload Read for free FAQ and support Language (EN) Sign in Skip carousel Carousel Previous
Carousel Next What is Scribd. In addition to in-text citations and reference lists, there are several
other components of APA style that you should be aware of. Okonkwo wanted to be the complete
opposite of his father, Unoka. His fear of failure and sudden anger lead him to such actions that
cannot be ameliorated and reversed. Achebe portrays his own characterization of a tragic hero
through Okonkwo, the main character. Things Fall Apart has a certain magnitude, hence, it is a
complete tragedy. For okonkwo, the colonizers are the agents of destruction. His chi had changed
from being one of the best, to one of the worst in a single gun shot. He was lazy, weak, and an
absentee father and husband; he owed debts and never worked to repay them. We can admire
Okonkwo for his best qualities, such as his hard working capacity, his vigilance and his bravery but
at the same time we don’t like him as he is hasty, harsh and strict to his family, beats his wives and
deals everything with heavy hands. Okonkwo is definitely a depiction of one with hubris. When he
was Young he had won fame as a great wrestler throughout nine villages. His chi plays an important
role in the novel because, according to Igbo culture, every time something goes wrong it is a result of
bad chi. This is an oversimplification, but I would propose the following working definition: A tragic
hero is someone who tries to do what they think is the right thing, with disastrous results — for
themselves and oftentimes others. Okonkwo earned the high status of the best wrestler in all the nine
villages and beyond by defeating Amalinze. To discipline Annoy, he becomes very rough on his son.
Our experts will write for you an essay on any topic, with any deadline and requirements from
scratch. Things Fall Apart: Okonkwo as a Tragic Hero essays 2019-01-30. The Tragic Hero In Chinua
Achebe's Things Fall Apart 739 Words 3 Pages In Things Fall Apart, the main hero Okonkwo is the
central character viewing tragic hero. Before proving Okonkwo's actions qualify him as a tragic hero,
it is necessary to understand what constitutes the progression of a tragic hero. In a meeting, he
insulted a member and then other reprimanded him and he had to apologize. In his novel, Achebe
presents characters whose basic humanity simply cannot be denied. Because he has killed a white
man, he will no longer be able to take his place among the tribal leaders as the community is
changing and it is even unlikely that he will be able to live peacefully within the family holdings he
has built. His fame was by his hard work and personal achievements. The collision between two
separate beliefs causes various conflicts occurring in Things Fall Apart that eventually causes
Umuofia to fall apart. In the Ibo tribe, women were considered possessions rather than beloved
partners. In this essay, we will look deeper at the strengths and weaknesses of Okonkwo and how we
can relate his strengths and weaknesses to the Igbo lifestyle, traditions, and culture itself. He
explained that tragedy is a representation of serious actions that turn out disastrously for the main
character or characters. This would bring great shame to any man as it did for Okonkwo. He made
his fortune smile on him by his constant hard work.
In spite of everything he'd worked for and accomplished, in the end, he died in the same social status
that he was born to. This suggests that in his society, power is attained by achieving greatness and
fame, either through fighting or wrestling. The title, Things Fall Apart, suits the book very well
because that is essentially what happened to the Umuofia village. The very year when Okonkwo took
Yam seeds was the worst year for farming. Ashamed of his incapable father, Awoken felt that
anything that resembled Quinoa or anything that his father enjoyed was weak and unnecessary. Keep
on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies. The hero, he says, inspires
“pity” and “fear” in the audience. Set in pre-colonial Nigeria, this novel follows the story of the
wrestler, farmer, and clan leader of the Igbo community in Umuofia, Okonkwo. Okonkwo's hamartia,
or fatal flaw, is his masculine power, which cancels out all other things: gentleness, love, compassion,
wisdom. He is tough, violent, and tries his best to show no emotions. Okonkwo strives to be the
manliest man of the Igbo village of Umofia. He was a self-made man who passed through a modest
childhood to become a prosperous and. Both men possess an egotistic attitude and have an
overwhelming sense of pride in their achievements. Deep inside his heart he was a good man, the
only problem was that his life was dominated by the fear of the unknown, especially what comes
after failure. Ogbuefi Ezeudu simply advises Okonkwo to take no hand in the boy’s death because
Ikemefuna calls Okonkwo father and it is against tribal tradition for a father to take the life of his
child. Othello fears his wife's betrayal; Arthur experiences the actual betrayal of his wife and favored
knight; and Okonkwo feels betrayed by his clansmen in failing to fight for their beloved Umofia.
Okonkwo’s goal in life was to achieve the high statuses in his clan, he already had two titles but he
wanted more. Okonkwo is surprised at the decision regarding Ikemefuna and he goes on the trip
intending to heed Ogbuefi's recommendation, but when the first blow is not successful, he ends up
taking a hand in the killing after all. Thesis statement. The thesis statement usually creates the
strongest impression when it is the first or last sentence in the. He hated everything associated with
his father- music, gentleness and laziness. Thus, Things Fall Apart has a proper beginning, a middle
and an end due to which we call it a complete tragedy. Full description Save Save Okonkwo as a
tragic hero For Later 86% 86% found this document useful, Mark this document as useful 14% 14%
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now Jump to Page You are on page 1 of 3 Search inside document. Not wanting to adapt to British
ways, Okonkwo still wanted to control his fate and committed suicide. Okonkwo, because of this,
hated conversation.. He vowed to never be womanly and disgraceful like his father, and he worked
hard toward and achieved his goal of being on the greatest men in Umuofia. He eventually earns his
way into being a clansman, warrior, farmer and family provider with three wives and nine children.
This is completely in keeping with the tragic hero sequence. Consequently, he committed suicide for
his failure of saving his culture from destruction. Nam risus ante, dapibus a molestie consequat,
ultrices ac magna. It includes guidelines for in-text citations, reference lists, and other components of
a well-written paper. A working thesis statement and strong topic sentences are necessary.