When comparing the main character of Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart” to Aristotle’s “Theory of Tragedy” the points of Okonkwo’s character were very defined. While the narrator told the four characteristics of a tragic hero instantly I found I could pick up a scene from the book that fit it perfectly. The first was that the character was able to bring the reader to feel emotions for him or her; they used sympathy in the video. Through their events, trials, and what they say or think.
Secondly their virtues which helps define the character. Okonkwo is a strong character physically. He is a man with courage, no fear, pride in himself, a war hero, a man who likes to drink and is willing to fight. He also holds a deep love for his clan. I say “love” but in a different context. Okonkwo respects the people in his clan who have achieved something and have shown worth; the tribe is where he’s grown as a man and has continued to prove himself. During his exile he thinks about his clan a lot and misses it. When he returns he expresses sorrow for how much has changed, the people who’ve drifted, and for the lack of treatment; sort of like being heartbroken. Okonkwo loved his tribe but it was his term of love.
The third point was that the character has to be realistic. Okonkwo was very realistic. It might’ve been harder to think so given he’s living in an area most of us have never visited; the culture and beliefs are different. But he had emotions and most of the ones he expressed were very strong. Reoccurring emotions that he expressed were: anger, resentment, worry, destruction, and even sorrow. He isn’t immortal, which is realistic. He’s very into himself and the image he portrays to his peers, family, children, and society.
Finally, the last point is the “consistent psychology”. Okonkwo was resentful to becoming like his father; he was even hard on his son to never be like how his father was. He always went out of his way to Not be what his father was, which was lazy, sympathetic, expressive, etc. He allowed this mindset of being everything his father Wasn’t to rule his life and held make his decisions. Some of the choices he made were towards trying to prove he wasn’t cowardly.
The “tragic flaw” would be his held in anger, hatred towards anyone who resembles his father, the fact that he holds himself back by trying to not show “weakness” or gentle emotions towards others. The “tragic irony” is that he dies alone. The clan sees suicide as evil and it puts Okonkwo in a shameful light. In a way, he does become what his father had been. They both died having very little but his father left the Earth having nothing physically while Okonkwo died being empty, and having lost most of what held his pride up. The “catastrophe” is when Okonkwo went from being of a high rank in the clan, close to becoming a clan leader in the nine tribes, with high respect, being well appreciated, the favored wrestler/fighter, and having an amazing yam farm to the opposite. Nearing the end of the story he was exiled and lost his reputation and the respect. When he came back he wasn’t greeted the way he’d expected, no one listened to him as they once used to, he’d lost his barn and compound, and had to start all over.
Lastly, I’ll point out the “anagnorisis” which is when Okonkwo Did understand what had happened to his clan. The “white men” had come and changed the ways of the tribes, even destroying some. People were changing and leaving for schools or churches. Okonkwo never really reflected on how he ever handled things. Ikemefuna was never brought up again, Nowye left and he disowned him, and even when he did do a good deed-making a large feast for his mother’s tribe before leaving-he had a thought of something else that destroyed the fleeting good moment. But that was his character.
I can definitely see why Okonkwo could be considered a tragic hero from all of this and by reading the book. Although, I think that Okonkwo is a tragic hero based on what the reader feels while reading the story. While reading I didn’t feel much emotion towards his character or sympathy. I was interested in how he would return to the clan and his emotions during his grief.