Okonkwo A Tragic Hero? Essay, Research Paper

Is Okonkwo a tragic hero? To reply that inquiry one must get down by specifying the term & # 8216 ; tragic hero & # 8217 ; foremost introduced by Aristotle. Aristotle defined a tragic hero merely as being a character carry throughing three different demands. The character must be larger than life, and must hold a high societal standing. The character must besides hold ordinary human qualities, and must hold a tragic defect that leads to his ruin. In Chinua Achebe & # 8217 ; s Things Fall Apart, all these features are found in Okonkwo of Umuofia.

The first feature of a tragic hero harmonizing to Aristotle & # 8217 ; s definition is that the character must be larger than life. The character must be better or greater than his chaps in the sense that he is of a higher than ordinary societal significance. In that sense we find that Okonkwo was a really strong grappler and that his strength had brought celebrity to him along with his town,

& # 8220 ; Okonkwo was good known throughout the nine small towns and even beyond. His celebrity rested on solid personal accomplishments. As a immature adult male of 18 he had brought award to his small town by throwing Amalinze the Cat. He was called the Cat because his dorsum would ne’er touch the Earth. It was this adult male that Okonkwo threw in a battle which the old work forces agreed was one of the fiercest since the laminitis of their town engaged a spirit of the natural state for seven yearss and seven darks & # 8230 ; That was many old ages ago, twenty old ages or more, and during this clip Okonkwo & # 8217 ; s celebrity had grown like a bush-fire in the harmattan & # 8221 ; ( Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe, page 3 )

From this text we can see how Okonkwo was a larger than life character in the footings of his physical strength and wrestle abilities. Besides it is obvious that his triumph over the Cat, who has been antecedently undefeated, had raised him to a higher degree of popularity. The text in the first few chapters suggests that Okonkwo had a high societal criterion non merely in the form of rubrics, but as being the most of import adult male in nine small towns & # 8211 ; referred to in the old transition.

The 2nd status for a character to be a tragic hero harmonizing to Aristotle is that he should portion common human qualities and concerns. He is a mixture of good features and bad 1s. Besides, he must be person that people can associate to, and, hence, must hold the same human jobs and must travel through life with the same obstructions of ordinary people. This we can see when the writer is depicting Okonkwo & # 8217 ; s feelings for Ikemefuna, a immature male child who has been in his family as compensation to the small town for a murdered citizen of Umuofia,

& # 8220 ; Even Okonkwo himself became really fond of the male child & # 8211 ; inside of class. Okonkwo ne’er showed any emotions openly, unless it be the emotion of choler. To demo fondness was a mark of failing ; the lone thing worth showing was strength. He hence treated Ikemefuna as he treated everybody else & # 8211 ; with a heavy manus. But there was no uncertainty that he liked the male child. Sometimes when he went to the large small town meetings or communal hereditary banquets he allowed Ikemefuna to attach to him, like a boy, transporting his stool and his goatskin bag. And, so Ikemefuna ca

lled him father” ( Achebe, page 28 )

From this text we find out that Okonkwo really had feelings of fancy and esteem toward Ikemefuna. This we see when Okonkwo takes Ikemefuna with him to of import small town meetings. This shows us that Okonkwo has an ordinary positive homo quality which is fondness and caring for other people. Another quality we find common in certain people particularly in people who have a tough character is that they do non show any feelings of love and tenderness but maintain them deep inside them. This is the instance with Okonkwo who refuses to show his feelings towards Ikemefuna as he sees such looks as a mark of failing. Therefore, we find at least two ordinary human qualities in his character.

One of the most of import demands to be a tragic hero is that the character must hold a tragic defect that finally leads to his ruin. In the instance of Okonkwo, his defect is evidently his fright of failing. This is clear in the description of how he manages his family,

& # 8220 ; Okonkwo ruled his family with a heavy manus. His married womans particularly the youngest, lived in ageless fright of his fiery pique, and so did his small kids. Possibly down in his bosom Okonkwo was non a barbarous adult male. But his whole life was dominated by fright, the fright of failure and of failing. It was deeper and more confidant than the fright of immorality and freakish Gods and of thaumaturgy, the fright of the wood, and of the forces of nature, malevolent, ruddy in tooth and claw. Okonkwo & # 8217 ; s fright was greater than these. It was non external but laic deep within himself. It was the fright of himself, lest he should be found to resemble his male parent. Even as a small male child he had resented his male parent & # 8217 ; s failure and failing & # 8230 ; And so Okonkwo was ruled by one passion & # 8211 ; to detest everything that his male parent Unoka had loved. One of these things was gentleness and another was idleness. & # 8221 ; ( Achebe, page 13 (

This transition exposes the mode by which Okonkwo manages his family. His changeless fright of neglecting and following the stairss of his male parent reflects in his dominating character. This mode we can still see in the instance of ordinary people, which supports the 2nd demand of Aristotle for a character to be named a tragic hero that is holding ordinary human qualities. Furthermore, it is his changeless fright of failure and failing along with his experience of his male parent & # 8217 ; s failure that is considered his defect. It is his disfavor for whatever his male parent likes and how this reflects on his personal character and the manner he treats others that will take to his ruin.

Therefore, we see that Okonkwo is a individual larger than life in the sense of physical strength. He is besides of a high societal standing since he is the most celebrated individual in the whole nine small towns of the Igbo civilisation. Furthermore, we see in him ordinary human qualities such as fancy, and lovingness, every bit good as stamina and force. Furthermore, we find a immense tragic defect in his character, which is his fright of failing and failure and detesting all that his male parent likes & # 8211 ; being a failure himself. Sing that Okonkwo has satisfied all the conditions Aristotle put Forth for being a tragic hero, he is worthy to be considered one.