- Things Fall Apart
Chinua Achebe
- Literature Notes
- Book Summary
- About Things Fall Apart
- Character List
- Summary and Analysis
- Part 1: Chapter 1
- Part 1: Chapter 2
- Part 1: Chapter 3
- Part 1: Chapter 4
- Part 1: Chapter 5
- Part 1: Chapter 6
- Part 1: Chapter 7
- Part 1: Chapter 8
- Part 1: Chapter 9
- Part 1: Chapter 10
- Part 1: Chapter 11
- Part 1: Chapter 12
- Part 1: Chapter 13
- Part 2: Chapter 14
- Part 2: Chapter 15
- Part 2: Chapter 16
- Part 2: Chapter 17
- Part 2: Chapter 18
- Part 2: Chapter 19
- Part 3: Chapter 20
- Part 3: Chapter 21
- Part 3: Chapter 22
- Part 3: Chapter 23
- Part 3: Chapter 24
- Part 3: Chapter 25
- Character Analysis
- Reverend James Smith
- Character Map
- Chinua Achebe Biography
- Critical Essays
- Major Themes in Things Fall Apart
- Use of Language in Things Fall Apart
- Full Glossary for Things Fall Apart
- Essay Questions
- Cite this Literature Note
Character Analysis Okonkwo
The protagonist of Things Fall Apart , Okonkwo is also considered a tragic hero. A tragic hero holds a position of power and prestige, chooses his course of action, possesses a tragic flaw, and gains awareness of circumstances that lead to his fall. Okonkwo's tragic flaw is his fear of weakness and failure.
In his thirties, Okonkwo is a leader of the Igbo community of Umuofia. Achebe describes him as "tall and huge" with "bushy eyebrows and [a] wide nose [that gives] him a very severe look." When Okonkwo walks, his heels barely touch the ground, like he walks on springs, "as if he [is] going to pounce on somebody." Okonkwo "stammers slightly" and his breathing is heavy.
Okonkwo is renowned as a wrestler, a fierce warrior, and a successful farmer of yams (a "manly" crop). He has three wives and many children who live in huts on his compound. Throughout his life, he wages a never ending battle for status; his life is dominated by the fear of weakness and failure. He is quick to anger, especially when dealing with men who are weak, lazy debtors like his father. However, Okonkwo overcompensates for his father's womanly (weak) ways, of which he is ashamed, because he does not tolerate idleness or gentleness. Even though he feels inward affection at times, he never portrays affection toward anyone. Instead, he isolates himself by exhibiting anger through violent, stubborn, irrational behavior. Okonkwo demands that his family work long hours despite their age or limited physical stamina, and he nags and beats his wives and son, Nwoye, who Okonkwo believes is womanly like his father, Unoka.
Okonkwo is impulsive; he acts before he thinks. Consequently, Okonkwo offends the Igbo people and their traditions as well as the gods of his clan. Okonkwo is advised not to participate in the murder of Ikefemuna, but he actually kills Ikefemuna because he is "afraid of being thought weak." When the white man brings Christianity to Umuofia, Okonkwo is opposed to the new ways. He feels that the changes are destroying the Igbo culture, changes that require compromise and accommodation — two qualities that Okonkwo finds intolerable. Too proud and inflexible, he clings to traditional beliefs and mourns the loss of the past.
When Okonkwa rashly kills a messenger from the British district office, his clansmen back away in fear; he realizes that none of them support him and that he can't save his village from the British colonists. Okonkwo is defeated. He commits suicide, a shameful and disgraceful death like his father's.
Previous Chapter 25
Character Analysis of Okonkwo: A Tragic Hero
Characters analysis of okonkwo : a tragic hero.
Okonkwo is the protagonist of the novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. He was a man of iron-will and moulded his fate with his own efforts and constant hard work. Okonkwo was a man of mixed traits: He was brave, hardworking, ambitious, but he also had traits like short-temperament, rashness, anger and zero tolerance.
Physical Appearance of Okonkwo:
As described by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo is a tall and a stout man. His eyebrows are bushy. His wide nose on his face makes his more aggressive. He looks strict, severe, and harsh by body language and behavior. He walks on his toes, raising his heals. He is a short-tempered man and cannot control his anger. He makes no delay in taking any action that is against him. He speaks loudly and in anger; he uses his fist to beat his family members.
Achievements of Okonkwo as a Man of Action:
Okonkwo was hardworking and determined in his goals. He was famous among all nearby villages because of his achievements. He was a good wrestler who knew only how to win. He had won many titles that he won in inter-tribal wars. His fame was only because of his hard work and personal achievements. He was a bold person and never feared of bloodshed in wars. He was the first man in his family who brought a head of a man during a war and it was the fifth head brought in Umofia. Okonkwo was wealthy, brave, violent and firmly adhered to family traditions.
He was a good and hardworking farmer. He had two barns full of yams. Although his starting career as a farmer was terrible because that year turned to be the worst year for farmers because of excessive rains. One of the farmer of Umofia hanged himself due to despair but Okonkwo remained determined and said: “Since I survived that year, I shall survive anything”.
Fears of Failure Hovering over Okonkwo
Okonkwo’s father Unoka was a lazy man who had no value in his tribe. Because of his laziness, he fell in the practice of taking debt from other people. He died with heavy debt. His son Okonkwo was a hardworking man who earned fame by his struggles. Now Okonkwo feared to lose his fame like his father if he followed footstep of his father. This was the reason that make him strict in family matters and dislike his children to be like his own father Unoka.
He was not cruel by heart but he was a responsible man of his family and he showed love also towards his children as with Ezinma. He had a great influence of his daughter Ezinma on him. When Okonkwo returned after killing Ikemefuna, he did not eat for three days. It was only Ezinma, who can understand her father, and she prepared food for her father. Okonkwo loved Ezinma with a wish that she were a boy.
Tragic Flaws of Okonkwo:
Fear of weakness and failure is the main cause of Okonkwo’ tragic flaw. He killed Ikemefuna not for taking revenge from a nearby village but because he only feared that if he did not take part in killing, people will think him coward like his father Unoka. Though he was happy to have Ikemefuna in his home but he could not love him openly because according to Okonkwo, loving openly a child is a sign of weakness and this fear made him short temper and rude towards his children.
A sad accident contributed in tragic fall of Okonkwo. During funeral of Ezeudu, Okonkwo’s gun exploded and killed 16-year-old son of Ezeudu. To kill a person was a crime against the goddess of earth. Okonkwo was exiled for seven years and he spent those seven years in him mother village Mbanta.
Okonkwo after Exile of 7 Years:
Okonkwo hoped that after the exile of 7 years, he would gain same honor and status in Umofia. However, when Okonkwo returned Umofia, he found missionaries campaign at climax. He was the man who cannot bear change in custom, tradition religion and in all other social factors. He had to face the changes, but he was not ready to accept it. Although people of Umofia were not willing to oppose changes and only one man could not preserve old Umofia. Because of fear of failure and weakness against white missionaries, he hanged himself at the end.
Okonkwo ended his life like a true tragic hero. He stood with his ancestral culture, custom, and traditions. He was a man of strong will. He fought many wars and made victories. Despite his many heroic qualities, he failed because of his shortsightedness, rashness, anger and violence. He failed to change himself according to the changing environment in Umofia. This was the only reason that pushed him to his downfall.
Related Articles | Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
- Brief Story of Things Fall Apart
- Characters in Things Fall Apart
- Long summary of Things Fall Apart
- Main Themes in Things Fall Apart
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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Things Fall Apart — Okonkwo Vs Unoka
Okonkwo Vs Unoka
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A tragic hero, as defined by Aristotle is a character who is noble in nature, has a tragic flaw and discovers his fate by his own actions. In Things Fall Apart, a novel by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo can be considered a tragic hero because he meets all of Aristotle's criteria by being a tragic hero by being a successful and respected leader in ...
Historical Context Essay: Things Fall Apart and Nigerian Independence Literary Context Essay: Achebe, European Modernism &, African Realism ... Okonkwo is a tragic hero in the classical sense: although he is a superior character, his tragic flaw—the equation of manliness with rashness, anger, and violence—brings about his own destruction. ...
The protagonist of Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo is also considered a tragic hero. A tragic hero holds a position of power and prestige, chooses his course of action, possesses a tragic flaw, and gains awareness of circumstances that lead to his fall. Okonkwo's tragic flaw is his fear of weakness and failure. In his thirties, Okonkwo is a leader ...
Analysis of Okonkwo as a Tragic Hero. Introduction: "A man doesn't become a hero until he can see the root of his own downfall" as Aristotle once said. In the book Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo is used to portray Achebe's own characterization of a tragic hero. Background: A tragic hero as defined by Aristotle, is a character ...
Okonkwo, the protagonist in Chinua Achebe's 1958 masterpiece, Things Fall Apart, is the epitome of the tragic hero. Okonkwo's hamartia, or fatal flaw, is his masculine power, which cancels out all ...
A sad accident contributed in tragic fall of Okonkwo. During funeral of Ezeudu, Okonkwo's gun exploded and killed 16-year-old son of Ezeudu. To kill a person was a crime against the goddess of earth. Okonkwo was exiled for seven years and he spent those seven years in him mother village Mbanta. Okonkwo after Exile of 7 Years:
In the novel "Things Fall Apart", by Chinua Achebe Okonkwo resists changes when the british missionaries arrive and it causes conflicts throughout the novel. His defiance, warrior-like, manliness behavior leads him to his suicide when he realizes change sometimes can not be controlled.
A tragic hero, as defined by Aristotle is a character who is noble in nature, has a tragic flaw and discovers his fate by his own actions. In Things Fall Apart, a novel by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo can be considered a tragic hero because he meets all of Aristotle's criteria by being a tragic hero by being a successful and respected leader in ...
Quick answer: Okonkwo is a tragic hero in Things Fall Apart because his tragic flaw, that of excessive pride, almost totally undermines his good character and leads him to his tragic downfall. PDF ...
The novel, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, provides a great example of a tragic hero. The protagonist, Okonkwo, fits Aristotle's criteria of a tragic hero because of his stature, negligence, and flaws. He is focused on neglecting his father's ways and proves his masculinity and strength which ultimately leads to his downfall. Okonkwo ...
Okonkwo is a true Tragic Hero for he obtained all the characteristics of a Tragic Hero contained as prescribed by Aristotle. Okonkwo grew up as the most feared and well-known leader of the clan, but it was destined for Okonkwo to face a miserable fate for he was full of pride. His struggle, fate, and the change in the ways of the Igbo Culture ...
Okonkwo, the protagonist of Chinue Acebe's 1958,"Things Fall Apart.", he is also considered a tragic hero. A tragic hero holds a position of power and prestige chooses is course of action, possesses a tragic flaw, and gains alertness of situation that lead to fall. Okonkwo's tragic flaw is fear of weakness and failure.
4859. A tragic hero is someone of superior qualities and status, who suffers a reversal of fortune due to major character flaws. In the novel, Things Fall Apart, Achebe portrays his own characterization of a tragic hero through Okonkwo, the main character. Like typical tragic heroes in other literature, he suffers a terrible death in the end.
A tragic hero is a character whose judgement ultimately leads to their own destruction. In the book "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo is a character who meets the standards of a tragic hero. In "Things Fall Apart," Christian missionaries from Europe come to various villages to teach them about God and Christianity.
In Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, Okonkwo's fate as a tragic hero to an extent is greatly true as he portrays hamartia, a fatal flaw, and hubris, excessive pride. Even though the author describes Okonkwo as a hardworking, African farmer, it contradicts his rash decisions following numerous events. Therefore, Okonkwo's tragedy is true ...
Okonkwo's fall from grace in the Igbo community lead to suicide, which makes Okonkwo a tragic hero by definition. Okonkwo rises to the honorable and successful leader of Umuofia. In the novel "Things Fall Apart" Okonkwo is the tragic hero because he shows a tragic flaw of fear, of weakness, and failure that leads to his suicude.
His tragic downfall truly begins when his is sent away because of an accidental murder of a boy. Okonkwo and his family are exiled from the tribe for seven years and Okonkwo is stripped of the fruits of his hard work. While he is away the white missionaries move into the village. They preach against the culture and its violent ways, causing ...
Tragic heroes are literary characters whose actions and judgment errors inescapably lead to their own self-destruction. In the book, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, our tragic hero is Okonkwo. Okonkwo is a man whose biggest fear is being like his father, meaning to be a failure. His actions usually consist of an aggressive, turbulent temper.
Okonkwo is the protagonist of Nigerian writer Chinua Achebe 's 1958 novel, Things Fall Apart. The question is often asked if Okonkwo, a member of the Igbo tribe, is a tragic hero, and there are ...
In conclusion, Okonkwo suits Aristotle's definition of a tragic hero. This character has many tragic flaws, fear of weakness, hubris, and his work ethic, which in the end lead to his death, which provokes pity and fear into the audience. The character becomes noble and is a great leader overall in the story. In the end, Chinua Achebe has givens ...
A tragic hero is "great or virtuous character in a dramatic tragedy who is destined for downfall, suffering, or defeat." (Unknown, 2014:1). The protagonist, Okonkwo, in the novel Things Fall Apart fits the definition and expectations regarding a tragic hero in English literature. Okonkwo embraces the power and respect bestowed upon him from ...
Okonkwo, in Chinua Achebe's 'Things Fall Apart', is a complex character who teaches us many lessons about life, society, and culture. According to the definition of a tragic hero in literature, one could easily consider Okonkwo a tragic hero. Okonkwo's life and death reveal tragedies which can be avoided with careful judgment and ...
Download. In this essay I am going to analyse the tragic role of the central character from the novel "Things Fall Apart" written by the Nigerian author Chinua Achebe in 1958, Okonkwo, who goes from having a good life and power within his clan to being a man driven to death by his misery and his misfortune. I will use the guidelines ...
In Chinua Achebe's novel "Things Fall Apart," the characters Okonkwo and Unoka are two very different individuals who embody contrasting values and principles.Okonkwo is a powerful, ambitious, and dominant figure in his community, while Unoka is a weak, lazy, and unsuccessful man. The stark differences between these two characters serve as a focal point for exploring the themes of masculinity ...