OKONKWO'S CHARACTER

A tragic hero is one that is defined as a literary character who makes a judgment error that inevitably leads to their own destruction. Common characteristic traits defined by Aristotle usually consist of a flaw or error of judgment (hamartia), a reversal of fortune brought through due to the hero error of judgment (peripeteia), the discovery or recognition that the reversal was brought about by the hero’s own actions (anagnorisis), excessive pride (hubris) and lastly the character’s fate must be greater than deserved. It can be seen that Okonkwo- the protagonist- follows many of these traits.

Yet from this essay a hero is defined as person not made in isolation but they’re rather a product of the social matrix with in which they operate. The person's determination to pursue his individual interest concomitantly with that of the society is a constant source of dynamic tensions because his obligations to his society can become an impediment to his individual quest for fame and reputation. This is very relatable to Okonkow which makes us question why Achebe would choose a tragic hero as the protagonist. Using Okonkwo as a tragic hero is a brilliant way to portray not only Okonkows downfall but rather the downfall of the whole society. One of the most important proverbs in the novel is: ““As the elders said, if one finger brought oil it soiled the others” which means that the downfall of one person could be the downfall for everyone else which in this case was the protagonist as well as the tragic hero. By making Okonkwo a tragic hero, Achebe tries to illustrate a message that the Westerners are causing them much trouble and even though it is very frowned upon to take your own life in the Igbo culture- they would still rather that than having to follow the British as Obierika says: “That man (Okonkwo) was one of the greatest men in Umuofia. You drove him to kill himself and now he will be buried like a dog…” therefore using Okonkwo as a tragic hero truly emphasizes on the true struggle of the Igbo society as a whole and not just Okonkwo alone.

One of the themes that take place throughout the novel is the struggle of change, tradition and culture which in the Igbo society holds great value. Using Okonkwo we see this theme develop due to the fact that he resists the new cultural, religious and political change within Umuofia because he doesn’t consider them manly which leads to develop him as a character and the theme itself. Okonkwo also resists such things because of his strong fear to lose societal status. His wisdom on self-worth is dependent on the traditional standard which by his society judges him.
Another theme that Achebe promotes through Okonkwo is destiny/fate. Due to Okonkwo’s hard and inflexible ways, he seemed destined for self-destruction. Throughout the novel is it seen through the character development how certain tragical events were building up against Okonkwo. Again by using the protagonist as the tragic hero we see how the novel falls on them and implies the same for the Igbo society.