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Young children today imagine a hero with superpowers and a cape, but little do they know heroes come in many different forms.In his novel, Things Fall Apart, the Nigerian author Chinua Achebe illustrates the making of modern hero.Even though Okonkwo does not act like a regular hero, he still has a noble structure, makes mistakes throughout life, and experiences a great downfall.
By definition, Oedipus is the tragic hero in Oedipus the King because he is noble, he is good, but commits an act of injustice through ignorance, his downfall is his own fault, his misfortune is not wholly deserved, and because his tragic fall is not one of pure loss.
Okonkwo and Oedipus are two different people from two different cultures, but they are both tragic heroes. In the stories, Okonkwo and Oedipus are very important people and rules in their society. Granted, Okonkwo does not rule alone and Oedipus did. Like true tragic heroes they have a fall from grace.
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.
A tragic flaw of a character is the flaw of the main character that will eventually bring him down. The main character, Okonkwo, meets each of the four criteria to be a tragic hero. His flaw would be that he is violent but he does have some good. He cares for his family; he wants his son Nwoye, to be tough and hardworking like him.
Things Fall Apart Essay: Okonkwo the tragic hero. 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.
The tragic hero in this case is a young man named Okonkwo. He is a dynamic growing character but is doomed from the beginning of the story with two major flaws that in the end will destroy his character. Okonkwo cannot physically display any of his emotions because he thinks it is a sure sign of weakness.