Blog Post 20 - Tragic Hero

Why would Achebe, taking into account the cultural context, choose to characterize Okonkwo using a tragic hero archetype?

Okonkwo is considered a tragic hero because he is successful, a man with a high status and highly respected in the village of Umuofia, with the fear of weakness (hamartia & peripeteia). In this cultural context, a hero is the one who is brave, bold against anything that is stopping him/her from achieving the best that they can (by weak forces) in the community. One who is persist and influences others around him. Achebe used the tragic archetype to show the central themes of the novel which establishes the connection between the rise and fall of the Igbo culture as well as Okonkwo.

In the novel, Okonkwo does not wish to be like his father, he disagrees with that attitude in life, therefore, he aims to be hardworking and encourage or more like force others (especially males) to be more determined and not lazy (or being feminine). His 'tragic hero' characteristic establishes on of the major themes which is POWER in gender. This emphasizes how the Igbo culture revolves and establishes a strict gender role system throughout the community. 

The Igbo people respect and believes in peace. More so, hold ceremonies or traditional customs to emphasize the importance of it. For example, in the novel Achebe presents us to 'The Week of Peace' where the community gives appeasement to the gods for control of harvesting and crops. This week is to be in health and harmony, however, Okonkwo does not follow the custom and beats up his wife. This shows how his character, being as powerful as he is in the community, does not care about the values that the culture has and has too much pride. This defines one of the characteristics of being a tragic hero, and ultimately justifies how power can stimulate one's pride in a given culture.

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