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.
How is Okonkwo’s tragic flaw developed?
His tragic flaw is
his fear of becoming like his father
. … He is so afraid that he will lose his title until he takes his own life. In the end, he dies without a proper burial, just as his father died without a proper burial. Okonkwo allowed his fear to take contol of him.
What is Okonkwo’s tragic flaw quizlet?
THE TRAGIC FLAW. “
He was afraid of being thought weak
” (61). Okonkwo being thought of of as weak. In previous cases Okonkwo’s fears lead him to greatness.
What are examples of Okonkwo’s heroic behavior?
| Aristotle’s Definition of a Tragic Hero Examples of Okonkwo’s Heroic Behavior | He has a fatal flaw, orhamartia, which leads to his downfall. Okonkwo’s violence is his hamartia. | He usually goes on a journey or participates in a quest. Okonkwo is exiled to his motherland. |
|---|
What suggestion is there that Okonkwo will evolve into a tragic hero?
What suggestion is there that Okonkwo will evolve into a tragic hero? An indication that Okonkwo will be a tragic
hero is based on how his actions lead him to consequences that already get him into trouble without him realizing till after the act.
What event causes Okonkwo to exile?
Okonkwo’s gun accidentally goes off and kills Ezeudu’s sixteen-year-old son
. Killing a clansman is a crime against the earth goddess, so Okonkwo must atone by taking his family into exile for seven years. Okonkwo gathers his most valuable belongings and takes his family to his mother’s natal village, Mbanta.
Which best describes Okonkwo’s tragic flaw?
Okonkwo’s tragic flaw is
his fear of weakness and failure
. In his thirties, Okonkwo is a leader of the Igbo community of Umuofia.
Is Okonkwo a hero or a villain?
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.
What are the common characteristics of the tragic hero?
- Be virtuous: In Aristotle’s time, this meant that the character should be a noble. …
- Be flawed: While being heroic, the character must also have a tragic flaw (also called hamartia) or more generally be subject to human error, and the flaw must lead to the character’s downfall.
Who is Okonkwo’s favorite child?
Ezinma
is also Okonkwo’s favorite child, for she understands him better than any of his other children and reminds him of Ekwefi when Ekwefi was the village beauty. Okonkwo rarely demonstrates his affection, however, because he fears that doing so would make him look weak.
What is Aristotle’s definition of a tragic hero?
The present study investigates the tragic hero, defined in Aristotle’s Poetics as “
an intermediate kind of personage, not pre-eminently virtuous and just” whose misfortune is attributed, not to vice or depravity, but an error of judgment
. The hero is fittingly described as good in spite of an infirmity of character.
Why is Okonkwo respected?
His tribal leaders greatly respect Okonkwo in his efforts to provide for his family. In Okonkwo’s tribe, it is a respectable trait to work hard and produce many barns filled with yams. Okonkwo is also
a great warrior
. He has many human skulls to prove his bravery.
Is Macbeth a tragic hero?
Macbeth is the tragic hero of the play
. Ambition is his fatal flaw. Tragic heroes start off nice, then a bad part of their personality kicks in (a fatal flaw) to make them not so nice. … Shakespeare wrote plenty of stories about tragic heroes, eg Othello, Hamlet, Julius Caesar.
How does Okonkwo exile affect him?
Okonkwo’s exile
forces him into his motherland
. He doesn’t deal well with his misfortune because he is so intent on being as successful and influential as his father was poor and powerless. His initial lack of gratitude toward his mother’s kinsmen is a transgression of Igbo cultural values.
What crime did Okonkwo commit?
During the Week of Peace, Okonkwo commits
the crime of beating his wife
. This is his first crime against the earth. As punishment, he is told to make a ritual sacrifice, which he does.
What Okonkwo fears most?
Perhaps down in his heart Okonkwo was not a cruel man. But his whole life was dominated by fear,
the fear of failure and of weakness
. It was deeper and more intimate than the fear of evil and capricious gods and of magic, the fear of the forest, and of the forces of nature, malevolent, red in tooth and claw.
