Comparing the Tragic Hero in Things Fall Apart and Heart of Darkness

The Tragic Hero in Things Fall Apart and Heart of Darkness

A tragic hero could be considered a "noble person with a fatal flaw" or "an opponent of society who is willing to take action that 'sensible people' might applaud

but never perform themselves". In Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart and

Joseph Conrads's Heart of Darkness, two characters, Okonkwo and Kurtz, have

some qualities which could categorize them as tragic heroes. However, only the

reader's interpretation of the characters' actions will determine if they are tragic

heroes or not. In his Ibo society, Okonkwo would certainly be considered a "noble

person". Not only has he worked his way up from poverty to become one of the

leading men of Umuofia, but he has also been deemed one of the greatest warriors

and wrestlers in the land. "Okonkwo was well known throughout the nine villages

and even beyond. His fame rested on solid personal achievements", (Achebe 3).

Due to the exemplary actions, Okonkwo has gained respect from his fellow

tribesmen. Okonkwo has also taken two titles in his clan and he is a member of the

egwugwu, which demonstrates his leadership capabilities and the power and

"nobility" he holds in Umuofia.

Despite his skills in those areas, Okonkwo does have a "fatal flaw". "His whole life

was dominated by fear, the fear of failure and of weakness", (Achebe 13). Unoka,

Okonkwo's father, was considered an "agbala", or a woman, because he was soft

and not masculine enough. Okonkwo had also hated his father because he was em-

barrassed by him, so his life's passion is to be the polar opposite of him. Due to this

fear, Okonkwo held in his emotions and acted hard, which ultimately made him

weak, because a s...

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...o appears to have more qualities of a tragic hero than Kurtz. Achebe had

created Okonkwo with some nobility, and he definitely had a fatal flaw; his fear of

weakness ultimately culminated into his death. Also, Okonkwo had opposed the

white society and some of his fellow tribesmen. However, his clan did not approve

of his final action: suicide. Due to this fact, Okonkwo can never be a true tragic he-

ro. Now, Kurtz never was considered to be a noble man by society's standards and

he didn't really have a flaw; instead, he had the ability to persuade and manipulate

people to his advantage, which would not be a flaw for his sake. Kurtz was a mixed

man of society; he opposed some parts while accepting others. Despite this, both

characters have exhibited some characteristics of a tragic hero and only the reader's

response can determine their roles.