Similarities Between Macbeth And Things Fall Apart

Tragic heroes are created to make the audience weep at their death and feel emotionally attached to the story. Novelists/playwrights achieve this by giving the hero admirable features that are usually common amongst all heroes. Tragic heroes are popular in Western literature, but cultural differences haven’t stopped the emergence of tragic heroes in other forms of literature. Macbeth is a famous Western classic featuring a tragic hero, while Things Fall Apart is a novel set in Nigeria, also featuring a tragic hero. Even though Things Fall Apart and Macbeth are set in different backgrounds, Achebe is successful in portraying Okonkwo as a tragic hero through his similarities to Macbeth, such as his thirst for power and his principally good conscience.

In Okonkwo’s case, he feels guilty of executing Ikemefuna: a young boy that lives with Okonkwo for three years, a boy that “calls [Okonkwo] his father.” (Achebe 57) Ezeudu, the oldest man in Umuofia, advised Okonkwo to “not bear a hand in his death.” (57) But he kills him anyway, which makes him depressed. Although Okonkwo doesn’t admit his guilt, the reader can notice his clear distress and possible regret for his heinous act, since he could “not sleep at night. He tried not to think about Ikemefuna, but the more he tried the more he thought about him.”(63). His guilt for his actions can be inferred to be a consequence of his good moral: his need to appear strong affects his hidden compassion. Similar morals are observed in Macbeth as well, when he hallucinates a dagger leading him to Duncan’s room: “Is this a dagger I see in front of me, with its handle pointing toward my hand?” (Shakespeare II.i.33). Macbeth’s evil thoughts and desires affect his mental health, portraying Macbeth to be a primarily moral person with no wicked intentions. He feels guilty about an act that he hasn’t even committed, which could indicate a pure and honest heart, one that isn’t cruel in essence. This resemblance between Okonkwo and Macbeth demonstrates that tragic heroes are depicted as people with good intentions, in the beginning, at