Who Is Okonkwo A Tragic Hero In Things Fall Apart

Tom Stoppard, a famous British playwright, once said, “From principles is derived probability, but truth or certainty is obtained only from facts.” Stoppard describes that you can only get truth from the facts you know. Okonkwo, the main character in the book Things Fall Apart is not a true tragic hero. He meets two of the requirements, superiority and tragic flaw, however, he fails to meet the other two requirements, goodness and realization. Superiority and tragic flaw are met because they are explained thoroughly through the book, therefore making them facts. The goodness and realization aspects are assumed by some people based on principles, however, are not present or explained in the book..
Okonkwo is superior to the people around him

and makes sure his superiority is known. Because of his superior nature, Okonkwo is very well known throughout the novel. “Okonkwo was well known throughout the nine villages and even beyond. His fame rested on solid personal achievements” (Page 1). Throughout the book, Okonkwo collected as many personal achievements he could. He would make commands toward his wives to do what he needed, and if something was not done properly, he used his power to beat them. By completing these actions, one can conclude that Okonkwo saw others as less than him. He established superiority to people and used this power for the things he wanted or needed.
There was Tragic flaw also present in Okonkwo. You see this in the book when he does something just to make himself look good, or think he looks good. He cares what people think of him and does not want to be seen as weak. “Okonkwo was ruled by one passion, hate everything his father, Unoka, loved”(Page13). Okonkwo did everything opposite of his father, and made himself look strong. He feared to be his father so everything he does is done with anger. He cared so much about what people thought that he kills someone that he likes just to look strong. He was afraid of looking weak to people and that ends up being his weakest trait.
Goodness literally means the quality of being good.

Okonkwo shows many things in the book of how he is not good. He only hurts others and uses them for what he wants . “Okonkwo never showed any emotion openly unless it was the emotion of anger” (Page 28). He didn’t like anyone, and the people he did like he acted as he didn’t. The only good he could’ve shown is the fact that he likes Ikemefuna, instead he kills him. Okonkwo repeatedly does bad things in fear of not being good enough, and in fact he was never being good.
Okonkwo’s realization never comes. He dies before he is able to realize his actions is what lead to his downfall. (insert quote) .If he would’ve have waited a little longer he might’ve been able to have a realization but it never came. He lost all that he felt was important and ended his life without actually knowing why it all happened to him.

Okonkwo is not a true tragic hero, he only meets the requirements of superiority and tragic flaw, but does not have goodness or realization. He never shows any sign of good and does not have time to realize this. The requirements he meet are actually present in the book, and sometimes people just assume he has the other two. We need to pay attention to the facts to form truths rather than assuming to form

truths