Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, is a book about a man named Okonkwo, who is part of the Ibo culture of the mid-first millennium of AD. The definition of tragedy is a work that provides catharsis by the use of a tragic hero who is within a tragic setting or environment. Achebe reveals Things Fall Apart as a tragedy through his tragic hero, Okonkwo, and by the pity and fear aroused in the reader. .
Okonkwo is a tragic hero, in every sense of the definition. A tragedy is a work that is meant to provide catharsis, or make the reader feel pity for the characters in the book. This is done with a series of important events, in which the main character comes to an unhappy ending. This character's downfall results from a tragic flaw, a character weakness, or event beyond the character's control. To conclude the definition of a tragic hero, it states that the tragic hero usually "gains some self-knowledge or wisdom in spite of defeat.".
Achebe tells the reader that some of the women of the tribe noticed that the second egwugwu had the "springy" walk of Okonkwo(89), revealing his high rank in the society that he is one of the egwugwus. It goes on to saying that he is among the "titled" men(90), further proving his rank in the society that he was the second egwugwu. As a dignified character he "brought honor to the clan" by throwing "Amalinze that Cat"(3). When Okonkwo was yonger, he courageously went into battles and "stalked his victim", eventually killing him to obtain his "first human head"(54). Okonkwo's tragic flaw was his inability to adapt to the changes of his culture, stubbornly seeking to stick to the old way he once knew. When a messenger came to stop one of the tribe's meetings, Okonkwo rose up and killed him, because of his hate, his pride, and his inability to adapt, which proved to be his downfall(204). His downfall was also due to the uncontrollable events of the missionaries who came to Umofia.