In a tragedy, a hero struggles against fate and fails. Because of a character flaw, the hero is often unable to adapt to new surroundings, which ultimately causes his downfall. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe follows the basic structure of a tragedy. Okonkwo is the idealistic hero, he is defeated, he is unable to adapt to the changes around him, and his tragedy parallels the tragedy of the Ibo culture.
             Okonkwo's character allows him to become a mighty hero in the eyes of his clan – he possesses bravery, industry, strength, and loyalty. He first gained his fame by defeating a "cat" during an annual wrestling match and killing his first human in a war. By working hard in his yam fields he obtains wealth within the Ibo culture. Even after his crops fail he says, "I survived that year, I'll survive anything" (p. 24). Through the power of his own hands he raises himself up from poverty, and he becomes one of the most influential leaders of his clan. He is faithful to the traditions and is willing to defend his culture even unto his death. Even if his own clansmen did not choose to fight the whites he would "plan [his] own revenge" (p. 200).
             Okonkwo heroically opposes the colonizers who have come to change the Ibo culture. They were making the men of his people "degenerate and effeminate" (p. 153). He believes that the only way to purify the land and the people is to totally destroy the white man. By encouraging his clansmen to fight against the white man, he struggles to defy the newcomer's ways.
             Like most tragic heroes, Okonkwo has a flaw – his fear of weakness or failure. His father's poverty, femininity, and excessive drinking created an obsessive fear of failure and
             weakness, which leads him to overcome and obtain a better life. This fear drives him to accomplish great things: he overcomes poverty and the ag
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