Comparison between the Tragic Heroes - Essay Example

Insert Comparison between the tragic heroes In both stories Oedipus the king (2006) written by Sophocles and the novel, Things Fall Apart (1958) written by the late Chinua Achebe we can see Oedipus and Okonkwo being heroes and finally tragedies start to befall them. They had tragic flaws, which lead to their downfalls. Okonkwo was to be blamed more than Oedipus since he had more chances of changing his course, unlike Oedipus, who was more of a victim. In both cases, they wanted to do the right things without caring about the consequences. Oedipus wanted to do what is right for their people without taking himself as the exemption. When he came to know about the prophecy of him killing is parents he decides to escape for the sake of his parents. He had to sacrifice a lot to avoid this prophecy from happening. He ended communication with his parents, which was not easy to do so. Okonkwo too wanted to always do what seemed right to his people and himself. His hard work brought him success in farming and wrestling. He also wanted to fight the white men whom according to him brought a bad culture that changed and took over Umofian culture (Achebe). He never wanted to tolerate their religion or even education. In both cases, they had downfalls in the end. Oedipus becomes a tragic hero again when he becomes determine to find out the murderer of Laius and after finding out that he was indeed the one who did it he went on and applied the punishment he had promised to do to the murderer here is where their downfall began (Sophocles). Okonkwo too had a tragic downfall too when he accidentally killed Ezeudu’s son and was banished from the village for seven years. He went to stay with his mother’s tribe in Mbanta. When he comes back from Mbanta, he found that the white men had settled in Umofia and started a school and government. He tried to oppose, but nobody backed him up. He eventually killed the messenger and hanged himself when the local government come looking for him. They were both arrogant and refused to be told anything. We can see Oedipus being told by his wife to live in the past, but he was the killer of Laius and his real identity. We can also see his arrogance when he forced the witness to tell him the truth about who killed Laius. Okonkwo also showed his arrogance when he things that to change to Christianity meant submission to the white people. He discouraged the people of his community from embracing Christianity because he was a traditional and self-made man. He refused to be told he was wrong about anything and thing fell apart eventually (Achebe). Okonkwo and Oedipus at the end were an outcast, and they had to leave their land. Oedipus had to leave and seek for a place to rest in peace ,this happened in the kingdom of Theseus who heard the prophecy that the land where Oedipus grave will be would prosper, and that was the Theseus land where he was welcomed to stay by the king (Sophocles). Okonkwo too became an outcast for seven years when he killed Ezeudu’s son. He runs away to stay with his mother’s tribe in Mbanta. They both were successful Oedipus was famous throughout the city due to his success in answering the riddles of the Sphinx. Okonkwo was also successful through his hard work on the farm and wrestling. He was a hero who, unlike his father who was unsuccessful and died in debt, Okonkwo was hard working. At old age he was given yam seeds, and he worked hard and was able to pay back the yams. The danger of knowledge and hubris Oedipus sought for knowledge and truth; he won’t stop at anything until he gets what he wants. He doesn’t accept anyone’s opinion even her wife who happens to be her mother. We can see this when he struggles to find the killer of Laius and his identity even after been warned to forget about the past by his wife. After he found out that, he was the killer of Laius and that Laius was his father he felt guilt and his life was ruined by his past deeds. It was better for him to live without knowing the truth. He had to punish the killer has he had promised he would do so. He stubbed his eyes and suggested banishment to be applied. He meant his words and he couldn’t break his word about the punishment even after he found out that he was the one who killed his own father unknowingly. The truth caused her mother to hang herself; this could have been avoided if Oedipus had not continued the investigation. Better to be in the dark than finding out the painful reality (Sophocles). Hubris is an act of indulging in pride. We can see Oedipus having a lot of pride on several occasions. First, he killed Laius in the street just because of a small insult he received from him. He had the pride that he could kill him since he had insulted him. If it was not for his pride, he would not have killed a man who happens to be his real father. It is evident that he had excess pride when he was very determined to find the killer no matter what. He was full of confident as he went to get the culprit without knowing that it could be himself (Sophocles). We can see his excess pride when he swears that he is going to blind the killer and apply banishment. He escaped Corinth to avoid killing his father Polybos and marrying his mother, Meropes. In order not to fulfill the prophecy that he was going to do so. He was too confident that he had escaped it without knowing that he was going to kill his real father and marry her mother according to the prophecy. It is very dangerous to have excessive pride like Oedipus since it can ruin you for sure. After finding out that whatever he thought he had escaped just came back to harm him when he least expected (Sophocles). He accepted the happenings and took responsibility for his actions by blinding himself and suggesting the implementation of banishment. He finally prayed to the gods demonstrating his own acceptance of his fate and humbly asked for mercy upon his soul. He came to realize that he cannot overcome obstacle alone, but fate is in the hands of the gods. He eventually exited Thebes a humble man having been stripped of the power. He went to Theseus kingdom where he was given a place to stay since the king heard the prophecy that the land that Oedipus grave will be would have prosperity forever. The concept of tragedy Oedipus is seen as a good man from the start who tries to do all he can to make sure that he saves the people of Thebes from the plague. Some of his past action come to ruin his present, and it caused his downfall. This was when he killed an average person without knowing that he had killed his own father and married his mother unknowingly this made him an outcast. He finally had to exit Thebes land and search for a place to spend his last days. It is important to know that having pride if not a good thing since it can cause someone to action without thinking about the consequences. If Oedipus had taken the time to analyze what had happened in his past life before taking action to find the killer he could have escaped the ordeal (Sophocles). If he had overlooked the insult from the old man in the street, he could not have killed his father. Postcolonialism and creation of new African literature The piece of work documented, Things Fall Apart (1958) written by the late Chinua Achebe has its settings from the outskirts of Nigeria in a fictional village named Umofia. Achebe tries to show the reader how the history of his people was before the colonial error, which was brought by the missionaries who were changing their political structures and institutions. He describes the significant aspects as the social practices of Igbo community, culture, festivals, ritual ceremonies and how they worshipped their god. He also describes how post-colonialism had negative and positive effects on the Igbo society. When missionaries came to Nigeria, they brought in the British political structure and various institutions that were different from the Igbo community. The colonized community was forced to be subjects, follow the culture of their colony, and adopt their practices while their native cultures are destroyed under the power of imperialism. In the novel, Okonkwo who is the respected elder is resistant to new political and religious orders because he felt that the Europeans were not manly enough and would not tolerate them (Achebe). Members who were not regarded as insignificant embraced the European religion and culture because Okonkwo did not like them. Eventually, Okonkwo lost his societal status and was considered an outcast in Igbo community. Postcolonialism and the creation of a new African literature, myth, traditions and realism is a consequence of colonialism. When the Europeans arrived in Nigeria, they threatened to change every aspect of Igbo society Igbo society from religion, traditions, trade and traditional gender roles Chinua Achebe also blames the missionaries for oppressing the culture of the Igbo community. The Europeans who imposed their culture and language over Africans in an attempt to marginalize and destroy their religions change the cultural elements such as religion and traditional gender roles. This lead to the eventual division of the societies led by those treated as insignificant in the society. The novelist also used the society’s myths, proverbs and oral traditions to show the European community how Africa is rich in knowledge and was unwilling to shift entirely to their modern era of civilization and education. Chinua Achebe considered Postcolonialism as a process of hostility as well as a reform of the community (Achebe). Postcolonialism also created a sense of confusion in the community because the colonized individuals combined the elements of two different cultures. They moved back and forth between the present and past lives lacking a sense of belonging. He uses Okonkwo to compare how the society before and after the arrival of the Europeans fell apart. The role of traditions and Christianity in Things Fall Apart also played a major role in shaping Nigerian identity today. The Igbo community believed in a supernatural being whom they consulted in making their decisions, and it permeates all aspects of their life; social, cultural and political. No one dared to question the decree of the gods and, even though, the ancestors played a role; he or she knew that without God, even the strongest spirit could not do anything (Achebe). The tragedy of the story The arrival of the white man who introduced different customs it seen as a tragic event in the story. The people had to abandon Umofian customs and embrace European religion, weapons and the government system. Okonkwo wanted to fight the white men when he came back from exile, but nobody was behind him (Achebe). Okonkwo is also seen as the tragic figure because the community that he led broke down and he could not do anything about. He also killed Escudo’s son accidentally and was banished for seven years. He was also a coward who seems brave on the inside but had fear that he would grow to be like his father who was lazy and unsuccessful. He also eventually died by hanging himself when the government came searching for him when he killed a messenger. Works Cited Achebe, Chinua. things fall apart. Chicago: Adventure Works Press, 1958. Sophocles. Oedipus the king. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006. Read More