ed man in his clan. He becomes famous for defeating Amalinze the Cat in a wrestling match. He works very hard and earns his wealth without help. The narrator says, 

“Okonkwo had clearly washed his hands and so he ate with the kings and elders.” 

This means that he gained honor through his own effort. He marries three wives, owns many barns of yams, and takes two titles. 

Fear as His Tragic Flaw: Every tragic hero has a flaw that brings his fall. Okonkwo’s flaw is his great fear of weakness and failure. He hates everything his father loved. As the narrator says, 

“Okonkwo was ruled by one passion—to hate everything that his father Unoka had loved.” 

This fear controls his actions. He becomes harsh, impatient, and cruel even to his family. He beats his wives and children to show that he is strong. This flaw slowly turns his strength into destruction.

Wrong Decision and Inner Conflict: Okonkwo often acts before thinking. He breaks the law of peace and even kills his adopted son, Ikemefuna. Elder Ezeudu had warned him, 

“That boy calls you father. ... Bear no hand in his death.”

However, Okonkwo ignores it because he fears being perceived as weak. This act hurts him deeply and breaks his bond with his son Nwoye. This is the point where his downfall begins.

Fall and Isolation: After he kills a clansman by accident, Okonkwo is sent to exile. He loses his power and hope. The narrator says, 

“It was like beginning life anew without the vigor and enthusiasm of youth.”

He becomes lonely in Mbanta and feels forgotten. When he returns, he finds his society changed by the white men. The old ways of the Igbo are broken. Okonkwo feels helpless and cut off from his people. His dream of restoring the old strength of Umuofia fails completely.

Tragic End and Death: Okonkwo’s final act proves his tragedy. He kills a messenger of the white man in anger, but no one supports him. He realizes that the brave world he loved is gone. The narrator says, 

“He has put a knife on the things that held us together and we have fallen apart.” 

This line reflects the fall of Okonkwo and his culture. He cannot live in a world that has lost its honor. In despair, he takes his own life, which is a sin in his religion. His suicide completes his tragic fall.

In short, Okonkwo fits the pattern of a tragic hero. He is brave, proud, and noble, but ruled by fear. His strength becomes his weakness. His wrong choices lead him from honor to shame. Achebe uses Okonkwo to illustrate how both inner pride and external change can destroy a man.