Okonkwo as a Tragic Figure

While reading Things Fall Apart, Achebe's depiction of the story of Okonkwo's downfall really stuck out to me. In thinking of the protagonist's downfall, I was reminded of the idea of a traditional, Aristotelian tragic hero. After learning the definition for a tragic hero every year since 9th grade, I'm sure you guys remember the characteristics of a tragic hero and might see how Okonkwo fits into this definition. Specifically, Okonkwo is well-regarded and prosperous, but flawed and not exactly a paragon of virtue. His temper, driven by his fear of failing like his father, serves as a sort of hamartia. So Okonkwo definitely fits into these characteristics, but I think it's a little less straightforward as to his actual downfall in the novel. If we view his downfall as his exile, I think it fits in relatively well with other tragedies. Sometimes tragic figures more directly cause their undoing, but as with Okonkwo's accidental murder at the funeral, a tragic hero's downfall is often caused by a lapse in judgement of this sort. However, Okonkwo's full downfall really occurs in the context of the British colonialism that tears apart his society and drives him to suicide. This tragedy seems different from Shakespearian ones to me in the way that the external force of imperialism really drives Okonkwo to his downfall. I think Achebe intentionally plays with the idea of a traditional tragic hero in presenting Okonkwo's story. I almost see it as Achebe presenting a specific sort of postcolonial tragic hero that best shows the tragic story of a colonized people.