"Oedipus Rex," written by the great playwright, Sophocles, depicts ancient Theban, Oedipus, who attempts to escape the fate given to him by an oracle. "Things Fall Apart," is a novel authored by Chinua Achebe and tells the tale of a wealthy African man, Okonkwo, who realizes that he is powerless when trying to protect his clan. Okonkwo is a tragic hero in the same ways as Oedipus through how their hamartia, nobility or status, and tragic downfall in fate also impacts the people in their polis or tribe. A key element of a tragic hero is his "hamartia" (tragic flaw), as explained by ancient Greek philosopher, Aristotle. Oedipus commits various acts of hubris, also commonly known as excessive pride, throughout the entire play as his tragic flaw. In the beginning, Oedipus first attempts to deny and run away from the Oracle gives him, thinking that he could change his destiny on his own. This displays one of the greatest acts of hubris. His complete arrogance and what we may call today as "road rage " causes him to kill King Laius, oblivious to the fact that Laius was his father. After he unknowingly marries his mother, Queen Jocasta, he is determined to crack down the killer of her previous husband and murder him. Unfortunately, his pride and determination prevents him from realizing that the murderer is him all along. Evidence was even passed on back and forth in the beginning of the novel that tries to convince him that he killed his father and married his mother. Okonkwo also demonstrates signs of hubris throughout the narrative. A good example would be "the fear of himself, lest he should be found to resemble his father"" (Achebe 13). This mindset of his causes him to murder Ikemefuna, the child that one of his wives takes as another son, because "He was afraid of being thought weak" (Achebe 61). After discovering that his son, Nwoye, was siding with the missionaries, he beat and disowned him simply because he believes that Nwoye's actions were unacceptable because they did not match his own.
