Similarities Between Okonkwo And Things Fall Apart

Shakespeare’s Macbeth revolves around the main character of Macbeth, who plots out a Machiavellian scheme to become king of the realm. Upon becoming king Macbeth attempts to ward off any threat to his reign and succession by all means. In Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo, the main character, equally does anything and everything to prove his valor. Though set in 11th century Scotland and 19th century Nigeria respectively, and portrayed through the main characters of Macbeth and Okonkwo, the authors of both Macbeth and Things Fall Apart each demonstrate an extensive yet subtle examination regarding the notion of how exorbitant amounts of ambition may corrupt a person and propel them towards destroying entities around them;†¦show more content†¦Unguarded personal ambition may lead to insensitivity and cruelty. Shakespeare presents this view from what Macbeth, who is initially full of human kindness, does once his eyes are set on the crown. He had earlier said in an aside that â€Å"If chance will have me king, why, chance may crown me† (Shakespeare Act I Scene III). Macbeth, persuaded by his wife, does not wait for chance to crown him king. In a letter to his wife Macbeth tells her to rejoice and not be ignorant of the promised greatness. To this promise she laments, in a soliloquy (Shakespeare Act I Scene V) in which she remarks that the kind nature of her husband may hold him from fulfilling what fate had bestowed upon him. She attempts to and succeeds in talking Macbeth into killing the king of the realm. Macbeth’s cruelty and murderous tendencies in pursuit of greatness are further demonstrated by the ruthless execution of the two chamberlains upon whom the daggers that killed the king are found. He attributes this inhuman act to his rage and fury. In Things Fall Apart, Achebe exposes Okonkwo’s recklessness, coldness and harshness. Okonkwo commits the unimaginable during the Week of Peace; he heavily beats his youngest wife. â€Å"In his anger, he had forgotten that it was the Week of Peace† (Achebe 21). It is safe to say that these occurrences easily suffice as proof of how uncontained ambition can effortlessly corrupt people into acting selfishly, callously and immorally. The main charactersShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Novel Things Fall Apart 1100 Words   |  5 Pagesare beliefs, priorities, and or activities that people find importance in. In the 1959 novel â€Å"Things Fall Apart† written by Chinua Achebe, the concentration is on the nine Ibo-speaking villages of Umuofian, which means People of the Forest†. Umuofian is the village in which Okonkwo, the protagonist, thrives in everything and is able to secure his manly position in the tribe. There are little similarities and many differences in the values of an American society and the values of a traditional UmuofianRead MoreAn Exploration of Proverbs in Things Fall Apart by Achebe Essay974 Words   |  4 Pagesshort sentence based on long experience† (. In Things Fall Apart, proverbs are mainly used in the development of the important characters. Through proverbs used in character development, Achebe shows the distinct similarities and differences between the protagonist, Okonkwo, and two other important characters, Nwoye and Obierika. Achebe uses the proverb When a man says yes his chi says yes also in the character development of Okonkwo. Okonkwo is a very successful man in his village of UmoufiaRead More People Fall Apart in Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe Essay1668 Words   |  7 PagesPeople Fall Apart in Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe   Ã‚   Karl Marx believed that all of history could be reduced to two tiny words: class struggle. 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At first glance, Okonkwo and Wang Lung seem to have no similarRead MoreMisogyny in Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad and Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe1129 Words   |  5 PagesMisogyny, the hatred or dislike of females, is a recurrent theme in World Literature. Women’s suffrage was at its prime between 1840 and 1920. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad and Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, two stories based in Africa, show different points of misogyny, the first being from the time of women’s suffrage, and the latter being after the women’s suffrage movement. The value, view, and role of women was undermined greatly in these two novels. Heart of Darkness was publishedRead More Things Fall Apart Essay763 Words   |  4 PagesChinua Achebes Things Fall Apart shows an odd similarity between the cultures of Ancient Greece and the Lower Niger. Despite the fact that two societies can exist during different periods of time and have conflicting cultural values, their stories and behavior can have surprising overlaps. Things Fall Apart is structured like a Greek Tragedy in its use of a chorus and in the presence of a tragic hero whose actions ultimately lead to his downfall. The Egwugwu from Things Fall Apart act like the chorusRead MoreCoculturalism And Cosmopolitanism1749 Words   |  7 Pagesto take a step back and to realize that humans similarities and differences are a good thing and should be embraced, not disdained. The book Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe tells the story of a man named Okonkwo who belongs to the Igbo tribe. Okonkwo started with nothing and worked his way up to become one of the most powerful men in his tribe. Towards the end of the book, white men come and try to bring Christianity to Okonkwo and his tribe. Okonkwo and his tribe, being displeased with the comingRead MoreHeart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad vs. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe1476 Words   |  6 PagesHeart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad and Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe are two novellas written to make a statement about the struggles of early societies. Both stories stir up moments of hope, anger, disappointment, despair, and enlightenment in an attempt to inform the reader of the injustices and societal differences during the 1800’s. Heart of Darkness tells the story from a European Colonist perspective while Things Fall Apart illustrates the outlook of the African tribe member being colonizedRead MoreThings Fall Apart And Heart Of Darkness Analysis910 Words   |  4 PagesAchebe’s Things Fall Apart with Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness In everyday life, we are always comparing, even subconsciously with even knowing it. When we compare things, we look at what the similarities are in said items such as a popular brand or a generic one. Comparing things such as two literary works, Things Fall Apart, by Chinua Achebe, and, Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad, both have a lot of similarities that we will look at. In Things Fall Apart, it is about a man named Okonkwo whoRead MoreThings Fall Apart By Chinua Achebe1414 Words   |  6 PagesAisne Richardson Ms. Talbott English 10 Accelerated December 4, 2015 Things Fall Apart Test 1. What are the similarities of â€Å"The Second Coming† by W.B Yeats and Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe? In Things Fall Apart, it appears like things happen to fall apart at whatever point Okonkwo builds trust. On the other side, the substance of â€Å"The Second Coming† recounted a chaotic world and a base that couldn t hold as its very own inner conflicts. In addition to the synonymous feeling both the book