"Things Fall Apart", by Chinua Achebe, is a modern version of a classic Greek tragedy set in the late 19th to early 20th centuries. The story takes place in a tribe in Nigeria. Okonkwo, the focus of this work of fiction, possesses characteristics like those of a tragic Greek hero. Chinua Achebe has written a classic tragedy put in modern times. There are many components involved in a tragedy. Okonkwo's own tragedy involves three of them: high social standing, error in judgment, and unmerited misfortune.

Okonkwo possesses the significant trait of high social status. Okonkwo's high status within his tribe helps create a climactic plot in which he eventually from his tribal stature. Often, in the beginning of the story, the narrator illustrates for the reader the significance of Okonkwo's status among his people, "He was talking about Okonkwo, who had risen so suddenly from great poverty and...