Okonkwo's Deaths In Antigone And Things Fall Apart

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In both Antigone and Things Fall Apart the main characters experience a struggle with a force they cannot control. Antigone feels obligated to bury her brother against the order of the King. Okonkwo feels like he needs to eliminate the missionaries from his tribe to preserve his culture’s traditions. Antigone and Okonkwo’s deaths were very similar, but they died for different beliefs. Both their deaths were to say something about their governing parties. Antigone and Okonkwo’s deaths were to change the laws/by-laws of their culture. Antigone’s death was to break the law and Okonkwo’s was to withhold the tribe’s previous bylaws. Antigone and Okonkwo’s deaths were to say something about their governing parties. In Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo’s village was being converted to Christianity which was completely different from Umuofia’s culture. When Okonkwo was speaking to Obierika, “How do you think we can fight when our own brothers have turned against us? The white man is very clever. He came quietly and peaceably with his religion. We were amused at his foolishness and allowed him to stay. Now he has won our brothers, and …show more content…
Polynice’s body was never buried when he died because he was claimed to be the enemy of the country. Antigone tried to bury her brother to honor her family, even though it was against the law. But in the end, Antigone was killed for breaking the law because she wanted to make a statement that everyone honor the dead, their family, and the gods. In Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo tried to preserve Umuofia’s old culture. He killed himself when he realized there was no point in trying to preserve the old laws and culture of Umuofia. This demonstrates the overall difference between Antigone and Okonkwo. They both died for what they believed in, but Antigone tried to change the law and Okonkwo tried to preserve