Final answer:
A tragic hero, according to Aristotle, is a virtuous but flawed character whose downfall leads to audience catharsis. Okonkwo from 'Things Fall Apart' represents a tragic hero through his noble status and prideful downfall, embodying Aristotle's tragic principles.
Step-by-step explanation:
A tragic hero as defined by Aristotle in his work Poetics, is the central character of a tragedy who is generally virtuous but flawed by hamartia, leading to his downfall. This character experiences peripeteia (reversal of fortune), anagnorisis (recognition), and a resulting catharsis (emotional release) for the audience.
Okonkwo, from Chinua Achebe's novel 'Things Fall Apart', is often seen as a tragic hero because he is a character of noble status in his community and essentially good but flawed by his excessive pride, which leads to his tragic end.
The story of Okonkwo aligns with Aristotle's definition of tragedy as it deals with issues relevant to the community at large and presents a protagonist who needs to confront high ethical stakes. His actions and their grave consequences subsequently lead the audience to undergo a catharsis.