Tragedy
Like the other two novels in Chinua Achebe's trilogy, Arrow of God is a classic tragedy. The heroes in Things Fall Apart and No Longer At Ease both had the same fatal flaw that Ezeulu has, that of hubris. All three heroes believe they are invincible, and more righteous than the people that surround them. All three heroes fall hard, and when they fall, they take others with them. In Things Fall Apart, Okonkwo's fall represents the end of Igbo civilization that they have known it for many generations. Ezeulu's fall represents the downfall of Igbo religion, and the triumph of Christianity. Obi Okonkwo's fall in No Longer At Ease represents the end of pure, idealistic democracy and the triumph of corruption. As such, though the three heroes play the role of the classic Greek tragic hero. They are also symbolic of their culture on a grander scale.