Tragic Flaw:

Personal quality that causes the character’s downfall or subjects him to retribution. The flaw pushes the plot forward.

*A gambler’s compulsion causes her to lose everything

*A man’s physical vanity makes him unable to act on it.

Irony: Verbal and Situational

Verbal: Reader is aware of a reality that differs from the literal meaning of the author’s/character’s words

*Title: “Salvation”

*So he got up and was saved.

Situational: The exact opposite of the character’s desire or intention occurs, often as a result of pursuing it.

*Langston’s aunt telling him of the wonders of salvation is actually the thing that robs him of it.