Satire

A genre of literature, and sometimes

graphic and performing arts in which vices,
follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held
up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of
shaming individuals, corporations,
government or society itself, into
improvement.

Although satire is usually meant to be

humorous, its greater purpose is often
constructive social criticism, using wit to
draw attention to both particular and wider
issues in society.
 Satire: Two Types
Horatian satire named for the Roman
satirist, Horace, this type of satire is
meant to be playful. It seeks to criticize
some vice in society (oftentimes identified
as foolish rather than evil) through gentle,
mild, and light-hearted humor. This form
is often sympathetic in tone. Horatian
satire is far more common in modern
society.

Juvenalian satire is characterized

primarily by contempt and invective. It is
named after the Roman poet Juvenal who
employed this style in his satires.
 Common Devices Used
I. Typical literary devices: Both satirists and
humorists tend to employ the following devices to
create satire and comedy:
Euphemism
Hyperbole
Irony
Juxtaposition
Litotes/Understatement
Double Entendre
Point of View
Selection of detail
 II. Satiric Devices and Modes
A. Burlesque: imitation of the manner (the form
and style) or the subject matter of a serious
literary work or a literary genre, in poetry or
prose, which makes the imitation amusing by
creating a ridiculous disparity between the matter
and the manner, most often by either treating a
trivial or ridiculous subject (the matter) in a
serious, high-toned way (or manner), or by
doing the opposite, treating a serious subject in a
light or derogatory way. Example: Monty Python
and the Holy Grail (a burlesque of the legend of
King Arthur and his noble knights).
B. Caricature: a description of a person
using exaggeration of some characteristics
and oversimplification of others.

C. Irony: a discrepancy between typically

one of three things: 1) what a speaker
says and actually means- verbal irony, 2)
what a character thinks or believes about
a situation and what we as readers or
audience know to be true- dramatic irony,
or 3) what we or a character expect will
happen and what actually occurs-
situational irony.
D. Invective: Speech or writing that
abuses, denounces, or attacks. it can
be directed against a person, cause,
idea, or system. It employs a heavy
use of negative emotive language.

E. Lampoon: A crude, coarse, often

bitter satire ridiculing the personal
appearance or character of a person.
F. Mock epic: Treating a frivolous or minor subject
seriously, especially by using the machinery and
devices of the epic (invocations, descriptions of
armor, battles, extended similes, etc.). Example:
Alexander Pope Rape of the Lock (the cutting of a
lock of a womans hair).

G. Parody: A satiric imitation of a work of an

author with the idea of ridiculing the author, his
ideas or work. The parodist exploits the
peculiarities of an authors expression- his
propensity to use too many parentheses, certain
favorite words, etc. The parody may also be
focused on, say, an improbable plot with too
many convenient events.
H. Travesty: A work that treats a
serious subject frivolouslyridiculing
the dignified. Often the tone is mock
serious and heavy handed. A
travesty is identical to a parody with
one difference: travesty is a parody
that has been , to use the words of
Emerilkicked up a notch. A parody
tends to be Horatian in tone whereas
a travesty tends to be Juvenalian.
I. Wit, humor and the comic: wit and humor are
both instances of the comic, which designates
any element in a work of literature, whether a
character, event or utterance, which is designed
to amuse or evoke mirth in the reader or
audience.

1. Wit denotes a kind of verbal expression which is

brief, deft and intentionally contrived to produce
a shock of comic surprise.

2. Humor as a term applies to comic modes of

appearance and behavior as well as comic
utterances, in contrast to wit, which refers only
to the written and spoken word. Also, wit is
always intended by the speaker to be comic;
humor is many times found in speeches the
speaker intends to be serious.