Satire

Satire

A literary genre that uses wit, humor, and irony to expose humanity’s flaws. It’s the art of indirect persuasion

Hyperbole

An extreme exaggeration

Farce

A light work in which ridiculous plots, exaggerated characters, and slapstick elements are used for humorous effect – a ludicrous mockery

Juxtaposition

Places two ill-fitting things together to accentuate their differences

Incongruity

Presents something as out of place in its surrounding

Reversal

Displays the opposite of normal order

Parody

An imitation of an author or style, sometimes with the idea of ridiculing the work itself

Understatement

Expressing an idea with less emphasis or less emotion than the actual case (opposite of hyperbole)

Caricature

Exaggerates a person or type of person’s traits

Irony

Occurs when words or events convey a different reality from (or opposite from) appearance ir expectation

Dramatic irony

When the audience or reader knows more than a character

Situational irony

When the opposite of what is expected happens

Verbal irony

Implying the opposite of what is said

Invective

Speech or writing that abuses, denounces, or attacks

Sarcasm

When a speaker says the opposite of what is meant to make a point or belittle something. Biting humor at someone else’s expense. It’s not always ironic because sarcasm is intentional while verbal irony can happen spontaneously

Double entendre/pun

Use of phrasing or words that have a double meaning with the second usually being understood

Cliché

Overused, overexposed phrases, plots, characters, and situations

Slapstick

A boisterous form of comedy marked by chases, collisions, and crude practical jokes

Anachronism

An object or person that appears outside of its designated time period

Allusion

References to something in literature, mythology, or pop culture which is assumed to be automatically understood

High comedy

Humor that appeals to thought or intellect - it is subtle, witty, and often pokes fun at society or social norms - which would likely make a reader grin or chuckle rather than laugh audibly

Low comedy

Humor that utilizes farce, slapstick, and physical comedy - it requires little thought on the audience’s part and is funny in a obvious way - or “laugh out loud” comedy

Horatian satire

Named after the Roman poet Horace. Gentle satire. The satirist’s voice is tolerant, amused, and witty. The speaker gently or subtly ridiculed the faults of human beings, aiming at producing smiles and laughs rather than anger

Juvenalian satire

Titled after the Roman poet Juvenal. Angry satire. It is formal and the speaker often attacks humankind’s faults with contempt and indignation. Juvenalian satire is harsh in its realism and is meant to produce thought, anger, and scorn among readers

Difference between Juvenalian and Horatian

• Juvenalian

  • Named after Juvenal (late 1st - early 2nd AD)

  • More abrasive and attacking

  • Addresses perceived evils through scorn, ridicule, and outrage

  • Often more serious and not intended to evoke laughter

• Horatian

  • Named after Horace (65-8 BCE)

  • Pokes fun at humanity’s weaknesses

  • Criticizes, but doesn’t attack

  • Generally gentler and more tolerant

  • More often humorous

Origin of satire

• Latin satur and laux satura (translated to “a full dish of various kinds”)

• Roman verse satura was a strict genre of imposed rhythmic form

• Ancient Greek satyros took this form, broadened it, and changed its purpose

• Satire does not come from the word satyr

When a text intended to be ironic is not, what can happen?

Results can be disastrous

Satire must-haves

• Humor/wit - satire without humor is not satire but complaining

• Attack - satire without an attack is not satire but comedy

• Clarity - even though the attack may be subtle, it must be apparent

• Suitability - criticizing a defenseless or undeserving subject is not satire but cruelty