Satire Techniques and Devices

satire

sarcasm, irony, or wit used to ridicule or mock

horatian satire

light-hearted, intended for fun

juvenalian satire

bitter, angry attacking

exaggeration

to enlarge, increase, or represent something beyond normal bounds so that it becomes ridiculous and its faults can be seen

caricature

the exaggeration of a physical feature of trait; cartoons, especially political cartoons, provide extensive examples

burlesque

the ridiculous exaggeration of language; for example, when a character who should use formal, intelligent language speaks like a fool or a character who is uneducated used highly sophisticated language

incongruity

to present things that are out of place or are absurd in relation to its surroundings; particular techniques include oxymoron, metaphor, and irony

verbal irony

simply an inversion of meaning

dramatic irony

when the words or acts of a character carry a meaning unperceived by himself but understood by the audience; contrast between the meaning intended by the speaker and the significance seen by others

socratic irony

feigning ignorance to achieve some advantage over an opponent

situational irony

depends on a discrepancy between purpose and results (ex. a practical joke that backfires)

parody

to imitate the techniques and/or style of some person, place, or thing in order to ridicule the original; to be successful, the reader/watcher must know the original text that is being ridiculed

travesty

the treatment of a noble and dignified subject in an inappropriately trivial manner; presents a serious (often religious) subject frivolously, reducing everything to its lowest level

reversal

to present the opposite of the normal order, can focus on the order of events, such as serving dessert before the main dish or having breakfast for dinner; also can focus on hierarchical order, for instance when a young child makes all the decisions for a family

farce

inciting laughter through exaggerated, improbable situations; usually contains low comedy: quarreling, fighting, coarse with, horseplay, noisy singing, boisterous conduct, trickery, clownishness, drunkenness, slap-stick

invective

harsh, abusive language directed against one person or cause; a vehicle, a tool of anger, the bitterest of all satire

sarcasm

a sharply mocking or contemptuous remark

knaves and fools

in comedy there are no villains and no innocent victims, instead, there are rogues and suckers, where one exploits someone "asking for it"

malapropism

a deliberate mispronunciation of a name or term with the intent of poking fun