Satire
Satire is a literary and artistic technique that employs humor, irony, sarcasm, exaggeration, and mockery to highlight and critique human follies and societal issues. With roots tracing back to the second millennium B.C.E., satire has evolved through various cultures and time periods, with notable examples found in ancient Egyptian writings and the plays of Greek playwright Aristophanes. The genre often addresses themes of corruption and foolishness, using fictional characters to represent real individuals or societal norms, with the intent of prompting reflection and encouraging improvement among audiences.
Throughout history, prominent satirical works include Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver's Travels," which critiques political and cultural dynamics of its time, and the comedic television programs such as "The Daily Show," "The Colbert Report," and "Saturday Night Live," which parody current events and social issues. Satire is also prevalent in online platforms like The Onion, which offers humorous takes on news, and in political cartoons that comment on contemporary events. Musical artists like Weird Al Yankovic and Pink Floyd incorporate satirical elements in their lyrics, addressing societal and political themes. Overall, satire serves as a powerful tool for social commentary, inviting audiences to confront uncomfortable truths with wit and humor.
Subject Terms
Satire
Satire is a technique that uses humor, irony, sarcasm, exaggeration, and mockery to expose human vices and follies. It has a rich history, dating as far back as the second millennium B.C.E. Satire usually criticizes a person, government, or society. Writers of satires often use fictional characters to represent real people and expose their corruption or foolishness. Satirical writers generally view the world’s vices as a threat to humanity. Therefore, they feel obligated to expose such vices and warn the public about them. By doing so, many satirical writers seek to improve humanity and also encourage the people they are criticizing to overcome their flaws. Examples of satire include the novel Gulliver’s Travels; the television shows The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, and Saturday Night Live; the websites The Onion and Encyclopedia Dramatica; political cartoons in newspapers and magazines; and songs and albums by Weird Al Yankovic, Richard Cheese, Eminem, and Pink Floyd.
History
Satirical literature and artwork date as far back as the second millennium B.C.E. The Papyrus Anastasi, a letter from Ancient Egyptian archives, contains satirical elements. Later, Greek playwright Aristophanes used satire in a series of plays. His use of satire in those plays is closely related to the use of satire today. The word satire was first used in the literary sense by the Roman rhetorician Quintilian. He described satire as a genre of hexameter verse. Afro-Arab writer Jahiz used satire in a genre of poetry called hija in the ninth century. Satire was typically not used in literature or performances from the time of the fall of Rome to the beginning of the Early Middle Ages. Then around the twelfth century, satire made a return through literature and songs. An example of satire from this time is The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, satire was prevalent in society. During this time, Jonathan Swift wrote several famous satirical works. In the Victorian era (from 1837 to 1901), several writers, including Charles Dickens and Mark Twain, employed satire in their writing. From that era to the present day, satire has been widely used.
Techniques Used in Satire
Satire employs numerous techniques, including humor, irony, sarcasm, exaggeration, and mockery. Audiences usually find satires humorous. Irony is a technique in which the words used mean the opposite of what is actually said. It also refers to a situation that turns out to be the opposite of what is expected. Irony often comes across as humorous or strange. Sarcasm is similar to irony in that the words spoken actually mean the opposite; however, sarcasm is usually meant to insult someone or to show frustration. Exaggeration is an overstatement, meaning that the thing being discussed is larger or greater than it actually is. Mockery is behavior or language that is insulting. In other words, mockery makes fun of the subject of the satire in a hurtful way. A satire may include some or all of these techniques.
Examples of Satire
A satire can be in the form of a book, television show, website, song or album, newspaper or magazine, or any other medium. The classic novel Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift is a good example of satire. Throughout the book, Swift criticizes politics, religion, and Western culture. He satirizes the two opposing political parties in Great Britain during his time, the Tories and the Whigs. In the novel, Swift creates the Kingdom of Lilliput, which is intended to be the satirical equivalent of Great Britain. He also creates the Tramecksan and the Slamecksan parties, which are meant to be parodies of the Tories and the Whigs. The Tramecksan and Slamecksan can be distinguished from one another by the size of their boot heels. This detail is clearly humorous and perhaps even mocking. Swift describes the insignificant disputes between the Tramecksan and Slamecksan, thereby criticizing the Tories and the Whigs.
Television shows can also have satirical elements. Some good examples are The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, and Saturday Night Live. The Daily Show and The Colbert Report are news parody shows, while Saturday Night Live is a sketch comedy show. Satirical television shows of this kind parody and poke fun at political and social views, as well as interpersonal relationships.
The Internet is also a vehicle for satire. In fact, some websites are based entirely on satire. The Onion and Encyclopedia Dramatica are two examples of these websites. The Onion features news stories with political and social satire; it also parodies online newspapers such as the Huffington Post. Encyclopedia Dramatica parodies web-based encyclopedia sites such as Wikipedia.
Newspapers and magazines also employ satire. One of the most common forms of satire found in these mediums is the political cartoon. Such cartoons satirize political figures or political actions and are generally humorous.
Through their music and lyrics, musicians can also use satire. For example, Weird Al Yankovic and Richard Cheese have made careers out of being parody artists, often by adding humorous lyrics to popular songs. Other artists such as Eminem and Pink Floyd have made serious albums that satirize politics and society.
Bibliography
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