Satire

SatireHarrison Bergeron

Kurt Vonnegut

DefinitionWhat is Satire?

DefinitionSatire - any kind of writing, speaking, or art that ridicules some weakness in individuals or society

Elements of SatireThere must be a clear target (it may not be obvious though)Can attack an institution (government, politics, religion, education, society, etc) or social evilCan attack an individual or a type of person

Must be humorous, but with the purpose of pointing out human faults and effecting some improvement in humanity or human institutionsA good satire should make the reader/watcher think

4Purpose of SatireSatires purpose is to bring about change!

The primary purpose of any satirical work is to use the weapon of wit to attack something with which the author strongly disagrees in the hope of producing a change

Satire usually asks us to see what is around us and consider it

5Vehicles of SatireArt

Music

Poetry/Prose

Drama/TV

Cartoons

MusicWeird Al Yankovic

Youre Pitiful satirizes the song Youre Beautiful by James Blunt

ProseGeorge Orwell

TelevisionSaturday Night Live

Cartoon

Satirical TechniquesIronySituationalDramaticVerbalSarcasmHyperbole/ExaggerationUnderstatement11Satirical TechniquesIrony - the contrast between what is expected or what appears to be and what actually is

Situational Irony - refers to a happening that is the opposite of what is expected or intended

Dramatic Irony - occurs when the audience or reader knows something important that a character does not know12Satirical TechniquesVerbal Irony - the contrast between what is said and what is actually meantSarcasm - a type of verbal irony often in the form of a remark in which the literal meaning is complimentary but the actual meaning is criticalHyperbole- a figure of speech that uses exaggeration to emphasize strong feelings or to create a satiric effectUnderstatement - the technique of creating emphasis by saying less than what is actually or literally true13Name that Irony

Name that Irony

Name that Irony

Name that Irony

Name that Irony

AnswersUnderstatementSarcasmHyperboleSituationalDramatic