The delightful way artists
deliberately mock or ridicule
society to inspire reform… the
artist’s dirty little secret.
So, what is satire?
Satire is... an attack by a satirist that is designed
to cause discomfort due to his/her portrayal and
evaluation of man.
 The satirist’s justification… lies in the evils
created and perpetuated by man. The constant
threat of vulgarity, pride, folly, and other assorted
evils are cause for social commentary to better
society.

Satire

Satire’s main purpose and goal is to inspire reform
through the use of ridiculing/mocking.
Designed to have the audience evaluate their own
belief system and understand the need for
correction within society.
Sarcasm/Verbal Irony vs. Satire
The distinction between satire and irony is this: all satire is ironic, but not
all irony is satire.
 Irony – an actual discrepancy between expectation and outcome.
Types:
 Verbal irony is the use of language to express the opposite sentiment
than what is expected. The most recognizable form of verbal irony is
sarcasm, where the speaker says the opposite of what he/she means,
often for comedic effect.
 Situational irony is when the exact opposite of what you expect to
happen happens. Situational irony, like verbal irony, is powered by the
incongruity between the expectation and the actual outcome.
 Dramatic irony is when a playwright or a novelist creates an ironic
situation that only the viewer or reader knows about. Dramatic irony is
said to be a type of situational irony that the characters aren't in on
yet, which can create tension - the killer hiding somewhere we only
know about - or humor - a comedy based upon mistaken identity.

Rhetorical Technique & Purpose

Satire blends a hypercritical attitude with humor and
wit for the purpose of improving human institutions
or humanity. Satire will only attack aspects of society
which are correctable.
 We are bettering the world by mocking it because we
are forcing you to want to correct your behavior.
Why is it considered savage?


Sarcasm/verbal irony is bullying. We’re making fun of
you. That’s unfair and unjust.
With satire, we’re mocking you because your behaviors
and actions are worth mocking. You deserve to feel small,
so that you do reflect on your actions and change.
Rhetorical Technique & Purpose



The purpose of satire is to trivialize, emphasize, or
maximize the impact of a statement.
To accomplish this, the satirist will hardly ever use a
specific name.
By sparing the name of a target, the satirist becomes more
effective. You don’t “single out” (like sarcasm does). You
point out general patterns of human behavior that all
individuals can agree on.
Further, by softening the criticism the target goal will be
more readily accepted and will also prevent any desire to
imitate the foibles being lampooned/ridiculed/attacked (see
Satire Vocab.).
Rhetorical Technique & Purpose
Looking for satire? Analyze tone.

It is often the overall tone that determines whether or
not the work may be correctly labeled as satire.
- This helps to focus on type of satire which will
help focus on a target.
- Realize now: if you catch a form of criticism, it
does not make a piece satirical.
A warning for analyzing tone…

In timed writes:
 You deal only with the selection provided –

period.
In novels:
 You deal with the work as a whole. There are chapters
sections, but the work stands as a unified piece of text.
and
Origins of Satire

Starts in Greece but is perfected in Rome by:
 Horace
(75 AD)
 Horatian satire:
 Tones: cheerful,
urbane, “tongue-in-cheek”
 Goal: to make readers smile at the foibles
committed by the individuals under attack.
The satirist aims to correct by employing
broadly sympathetic laughter. Often
misinterpreted because of the humor.
 Does NOT anger the reader nor make him/her
feel any sort of moral outrage.
Origins of Satire

Starts in Greece but is perfected in Rome by:
 Juvenal
(60 AD)
 Juvenalian satire:
 Tones: cutting,
biting, bitter, angry
 Goal: to point with contempt and indignation
to the corruption of human beings and
institutions and strives to produce in the
reader both contempt and moral indignation.
The goal is to attack and destroy, the work is
very dark in nature.
 Does NOT attempt to amuse the audience.
How to Analyze Satire
Ask yourself 4 questions…
1. Who is the target of the satire?
2. What is the satirist’s view?
3. How can you tell the satirist’s view?
4. Who might be offended by the work?
On to Satire Vocabulary!