Satire. A term you may or may not be familiar with. What is it? Where did it start? What are some popular examples of satirical works? Today we will be answering all the above questions and possibly a few more.
Let’s start with what is satire. Satire is both a literary device and a genre. Satire is often used for political or social commentary. Writers use irony, exaggeration, sarcasm, allegory, parody and double entendres to make fun of the government, famous figures, or social customs. The point of satire is to draw ridicule to real things happening in our world.
Satire is used mostly in written works and in the performing arts. If you’ve ever come across an article written by The Onion or its counterpart The Babylon Bee you’ve read satire. Some internet memes and political comics are visual forms of satire, which shows satire can take on many forms.
Where it started
I bet satire has been around for as long as humans have been around. Those stick figure paintings the cavemen drew probably criticized their tribe leader Grug or the rules Grug passed, such as your pointy stick can’t be as sharp as mine. Hence the cavemen drew Grug with a full on tree as a pointy stick.
Historians point to one Greek play writer as the most influential to western humor and satire. Aristophanes wrote comic drama plays from 427 B.C. to 386 B.C. He wrote plays in what historians call Old Comedy. This is the very first period of ancient Greek comedies. Aristophanes is sometimes called the father of comedy because of how influential his work is.
Aristophanes wrote around 40 plays but many were lost to time. Only 11 of his plays are completely known today. Some are still studied in schools. One of his most popular plays is called Lysistrata. Aristophanes wrote it and in 411 B.C. The play is a satirical story about how a woman attempts to end the Peloponnesian War. Sick of all the men fighting each other she convinces women of the warring nations to withhold sex from the men until the war ends. However, her plan backfires and starts a battle with men and women.
Different types of literary satire
There are three main types of satire used in literature, plays, and films. Each one is used for different reasons and usually makes fun of different things. The three types are Horatian Satire, Juvenalian Satire, and Menippean Satire.
Horatian Satire
Horatian Satire is light hearted and funny. When you read or watch Horatian Satire you’re likely to chuckle. This form makes fun of people or certain situations while not placing the blame on any one. Horatian Satire is not looking to change the world or offer solutions. The whole point is to bring to light issues or people in a humorous way. It’s main purpose is to entertain.
Fox’s Family Guy is a popular Horatian Satire which satirizes the life of a middle class suburban family. Jonathan Swift’s novel Gulliver’s Travels is another example. In Guilver’s Travels, Swift makes fun of travelogues, which were popular at the time, and also the English government. Swift only points out the issues and laughs at them without trying to bring about change.
Juvenalian Satire
Juvenalian Satire is much darker and less humorous than Horatian Satire. This form openly mocks or criticizes leaders, governments, and famous people. In Juvenalian Satire there is a clear target picked out to attack with a strong point against them. By removing the humor the satire can better get their point across and possibly cause social change.
Have you heard of a man named George Orwell? His books often used Juvenalian Satire to critique the world. 1984 and Animal Farm are the two best examples. In Animal Farm Orwell uses allegory to show the issues with communism. Animal Farm is a great read about animals that take over a farm and convert to a communist type government.
Menippean Satire
Menippean Satire is almost like a combination of the two. This form is more light hearted than Juvenalian, however it’s used to criticize a particular belief or character flaw. This form of satire is more focused on the human condition than governments, religions, or societal norms. This method can be funny while still very critical.
Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland and Douglas Adams’s The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy are examples of Menippean Satire. In Alice in Wonderland Carroll shows how curiosity caused all of Alice’s problems while also highlighting how ridiculous the upper-class can be. The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy satirizes what is a humans place in the universe. Of the two the latter caused me more laughs than the former.
In Conclusion
If you decide you want to write something satirical, no matter which form, the first thing you need is a target. What’s something you think you could bring light to, change? Do you want your work to be amusing or more shocking or a little bit of both? After you have something to attack, write away. Use allegory, sarcasm, humor, hyperbole, anything that you enjoy writing that will get your point across.
Do you enjoy satire? Do you enjoy writing? What’s your favorite book, movie, or show that uses satire? Let us know down below in the comments. We love to hear from you!
As always, happy reading!