Irony: Purpose Of Satire
An Introduction to Satire sat.ire n. 1.
2.
A literary work in which human vice or folly is attacked through irony, derision, or wit. Irony, sarcasm, or caustic [bitterly cutting/burning] wit used to attack or expose folly, vice, or stupidity. (dictionary.com)
Ian Johnston, retired instructor at Malaspina University-College, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada, offers helpful information in more clearly defining the use and characteristics of satire: Purpose of Satire: “If we see someone or some group acting in a way we think is morally unacceptable and we wish to correct such behaviour, we have a number of options. We can try to force them to change their ways (through threats of punishment); we can deliver stern moral lectures, seeking …show more content…
In doing so we will probably have at least two purposes in mind: first, to effect some changes in the behaviour of the target (so that he or she reforms) and, second, to encourage others not to behave in such a manner.” Morality of Satire: “At the basis of every good traditional satire is a sense of moral outrage or indignation: This conduct is wrong and needs to be exposed. Hence, to adopt a satiric stance requires a sense of what is right, since the target of the satire can only be measured as deficient if one has a sense of what is necessary for a …show more content…
irony 2. paradox 3. antithesis 4. colloquialism 5. anticlimax 6. obscenity 7. violence 8. vividness 9. exaggeration
The essential attitude in satire is the desire to use precisely clear language to still an audience to protest. The satirist intends to describe painful or absurd situations or foolish or wicked persons or groups as vividly as possible. He believes that most people are blind, insensitive, and perhaps anesthetized by custom and resignation and dullness. The satirist wishes to make them see the truth - at least that part of the truth which they habitually ignore.
SATIRE: (source: Matthew Hodgart’s Satire, Gilbert Highet’s The Anatomy of Satire, and Northrop Frye’s Anatomy of Criticism.)
Satire is set apart form other literature by its fairly limited range of techniques. The essence of satire is wit, the power of giving pleasure by combining or contrasting ideas. Wit was originally defined as “mind,” then as “cleverness,” but now suggests the speech/writing that delights by its
2.
A literary work in which human vice or folly is attacked through irony, derision, or wit. Irony, sarcasm, or caustic [bitterly cutting/burning] wit used to attack or expose folly, vice, or stupidity. (dictionary.com)
Ian Johnston, retired instructor at Malaspina University-College, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada, offers helpful information in more clearly defining the use and characteristics of satire: Purpose of Satire: “If we see someone or some group acting in a way we think is morally unacceptable and we wish to correct such behaviour, we have a number of options. We can try to force them to change their ways (through threats of punishment); we can deliver stern moral lectures, seeking …show more content…
In doing so we will probably have at least two purposes in mind: first, to effect some changes in the behaviour of the target (so that he or she reforms) and, second, to encourage others not to behave in such a manner.” Morality of Satire: “At the basis of every good traditional satire is a sense of moral outrage or indignation: This conduct is wrong and needs to be exposed. Hence, to adopt a satiric stance requires a sense of what is right, since the target of the satire can only be measured as deficient if one has a sense of what is necessary for a …show more content…
irony 2. paradox 3. antithesis 4. colloquialism 5. anticlimax 6. obscenity 7. violence 8. vividness 9. exaggeration
The essential attitude in satire is the desire to use precisely clear language to still an audience to protest. The satirist intends to describe painful or absurd situations or foolish or wicked persons or groups as vividly as possible. He believes that most people are blind, insensitive, and perhaps anesthetized by custom and resignation and dullness. The satirist wishes to make them see the truth - at least that part of the truth which they habitually ignore.
SATIRE: (source: Matthew Hodgart’s Satire, Gilbert Highet’s The Anatomy of Satire, and Northrop Frye’s Anatomy of Criticism.)
Satire is set apart form other literature by its fairly limited range of techniques. The essence of satire is wit, the power of giving pleasure by combining or contrasting ideas. Wit was originally defined as “mind,” then as “cleverness,” but now suggests the speech/writing that delights by its