Jonathan Swift, author of “A Modest Proposal”, utilizes his mastery of satire, outrageous claims, and rhetorical devices; Satire is the use of irony and exaggeration to expose or criticize people’s stupidity, vices, and faults. Swift succeeds in discretely criticizing the contemporary politics and policies of…
Essays on Satire
Essay Examples
Essay Topics
Brief overview
Summaries
Reviews
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is a romantic novel that entertains readers through the fluctuation of a relationship amongst two opposite individuals. However, the novel is more than a simple love story. The main characters Elizabeth and Darcy, marry for affection while the others…
Pride and Prejudice is set in rural England in the early 19th century, and it follows the Bennet Family, which includes five very different sisters. Mrs. Bennet is anxious to see all her daughters married, especially as the modest family estate is to be inherited…
In the manner of the absurd form, Sayeed Ahmad’s play Survival (1966; 1976), is based on a popular folktale of Bangladesh. Originally written in Bengali, the play is translated into English and “published in the weekly Holiday at first” (Ahmad, 2012, p. xiii). Eventually along…
Love is one of the most profound emotions known to human beings, the type of sensation everyone dreams about. We expect no regret, fretfulness, illogical, or anger. Shakespeare used to say ¨Expectation is the root of all heartache.¨ The poet uses the literary element which…
In his didactic play ‘An Inspector Calls’, Priestley presents Gerald, and the upper class as a whole, to be extremely callous and unwilling to accept the opportunity for redemption. He explores themes and ideologies such as patriarchy in order to excoriate those for living protected…
Shrek is the flagship movie of comedic techniques because it highlights and makes use of many types of humour to create a the best film. It does this through strategical placement of satirical techniques like parody, reversal and intertextuality. It is confirmed that Shrek is…
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is a science-fiction parody novel by Douglas Adams. It can be classified as an absurdist story where the protagonist searches a meaning to life. Throughout this character’s journey, he’s faced with multiple obstacles which are totally absurd events that…
Satire enthusiasts Kurt Vonnegut mixed comedy and real life events to offer a new perspective on things he experienced. He was a late 20th century writer who was famous for his science fiction and satiristic books. He won many awards and even has a library…
Memes are overpopulating and it is a problem, while memes are growing in numbers it takes over the internet. Memes are all over the internet, in fact memes are on facebook, tumblr, Instagram, Twitter, they are everywhere! Since memes are overpopulating we need to be…
Satire, one of the most powerful forms of expression, has many purposes. However, it is primarily intended to convey society’s crucial issues. Employing humor, irony, and sarcasm to prove the satirist’s argument and demonstrate the ridiculousness of the topic at hand, satire attracts wide audiences…
Moliere’s The Imaginary Invalid is full of specific references to 17th Century France, and could be alienating for a contemporary audience. By setting the play in the current-day United States, with an emphasis on the health care system, and huge gaps between social classes, The…
American humorist Molly Ivins once said, “Satire is traditionally the weapon of the powerless against the powerful.” It gives the everyday person the unique ability to say something about the world in a critical yet captivating way. Throughout history, many have utilized humor as a…
Unlike Milton, in Paradise Lost, Alexander Pope was not trying to make any moral pronouncements or display any larger than life message in his mock epic, The Rape of the Lock. Pope was merely satirizing the English nobility of his time and chose to use…
Have you ever watched a film and got déjà-vu, recognising certain elements form a film previously watched? This may include characters, setting or even dialogue. If your answer is yes to the above, you may find this essay interesting. My main claim for the essay…
Best topics on Satire
First of all, satire should not be insulting or angry. It is not the point of it! It has to provide a clever sense of humor that brings out the
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qualities that should not be there in the first place. You can even say that good satire should teach us a lesson and carry educational content. Any good satire essay should be filled with examples and a little bit of analysis so that readers can understand your point. You can check our example of an essay on satire to see how the use of comparisons, metaphors, irony, and a bit of an exaggeration speak of daily issues in our lives. Regardless if you choose politics or college dandys, stay kind!
Definition
Satire is a literary genre that ridicules human and societal shortcomings. Through sarcasm and irony, its main goal is to offer constructive social criticism. It often uses figures of speech, such as double entendre, analogy, comparison, juxtaposition, exaggeration, burlesque, and parody.
Major Writers
Voltaire, Molière, Alexander Pope
Origins
The earliest examples of satire are found in an Egyptian writing called The Satire of the Trades. It dates from the 2nd millennium BC. Ancient Greeks used the form a lot, but they referred to it as parody or cynicism.
Influence
Satire is an old form of social study, and it’s regarded as one of the most effective ways to criticize and understand society. Throughout history, authors have used it to ridicule and debunk leading politicians, religious leaders, and other prominent figures of power.
Why Is This Topic Important?
The main goal of this literary form is to challenge popular opinions through irony and humor, and make people aware of the realistic state of affairs.
Quotes about Satire
- “A poem in which wickedness or folly is censured.” – Samuel Johnson
- “Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody’s face but their own.” – Jonathan Swift
Interesting Facts
People have the right to use satire to criticize individuals and society. This right is protected by the U.S. Constitution as freedom of speech. Still, satire can be censored when it involves revulsion, victim targeting, and other offensive elements.
Arguments For
Satire can be used as a tactical weapon for triggering reforms in a society.
Arguments Against
Regardless of the level of humor in its expression, satire can be malicious, harmful, and abusive.
