Isn’t it ironic?

Satire, Irony, Sarcasm and more fun

What’s the difference? Sarcasm- often an exaggerated form of

irony. It’s more obvious and meant to hurt someone

Irony- is usually directed at a situation and usually isn’t meant to hurt. Not meant to improve things, merely to observe the ridiculous situations people find themselves in

Satire- ridiculing human weakness in order to bring about change- ultimately most satire is trying to draw attention to a situation in order to bring about change

Satire A literary genre that uses irony, wit, and sometimes sarcasm to mock.

Often shows problems with society, sometimes hopes to change them. Common targets of satire include individuals ("personal satire"), types of people, social groups, institutions, and human nature. Like tragedy and comedy, satire is often a mode of writing introduced into various literary forms; it is only a genre when it is the governing principle of a work. Same with Irony

Two major types Indirect- satire is communicated through characters in a situation- Ex.

Huck Finn Direct-satire is directly stated

• Juvenalian- attacking, bitter, angry- Sicko• Horatian- lighthearted, intended for fun- SNL sketches. Jay

Leno

Common Techniques of Satire

Exaggeration- to enlarge, increase, or represent something beyond normal so that it becomes ridiculous and it’s faults can be seen Example “chastity belt” in Men

in Tights Sub-type: Caricature- an

exaggeration or distortion of an individual’s features or characteristics so extreme that the person looks ridiculous

• Think Obama’s ears on political cartoons

Incongruity- presenting things out of place or absurd in relation to their surroundings Example- combat boots on a

prom queen

More characteristics of satire

Burlesque- imitating a serious work in a mocking way• Example- mockumentaries, The Colbert Report, South Park

Parody- a type of burlesque imitating the techniques or style of a particular work or author for comic effect, usually to ridicule or criticize the work, author or style. Can also apply to film, songs and paintings. • Example- Austin Powers, Dance Flick, Spaceballs

Reversal- the opposite of the normal way of doing things Example- the girl rescuing the boy, Shrek

Basic Definition of Irony Irony- a contradiction or

incongruity between appearance/expectation and reality

Events, situations, even how something is structured can all be ironic. When used repeatedly, an ironic tone can be created.

Types of Irony Verbal (rhetorical) Irony-

Most common Meant to be an obvious

discrepancy in what a speaker says and what they believe

Often they say the exact opposite of what they mean

Examples- “funny as a heart attack”

• “clear as mud” “oh yeah, I had a great day”

Situational Irony Created by events or

situations rather than statements.

People involved may not understand the irony.

Examples- “Gift of the Magi”, the myth of King Midas winning the lottery and

dying the next day- a la Alanis Morisette’s “Ironic”

Types of Situational Irony

Dramatic Irony- when the audience knows more than the characters do Wiley Coyote and Roadrunner Soap operas

Tragic Irony- the consequences of the character’s ignorance is catastrophic Hamlet’s murder of Polonius

Socratic Irony- pretending to be dumb to ask innocent questions and get your opponent to wind up agreeing with you Used in legal-show interrogations

Structural Irony Something separate from plot, but which

creates a discrepancy to get audiences to question surface statements or appearances

Often done by using a naïve or unreliable narrator. Readers distrust the narrator’s perceptions

Example- SNL sketches Daily Show/Colbert Report The Great Gatsby