What is satire? (Boston,, )

What is satire?

Satire can be described as a literary genre that exposes human nature to criticism or scorn. Satire is often centered on politics, but it doesn t have to be. To create satire, writers often use humor, irony, and exaggeration in literature. What are the Origins of Satire The Latin word satur (meaning well-fed ) is the origin of the word satire. It was also used in the phrase, lanx satura , which means a dish with many types of fruit. This term was commonly used by Roman writers and critics to describe what we now know as satire. In the 16th century, the English language adopted the word satire . Aristophanes, an ancient Greek poet, wrote Lysistrata in 411 BC. Lysistrata, the main character in this comedy, convinces women to refrain from having sex with men to get them to end their Peloponnesian War. Aristophanes wrote this hilarious comedy that is still being read and studied in schools. He was mocking the Peloponnesian war and making fun of the gender differences. Lysistrata s story has been retold many times and reinterpreted many times over the years. Recently, the 2015 Spike Lee movie ChiRaq was set in Chicago. What is Satire in Literature? Satire is a form of social commentary. To poke fun at a leader, social customs or traditions, or any other social phenomenon or practice they find relevant, writers use irony, exaggeration and other devices. Find satire essay topics and choose more correct. Modern writers use satire to comment upon everything, from capitalism (like Brett Easton Ellis?s American Psycho which uses extreme consumption, concern about social status, masculine anger, violence to skewer American capitalism), to race (Paul Beatty?s The Sellout for example) where a young black male protagonist in Southern California ends up before the Supreme Court to try to reinstate slavery.