This document discusses satire, irony, and humor. It defines two types of satire - mockery to express comedy and using moral standards to reform conduct. No clear distinction exists between these as the tone can vary from light to biting. Examples of early satire include Chaucer satirizing church corruption. The 18th century was a golden age for satirical prose and poetry. Irony surprises readers rather than seeking reform. There are three types of irony: verbal, dramatic, and situational. Humor differs in that it simply evokes laughter rather than deriding or hinting.

1. Satire, irony and humour
Performer Heritage
Marina Spiazzi, Marina Tavella,
Margaret Layton © 2016

2. Satire, irony and humour
Two ideas of satire come from Roman culture:
• the former expresses a basic instinct for comedy
through mockery of human beings;
• the latter implies the desire of the satirist to instruct his
readers by setting moral standards to reform social
conduct or denouncing everything in human nature
that he finds distasteful.
No sharp distinction can be made between these two
kinds of satire since the tone of the satirist’s attack can
range from light humour to biting sarcasm according to
the degree of indignation.
Performer Heritage
1. Satire

3. Satire, irony and humour
Performer Heritage
Satire has been used since the beginnings of English
literature. For example Chaucer satirised the corruption
of the Church in The Canterbury Tales.
The 18th century was the golden age of satire:
• Addison and Steele satirised the customs of the age
in prose.
• Swift is regarded as the greatest satirist in the English
language.
1. Satire

4. Satire, irony and humour
Performer Heritage
The ironist
• surprises the reader;
• does not want to change or reform, but simply
to create awareness in the reader.
2. Irony
IRONY
is not a direct, open attack

5. Satire, irony and humour
There are three kinds of irony:
An example of verbal irony can be found in ‘The Wife
of Bath’ from The Canterbury Tales by Chaucer:
In all the parish not a dame dared stir
Towards the altar steps in front of her,
And if indeed they did, so wrath was she
As to be quite put out of charity.
2. Irony
Performer Heritage
1. verbal irony in which the writer says one thing
and means something completely different.

6. Satire, irony and humour
Performer Heritage
There are three kinds of irony:
An example of dramatic irony can be found in Macbeth, Act
1, Scene 6, in which Duncan visits Macbeth’s castle where
later he will be murdered:
DUNCAN This castle hath a pleasant seat; the air
Nimbly and sweetly recommends itself
Unto our gentle senses.
2. Irony
2. dramatic irony in which the reader (or the audience)
perceives something which a character does not
know.

7. Satire, irony and humour
Performer Heritage
There are three kinds of irony:
An example of situational irony can be found in the text
Gulliver and the Lilliputians from Gulliver’s Travels by
Swift  there is a discrepancy between the Lilliputians’
description of the objects they find on Gulliver’s body and
what they actually find.
2. Irony
3. situational irony in which a discrepancy between the
expected results of a situation and its actual results is
shown.

8. Satire, irony and humour
Performer Heritage
Humour differs both from satire and from irony.
• It does not deride or hint at;
• It simply evokes laughter as an end in itself.
The humourist sees the faults of his subject but
accepts them and laughs at them.
3. Humour