Answer To: In no more than 1550 and no less than 1450 words, answer ONE of the following questions: 1. ‘We...
Shreyashi answered on Aug 13 2021
2
A Satire is a genre of literature, which is usually fictional. The term Satire has been derived from the Latin term satur and the ensuing phrase lanx satura. The term satur originally means “full” but the when it’s placed with lanx, the meaning becomes “miscellany or medley”. Satires are written with the intention to shame individuals, the government or the society itself by using abuses, idiocy, flaws and ridicule. Even though satires are usually supposed to be humorous, they serve as a means to generate social criticism by using the tool “wit”. The most frequently and excessively used feature in a satire is strong irony or sarcasm. Parody, humor, exaggeration, comic juxtaposition, comparison, inflation, grotesque, understatement and diminution are some of the common features, used while penning down a satire. In a broad and modern context, satires can be found in many artistic forms; including internet memes, literature, plays, television shows, commentary and media.
Quintilian was the first Roman to discuss Satire critically. He invented the term in order to describe and study the works of Gaius Lucilius. The beginning of the tradition of writing Satires began as early as 7th century B.C.E.; people then were getting affected by the use of satires. The Greek poet Archilocchus criticized an entire family, which made them commit suicide. Greek authors like him and Aristophanes built the foundation of Western Comedy. Horace and Juvenal are regarded as the greatest Satirist of all the time. Till date, the Satires are classified mostly into two categories, Horatian and Juvenalian.
Even though Satires were originally written to criticize or mock the targeted person(s), it’ll be a lie to assume that Satires do not provide pleasure when studied as a piece of literature. The humorous writings serve the genre of comic and they also provide us with a better understanding of the time they were written in. As already elaborated, the main intention behind writing a Satire is to sarcastically criticize a person or a group of people. Satires were sometimes practiced to politically criticize the Government or people belonging to a certain ideology. By studying certain Satires, we can briefly understand the political scenario of the particular time period. Satires also give us an idea about the social scene of a given time frame, how the people had their differences and the ongoing social clashes. In Horace’s Satires, we find about how he felt about the then society. His book “Satires and Epistles” clearly describes about how the social structure was back then. In Satire 2 of his book, he speaks about “folly” as opposed to “good sense in sexual relation”. None of the English commentators ever print more than the first twenty-eight lines of the satire. From his Satire, we can have an understanding on how sexual relationships were looked at back then. In his Satire 7, Davus; the slave of Horace showed his hesitation...