Satire.
What is it? Where did it originate? When is it used? Well, satire can be
defined as a work of art or literature that critiques human behavior through
humor. Believe it or not there’s an actual history about satire. Satire can be
used through many literary works such as, art, books, songs, and movies. Many
other things throughout life and throughout history contain satire as well. Who
thought a simple word could have such a historical background? I sure didn’t.
Such a fascinating world we live in, isn’t it? Satire, what a word with so much
meaning. Sure fascinates me, history and all!
As stated
in the Ethereal Chronicles, the word satire originated from the Latin noun, “satura”.
Satura means mixed. Weird that satire came from that word. To me, it’s kind of
confusing. It doesn’t really link together. Fun fact, did you know that satire
can be used as a form of social commentary? Hmm, interesting. According to the Ethereal
Chronicles, satire has been around for centuries. It has said to be around as early
as 5 BC.
Written in
the Ethereal Chronicles, it is said that satire first became recognized in
Greek play writes and poetry. Greek play write, Aristophanes is
commonly known for satirical usage. I think it’s really cool how satire didn’t
even come from English literature! Who would have thought? It’s so frequently
used in English literature; I never knew that it came from Ancient Greece! As
stated in the Ethereal Chronicles, satire has also been frequently used to
express tragedy and sadness. Did you think that satire was only used to make
human behavior humorous? Well, you were actually wrong like me!
In the
article, Shapes of Satire, it is said that satire has varied from all ages.
Little kids to adults have used satire. Also stated in this article, irony has
been commonly used with satire. I personally never would think of that. Irony
and satire are two different literary elements! Who thought the history and
uses of satire could be so exciting?
Satire can
commonly be seen in the popular, humorous show, Saturday Night Live. Notice how
throughout the duration of Saturday Night Live, many of the actresses and
actors are mocking, or making fun of human behavior through previous skits, or
small performances. Such actresses and
actors like Tina Fey, Will Ferrell and many others have done many skits to mock
or critique human behavior. These skits may have mocked the presidential
election, music artists, or just common things that we Americans see.
Satire has
clearly evolved a lot since it first originated in 5 BC. I mean just look at
it. Coming from Ancient Greece all the way to America. From past to present day
in 2012, satire has come a long way. I’m not really sure, I truly understood
the concept of satire or why it’s so important or what it did, but I do now.
When in doubt use satire! It’s a sure way to get a laugh.
Articles:
http://www.helium.com/items/137530-history-of-satire
http://www.pafaculty.net/joyce/contents/dubliners/satire/satire.html
