Satire in Tartuffe and Modest Proposal - 1560 Words

Charles Crespo Professor Margaret Hazell ENG 2850 9 April 2013 What is satire, satire is a particular genre of literature that sometimes makes use of graphic and performing arts with the intent of ridiculing society into self-improvement. With social criticism being its main goal, it utilizes wit and dark sarcasm as its main tools to illustrate its point. Satire influences individuals to reevaluate themselves in order to modify senseless thoughts and behaviors. Various techniques are used in order to deliver a satirist effect, those of which house wit as their main weapon. These methods harmonize the mastering of coexisting trivial and serious matters as one sarcasm, showing praise but meaning the contrary to demonstrate irony, and†¦show more content†¦Nothing comes in the way of increasing profits and becoming more financially conservative, as well as simultaneously resolving issues with the homeless. Swift’s satirist methods seep in as he reaches out to the Irish by highlighting the dreadfulness of the situation, and more impor tantly how little is being done to improve it. No particular social class was held solely responsible, as it was found to have affected as high up as politicians to the lowest class. If one were to dissect this message, it demonstrates criticism aside from the Irish but overall it satirizes the incompetence mankind has in resolving our own issues. Swift is consistent with producing underlying statements that make appearances throughout the essay. These remarks shed light on his resentment towards the incompetence that we all possess. First of, Tartuffe, which in French mean â€Å"ou l’Imposteur† (the hypocrite), remains one of the most entertaining play on human greed and manipulation ever the innocent. It was created by Molià ¨re to discuss the current social scene of the time by criticizing those who use religion for their own gain. Molià ¨re accomplishes this comic effect with his style and language of the play, dedicated to exposing follies of society; his plays use a variety of techniques that have become the gold standard of comic writing. For example, â€Å"And I’m to be as quiet as a mouse, about this tyrant’s power in our house.† (Tartuffe, 145) This causes his audienceShow MoreRelated Satire in Moliere’s Tartuffe, Voltaire’s Candide, and Swift’s A Modest Proposal931 Words   |  4 Pages The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines satire as: â€Å"literary work holding up human vices and follies to ridicule or scorn.† Besides this definition satire can also be seen as the particular literary way of making possible the improvement of humanity and its institutions. In the three works: Moliere’s â€Å"Tartuffe,† Voltaire’s â€Å"Candide,† and Swift’s â€Å"A Modest Proposal† the authors indirectly criticize and ridicule human behavior and characteristics but with the goal for improving these faults ratherRead MoreThe Enlightenment: An Incredible Change1163 Words   |  5 Pagesthe concept of â€Å"Satire†, such as verbal, situational, and dramatic irony to depict their message across. In literature, one of the components of satire is verbal irony which occurs when the author depicts his message to the readers indirectly and uses sarcasm to prove his argument. For instance, â€Å"Tartuffe† a famous play written by Moliere depicts the life of a religious hypocrite who scams people while using religion as a cover. In the play, many family members recognized Tartuffe as a religiousRead MoreA Modest Proposal On Satire1239 Words   |  5 PagesSatire is a specific classification of writing that occasionally makes utilization of realistic and performing expressions with the aim of scorning society into self-change. With social criticism being its fundamental objective, it uses dark sarcasm as its primary device to get the point across. Satire impacts people to reconsider themselves so as to alter senseless thoughts and behaviors. Different techniques are utilized in delivering the satirical impact, those of which use wit as their primary