1.  It is an artistic form in which individual or human vices, abuses, or shortcomings are criticized using certain characteristics or methods.  Usually found in dramas and literature, but it is popping up in modern media forms such as cartoons, film, and other visual arts.  Satire is used to encourage the public to view human faults or morally unacceptable behaviors as humorous and ridiculous.  It is also used to encourage changes in current issues or to discourage current public behaviors.  There are two main types: Horatian and Juvenalian

2.  Playfully criticizes vices with wit, exaggeration, gentle and light hearted humor  Issues being criticized are viewed as “folly” rather than evil to society and meant to make us laugh  Looking to make people laugh at themselves, rather than looking for changes to occur.

3.  Has a more abrasive tone  Criticizes social “evils” or corruption through scorn, outrage, and savage ridicule  More often pessimistic, using sharp sarcasm to criticize social issues  Generally related to political satires  Focuses on morals rather than humor

4.  Irony (verbal, situational, dramatic)  Analogy  Oxymoron  Sarcasm  Hyperbole / Exaggeration  Juxtaposition  Parody/Spoofing  Burlesque  Double Entendres/Pun  Colloquialism  Antithesis  Anticlimax

5.  When a person says or writes one thing but means another  Whatever is said/written is the opposite of the literal meaning  Verbal irony is often stated in the form of a metaphor or simile.  Comparisons and contrasts are used to create a visualization for the listener or reader.  Examples:  It is as sunny as day in winter in Alaska.  He's as nice as a lion to his prey.  This chair is as comfortable as sitting on nails.

6.  Situational irony occurs when the final outcome is contradictory to what was expected.  Usually, the episodes in the plot of a story will lead the audience to expect a particular resolution or ending.  If such an expected outcome fails and instead another contrary outcome occurs, the absurdity is termed situational irony.  Examples:  A fire station burns down  The marriage counselor files for divorce  The police station gets robbed

7.  The reader/viewer knows something important/secret that the characters don’t (can be about past, present, or future)  Shakespeare is king of this! (Romeo thinks Juliet is dead, but we know better!)  Other examples:  Two people are engaged to be married but the audience knows that the man is planning to run away with another woman.  In a scary movie, the character walks into a house and the audience knows the killer is in the house.  Sometimes a person is in disguise and the other character talks with him as if he is someone else. Since this is known by the audience, it adds to the humor of the dialogue.

8.  Two things that seem different, but can be compared in likeness because they have similar characteristics  Can be based on people, situations, or objects

9.  Figure of speech that combines contradictory words or phrases something that is surprisingly true  Usually and adjective-noun combination  Some oxymorons may be incorrect, but established to suggest a joke (Ex. Business Ethics or Military Intelligence)

10.  Sharp, bitter, or cutting expression or remark; a bitter jibe or taunt shown through irony or understatement.  Witty comments meant to amuse. Possibly used to cause pain or make a point.

11.  And extravagant statement or figure of speech not intended on being taken literally.  Meant to encourage strong feelings or impressions to make an effect.

12.  Placement of two things (usually abstract concepts, but sometimes physical objects) near each other.  Used to compare or contrast two items in one setting or work of literature to add emphasis in one way or another.

13.  Something created in order to mock, comment on, or trivialize a certain author, subject matter, style, or some other issue in a humorous manner.  Is many times used in a playful manner as well, meant to be lighthearted and to poke fun at.

14.  Similar to parody, it is a literary, dramatic, or musical work intended to cause laughter about the original work.  If the subject contains frivolities, they are treated seriously, and the serious elements are treated frivolously  Everything (generally) is an opposite (ex. dropped ice cream is turned into melodramatic scene).  Often includes a character who is in a serious situations acting highly inappropriate.

15.  A figure of speech in which a phrase or set of words is meant to be viewed/understood in two different ways (with the first meaning being obvious, and the second being less so and often risque!)  The character Charley (Master) Bates from Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist.  Some examples of accidental double-entendres that have been printed in newspapers or published on the Internet include:  Panda mating fails: veterinarian takes over  Miners refuse to work after death  New obesity study looks for larger test group  Children make nutritious snacks  Criminals get nine months in violin case

16.  Words or phrases used in conventional language  This is not slang, which is generally used by only certain groups of people (ex. teens in the 60’s saying “groovy”)  Generally based on geographical location (ex. soda v pop)  The following are just a few examples:  fix - something craved, especially an intravenous injection of a narcotic drug; "she needed a fix of chocolate" fix  heavy lifting - difficult work; "the boss hoped the plan would succeed but he wasn't willing to do the heavy lifting" heavy lifting  no-brainer - anything that requires little thought no-brainer  crapshoot - a risky and uncertain venture; "getting admitted to the college of your choice has become a crapshoot" crapshoot  wash - any enterprise in which losses and gains cancel out; "at the end of the year the accounting department showed that it was a wash" wash  main drag - the main street of a town or city main drag  rathole - a small dirty uncomfortable room rathole  security blanket - anything that an adult person uses to reduce anxiety security blanket

17.  An obvious contrast or direct opposite in setting, character, events, symbolism, morals, etc.  It involves the bringing out of a contrast in the ideas by an obvious contrast in the words, clauses, or sentences, within a parallel grammatical structure, etc. to contrast views.  These are examples of antithesis:  "Man proposes, God disposes." - Source unknown.  "Love is an ideal thing, marriage a real thing." - Goethe.  "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." - Neil Armstrong.  "To err is human; to forgive divine." - Alexander Pope.  "Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice." - William Shakespeare.  "Many are called, but few are chosen." Matthew 22:14.

18.  A disappointing resolution to a conflict or plot development.  Something trivial that concludes a series of important and dramatic events.  Why do authors use anti-climax?  When employed intentionally, it devalues the subject by producing a ludicrous or comic effect.  Therefore, it is frequently used for satirical and humorous composition in literature and movies.  Ex. a villain's dastardly plans are a winding set of complex actions, that can be stopped with the push of a button.