For millennia, satire has used wit and wordcraft to speak truth to power. From Aristophanes to South Park, satire exposes the follies, vices, and abuses of social institutions like government, education, and religion. This course traces satire’s path from ancient times through the end of the 18th century, noting that across centuries, continents, and cultures, satire’s role has remained constant. These texts speak truth to power by making corrupt individuals and institutions appear absurd. We’ll see how satire has caused citizens to wake up and pay attention to what’s going on right in front of them and take action to correct injustice. Although our readings will all date prior to 1800, we will put these texts alongside examples of current satire to demonstrate the point that there is truly “nothing new under the sun.”
(Fulfills English or Humanities requirement and pre-1800 requirement for English majors).