Satire-moliere-Voltaire -- swift

Satire In Tartuffe, Candide And A Modest Proposal

Generally speaking, satire is a literary form or work which exploits human vices, such as greed, avarice and jealousy, in order to ridicule. Some of the literary devices used to accomplish satire include wit, irony and sarcasm which exposes or discredits human foibles. Satire is usually directed at individuals or institutions with political or social leanings and serves, at times, as pure entertainment for the reading public. It also is used to illuminate certain conditions or situations that exhibit unjust or discriminatory traits. Three writers stand out as exemplary proponents of satire-Francois de Voltaire (1694-1778), author of Candide, Jean Baptiste Moliere (1622-1673), author of Tartuffe, and Jonathan Swift (1667-1745), author of the satiric piece a Modest Proposal. Thus, the ideals expressed by these authors in the above works focus on the human condition as it relates to man and...
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