Essay Sample on Humor in Literature: Irony and Sarcasm

Introduction

Comedy and humor have a long history in the history of the existence of a man. It cannot be separated from the culture of man. It has been used for several purposes throughout the world. This paper is a comparative essay. It describes the irony and sarcasm essay using the theory of humor.

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Comedy can be described as a genre of literature. It is a literature that involves drama and satire and an end that is amusing and cheerful. It creates a comic effect from an unpleasant situation of a place or a person making the audience happy at the conclusion. It has several sub-genres. The genres depend on the literary source and the context and the methods of delivering the message. The modern world comedy is an exact opposite of tragedy

Comedy in the Contemporary World

There are several types of comedy in the modern world. The first one which is very common is the romantic comedy. The comedians who are inclined to this theme often dwells on the topic of love and ends with a conclusion.

An example is Elizabethan contemporaries in the plays by Shakespeare. The love affairs and the tragedy that true love has to endure creates comical stripes that many audiences can relate to. According to Sigmund Freud, the comedy of sense of humor is an example of comedy that still prevails in the modern world. It was first publicized in the 16th century by first dramatist Ben Johnson. It has a history of the balance of a human body. It is closely related to the comedy of manners, which involves the conduct in which men and women in society need to abide by (Erwin & Edward, 2002). It shows gender relations and how they should be followed in a complex society. Sentimental and tragic comedy has one factor in common where tragedy is involved. It ridicules indecency.

Theories of Humor

The theories of humor are useful in understanding the purpose of humor in comedy, and the theories explain the structure of fun and whatever makes it funny. It includes the social functions that the comedy series and its history. The structure of fun can be explained by considering several accounts of origin. Psychological theories, which find humor as a sign of health and a sound cognitive ability, or spiritual theories that relates fun to mystical powers and an experience which cannot be explained. Most of the modern classical theories try to explain humor for the effect it produces (Silva &Padmasiri, 2018). The classical theories are mostly used in academic literature. Although there is no theory proven to explain the structure of humor correctly, each approach tries to explain some elements which are useful in the making of humor.

Comparison Between Sarcastic and Ironical Humor

The irony is used in humor; it describes circumstances that are funny because the things expected to happen turns out to be the opposite. Ironical comedy is always in three forms, namely verbal, dramatic and situational (Muecke & Douglas, 2017) An example of funny irony is a narrative where the greatest inventor also is known as the father of traffic safety William Eno, who invented the road safety signs, traffic circle, taxi stands, and even the cross -died in his old age without knowing how to drive.

The narrative is funny because the same man, who won the world of traffic for a great invention, never benefited from his invention even at once. This is an example of a structure of any comedy that involves irony. The audience is always surprised by the outcome, which is the opposite of what the expected to listen to. Another example is the one on Charlie Chaplin, the word most known comedian, who once participated in the Charlie Chaplin walk and surprisingly came 20th. This is funny because it is a walk bearing his name. The audience expects that he comes first.

Sarcasm is usually the use of words and remarks that have the exact opposite meaning to the ones intended. It is always meant to hurt a person or criticize anything or activity in a way that sounds comic to an audience. It has been used in the field comedy by stand-up comedians to fight the social ills in the society, such as the political and financial situations around the country or the globe. It is consisting of flattery insult, aggression which appears in passive form.

Sarcastic humor takes several forms, like brooding sarcasm, where a polite word is said in a bitter tone, if-Deprecating sarcasm, where the comedian gives an overstated sense of inferiority. Other common forms are the deadpan and polite sarcasm where the mocking is done politely, and the person being criticized finds it challenging to understand the mock. The modern form of comedy in this field is made up of aggression, where the comedians attack organization and political moves without physical assault, an example is a piece from Groucho Marx which stated that next time he met with the aggressor, the aggressor should remind him that they are not supposed to talk.

An example of sarcastic humor is a literary one by Robert Frost in his book, mending the walls. He writes a statement that sound walls make good neighbors. This is a sarcastic statement referring to two neighbors mending a wall that falls every winter. By meeting to mend the wall between them, they spend more time hence become the best neighbors ever. This statement is funny because the wall between the neighbors was initially meant to separate them. The bond is, however, restored every time they meet to make the wall, which was supposed to separate them from each other.

Sarcastic and ironic humor is quite different. Ironical humor explains a situation in a reversed way, to indicate that there is the intelligence applied. Sarcastic humor usually expresses contempt and strongly shows hate on an issue or hurt (Erwin& Edward, 2002). It is also known as malicious contempt. Sarcasm is only verbal, while irony is possible in the presence of an action or situation. Sarcastic comedy is designed to attack and ridicule, whereas ironical comedy can sound innocent and without a direct attack on any person.

Conclusion

In conclusion, both sarcastic and ironic humor is essential in modern society. They are a source of unity among people. It brings people together. It is a moral regulator as most comedians who use sarcasm enlightens people on the need to fight for their rights. They also bring about entertainment amongst the individuals or a group of people involved in the play. Sarcasm and ironical humor are also a tool for education since they possess moral lessons at the end hence making the members educated (Erwin & Edward, 2002). The fact that both are witty plays an essential role in boosting the mental health of both the comedian and the audience. It improves the immune system by making the mind free from depression and stress.

Work Cited

Erwin, Edward. The Freud Encyclopedia: Theory, Therapy, and Culture. Routledge, 2002. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=rX2w6QELtKgC&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=Erwin,+Edward.+The+Freud+Encyclopedia:+Theory,+Therapy,+and+Culture.+Routledge,+2002.&ots=taAh8NfFSd&sig=B94bso12wpDbGKsYkmT6q79zmaE

Muecke, Douglas Colin. Irony and the Ironic. Routledge, 2017. Retrieved from https://content.taylorfrancis.com/books/download?dac=C2016-0-25156-2&isbn=9781315388342&format=googlePreviewPdf

Silva, Padmasiri. "Theories of Humour." The Psychology of Emotions and Humour in Buddhism. Palgrave Pivot, Cham, 2018. 55-61. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/978-3-319-97514-6.pdf