1. Elements of this lesson adapted from Exploring Satire with Shrek by Junius Wright English 10: British Literature Mr. Ambrose

2. Check out this scene from Shrek. Take notes on what you observe. 51:20-53:20

3.  Satire: A literary work that ridicules its subject in order to make a comment or criticism about it.

4.  There are four major techniques employed in satire:  Exaggeration  Incongruity  Reversal  Parody

5.  To enlarge, increase, or represent something beyond normal bounds so that it becomes ridiculous and its faults can be seen.

6.  To present things that are out of place or are absurd in relation to its surroundings.

7.  To present the opposite of the normal order (i.e. the order of events, hierarchical order).

8.  To imitate the techniques and/or style of some person, place, or thing.

9. Let’s take a look at Shrek one more time. This time, see if you can find an example of each satirical technique.

10.  Exaggeration  Princess Fiona fights and successfully defeats Robin Hood and his Merry Men without help.  Incongruity  Princess Fiona uses her ponytail to defeat one of the Merry Men, stopping in mid-air to adjust her hair  Reversal  The role of the hero and the damsel in distress are reversed. The damsel saves the hero.  Parody  The fight scene is an exaggerated imitation of the martial arts style in movies like The Matrix.

11.  The traditional story of the knight rescuing the damsel in distress is not a realistic depiction of the roles filled by men and women in modern society.  Current Hollywood action movies like The Matrix have become ridiculous because they are too focused on special effects.  Any other ideas?

12. What satirical techniques are at work in this clip? Write your ideas down in your notebook. (We can watch it twice if you like.)

13.  What elements of satire are present? Where?  Exaggeration?  Incongruity?  Reversal?  Parody?  What is the commentary being offered?

14. Read and discuss “Stephon Marbury Embroils Celtics Big 3 in Shakespearean Intrigue”Stephon Marbury Embroils Celtics Big 3 in Shakespearean Intrigue

15.  Find an example of a story you like on www.theonion.com. www.theonion.com  Print it out and bring it in tomorrow.  In addition, write an analysis of the article (one or two paragraphs), explaining what elements of satire are being employed and what commentary is being offered.  Staple the article and your analysis together.