De ambivalente Amurath. Over de werking van satire in De Lantaarn van Pieter van Woensel

Abstract

Satire is generally characterized as a stable form of art, in which a specific subject is being diminished and derogated in an artistic and humorous way. This thesis aims to argue against that (traditional) view, first by discussing several theoretical approaches to satire, and then by giving in-depth analyses of seven texts from the Dutch satirical magazine De Lantaarn [Transl.: The Lantern], which was made by Pieter van Woensel (1747-1808), and published five times between 1792 and 1801. The analyses show that one of the primary characteristics of satire is ambivalence, a doubleness in meaning that cannot be solved easily, and that causes a satirical work to be difficult to understand. The result is that satire, at least within De Lantaarn, shows itself to be an especially unstable phenomenon. Further research should clarify to what extent ambivalence and instability are remarkable for satire in general.