Catherine KEANE The Satirist As Dramatist: Juvenal's Theatrics Of Satire


This paper will explore the theoretical connections between satire and drama that figure in literary criticism and in satiric programmatic statements. I will interpret these statements against the backdrop of images of the theatre in satire. These images adumbrate a satiric "theory of drama" that ultimately applies to satire as well. Juvenal in particular frequently uses images of plays, actors, and audiences as devices for self-presentation, and indeed to highlight his own satiric disingenuousness.

The analogy between satire and the theatre actually takes several different forms: we can compare the satirist to a skilled dramatist, to an actor wearing a mask (as in the "persona theory"), or to a spectator of life, which is inherently "dramatic." I will identify scenes that cryptically explore each role of the satirist. As dramatist, Juvenal has an alter ego in Virro, the cruel patron of Satire 5. This rich man knows that the misery of his hungry clients is better entertainment than any comedy or mime (5.157-8); this judgment echoes Juvenal's later statements that the real-life subjects of satire are more amazing than drama (8.215-21, 14.256-64, 15.29-32). We might infer that Juvenal's motives are as malicious as those of his alter ego. Next, I will consider the satirist's role as "actor" in his own drama, and identify a similar character in a Juvenalian scene. The satirist's ability to "play" a variety of characters is mirrored in Juvenal's description of the crafty Greek at 3.86-103. The Greek, because his people are natural actors, has a parasitic ability to feign emotion in front of others; so does the satirist, who adopts angry or laughing personae and pretends to sympathize with disenfranchised friends (Satires 3, 5, 9, 13). When Juvenal dwells on the Greek's disturbing skill at mimesis, he reminds us that his own personae are invented and his own words suspect. Finally, we can learn more about Juvenal's role as "spectator" of life by scrutinizing his representation of theatrical audiences. The scenes at 3.172-8 and 6.60-75 are curious: Juvenal focuses on ignorant and superficial responses (a frightened baby, women lusting after actors) instead of the purported "serious" functions of drama. He thus trivializes the dramatic metaphor that he constantly embraces.

In all its forms, the theatrical analogy offers the satirist opportunities both to define and to undermine his own position. Using images of the theatre to flesh out this basic theoretical connection, the poet reveals the surprising—even disturbing—implications of seemingly simple critical terminology.