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- Dictionaryburlesque/bəːˈlɛsk/
noun
- 1. an absurd or comically exaggerated imitation of something, especially in a literary or dramatic work; a parody: "a novel which is a burlesque of the literary life"
- 2. a variety show, typically including striptease: "burlesque clubs"
verb
- 1. parody or imitate in an absurd or comically exaggerated way: "a mock-heroic farce that burlesques the affectations of Restoration heroic drama"
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Burlesque is a type of writing or acting that makes something serious seem stupid and funny, or a type of theatre entertainment with funny acts and striptease. Learn more about the meaning, synonyms, and usage of burlesque with examples from the Cambridge Dictionary.
- English (US)
a type of writing or acting that tries to make something...
- Znaczenie Burlesque, Definicja W Cambridge English Dictionary
burlesque definicja: 1. a type of writing or acting that...
- Bollywood
Bollywood definition: 1. the centre of the Hindi film...
- Simplified
BURLESQUE translate: 滑稽讽刺作品（或表演）,...
- Translate to Traditional Chinese
BURLESQUE translate: 滑稽諷刺作品（或表演）,...
- Burly
BURLY definition: 1. A burly man is large and strong: 2. A...
- English (US)
Burlesque is a word that can be used as a noun, adjective, or verb to describe a comic or grotesque imitation of something. Learn the origin, synonyms, examples, and related words of burlesque from Merriam-Webster dictionary.
- I. What Is Burlesque?
- II. Example of Burlesque
- III. Types of Burlesque
- IV. Importance of Burlesque
- V. Examples of Burlesque in Literature
- VI. Examples of Burlesque in Pop Culture
- VII. Related Terms
- VIII. Conclusion
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Burlesque (pronounced ber-lesk) is a style in literature and drama that mocks or imitates a subject by representing it in an ironic or ludicrous way; resulting in comedy. It is a form of the literary genre, satire. The term “burlesque” originates from the Italian burla and later burlesco, meaning ridicule, mockery, or joke. Correspondingly, burlesq...
As mentioned above, burlesque works mimic the styles and subjects of other works in a humorous way. Take the classic cute love poem: Roses are red, Violets are blue, Sugar is sweet, And so are you! A burlesque version of the poem, specifically a parody, would be: Roses prick your fingers, Violets make you sneeze, Sugar fills your veins with fat, It...
Burlesque is typically divided into two types: high burlesque and low burlesque. With high burlesque, the style of the work is “high” (dignified, serious), but the subject matter is “low” (insignificant, trivial). In low burlesque, the style of the work is “low” (undignified, improper), but the subject matter is “high” (serious, significant). Most ...
Burlesque literature is much more than mere comedy and entertainment. It has been a major literary and dramatic technique for social activism and commentary for thousands of years; using humor to attract attention to serious and unresolved issues in society. Nowadays, the main purpose of burlesque literature and drama is generally entertainment and...
Example 1
Burlesque was made most popular during the Victorian era of literature. Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey is a parody of gothic fiction, which was a very popular genre of literature for young Victorian women. The story follows Catherine Morland, a young woman with a vivid imagination, which is the author suggests is “caused” by her love of gothic novels. Austen is mocking the popular Victorian mentality that literature could cause fantastic, improper, and unrealistic ideas as a result of reading...
Example 2
Jonathan Swift is one of literature’s greatest satirists, and his essay A Modest Proposal is an excellent example of a burlesque work that critiques serious social issues, specifically those of 18th century Irish society, such as poverty and the way the rich treat and view the poor. In his essay he suggests several solutions to these problems— In this passage, Swift suggests that children make an excellent food. He continues his essay by defending the reasons why it is an excellent solution t...
Example 3
A recent example of burlesque in today’s literature is Pride, Prejudice and Zombies, a parody novel written by Seth Grahame-Smith. This 2009 novel combines Jane Austen’s Victorian romance novel Pride and Prejudicewith elements of zombie literature and culture. Furthermore, it is written completely in the literary style of a Victorian romance novel, but rather than focusing only on love, marriage, courtship, it includes zombies and survival. Take the following passage— Here, the author speaks...
Example 1
In popular culture, the most commonly represented form of burlesque in film and television is the parody. In fact, parodies have a massive presence in the popular film industry; specifically films that parody older films, often with similar names. For example, Shaun of the Dead (2004) parodies its predecessor, the cult classic Dawn of the Dead(1978), in both title and genre—it makes fun of the zombie flick genre (specifically Dawn of the Dead) by mimicking its style in a ridiculous way. Rathe...
Example 2
O Brother, Where Art Thou? is a prime example of a modern burlesque film, specifically a mock-heroic. The storyline is inspired by the Odyssey, Homer’s famous medieval epic poem, but takes place in America during the 1900’s. It follows the major plotline and epic style—a hero on a quest—but replaces the elements of epic poem with humorous and exaggerated characters, settings, and situations. For example, Cyclops (a mythological one-eyed monster) is represented by a stocky, evil salesman with...
American Burlesque
American Burlesque is a genre of variety show popularized in the late 1800’s. The style was derived from the ideas of Victorian burlesque, but by the 1900s it had involved into a combination of satire, comedy, striptease, and musical theater. Nowadays, when people hear the term burlesque, the impression that comes to mind is of voluptuous women in racy costumes, cabaret style performances, and risqué musical numbers—this is American Burlesque. It remains a popular form of entertainment worldw...
In conclusion, burlesque is an important form of literature and drama because of its ability to make a mockery of serious and lighthearted subjects alike. What’s more, it can be used as a way to deliver opinions and messages to encourage change and awareness, all by presenting information through comedy that is often outrageous, unusual, and vulgar...
Burlesque is a literary and dramatic device that mocks or imitates a subject by representing it in an ironic or ludicrous way. Learn about the types, history, and examples of burlesque, such as parody, mock-heroic, and travesty.
A burlesque is a literary, dramatic or musical work intended to cause laughter by caricaturing the manner or spirit of serious works, or by ludicrous treatment of their subjects. [1] . The word derives from the Italian burlesco, which, in turn, is derived from the Italian burla – a joke, ridicule or mockery. [2] [3]
In contemporary usage, burlesque is a playfully nostalgic form of striptease — think fans and feather boas rather than explicit nudity — but this is just the latest form of an ironic style of entertainment dating back to medieval times.
Burlesque is a type of writing or acting that makes something serious seem stupid and funny, or a type of entertainment that includes dancing and striptease. Learn more about the meaning, usage and pronunciation of burlesque, and see examples and translations in different languages.
Burlesque is a noun that means a performance or piece of writing that makes something look silly by representing it in a humorous way. It can also refer to a type of entertainment involving humorous acts, singing, dancing, etc. and often including striptease.
