Today, we’re going to talk about a very interesting subject, and that is how to write sarcasm. You might be surprised to learn that there actually is a bit of sarcastic humor in the Bible, which we can learn from even today.
Sarcasm is probably my favorite form of humor, but it does take some work to be able to master it. We’re going to be taking a look at a few things to consider when writing sarcasm, as well as some examples from both the Bible and fiction.
- The extent
As with any joke, you want to make sure that the sarcasm doesn’t go too far. You’ll have to evaluate your genre and audience—as well as your own personal convictions—to know when enough is enough. While I do enjoy a good sarcastic joke, there are certain jokes that just shouldn’t be made, or shouldn’t be taken to the extent the author takes them to.
While I’m not going to tell you exactly how far to take a joke, I would encourage you to be cautious with your humor. Especially with sarcasm, it can be easy to just keep going and going. However, we have to constantly be on our guard to make sure that we are accurately representing Christ in our writing.
On the other hand, there are times when a joke isn’t taken far enough, making it less funny or even not funny at all. I’ve read and watched a lot of books and movies when you’re just waiting for the perfect comeback or joke, but it never comes. And the last thing you want when writing humor is for it to totally fall on its face.
In 1 Kings 18, we see that Elijah uses the extent of his sarcasm to make a point. The priests of Baal had literally spent all morning crying to their false god to send fire from heaven, but he wasn’t answering. Elijah then mocks them, showing the onlookers the foolishness of Baal worship.
One character who uses disguised sarcasm quite a lot is Sherlock Holmes. Often, his little quips are undetected by the other characters, leaving it to the audience to figure out. Again, usually his sarcasm is used to make some sort of point about the characters or the story.
- The timing
This is another important thing to think about… a joke might be perfectly appropriate, but the timing of it isn’t. If your characters are attending a funeral, you probably should hold off on the sarcasm until a different scene.
It really depends on your writing style… if you use sarcasm to provide conflict (as I sometimes do), then you might want to use it during that fight scene. However, if you use it strictly as comedic relief, I would recommend waiting for a less serious scene.
Of course, you also want to think about the right timing for your sarcastic punchline. The character might say the right thing at an appropriate time, but it might not be the very best moment to place that joke. Think about the effect you want to have on your audience, and then find the perfect placement for the joke based on that.
In the Bible, we see Job using sarcasm several times. However, it’s interesting considering his circumstances… he had literally lost everything he had. Job’s sarcasm (such as in Job 12:2) shows both his despair, as well as the absurdity of his friends’ reasoning.
In the movie, “Zootopia,” there are many times when sarcasm is used… all of which are perfectly timed to have their desired effect on the audience. While the character of Nick Wilde is usually the speaker of these sarcastic quips, other characters (such as Judy, Chief Bogo, and Mayor Lionheart) also get their chance to use sarcasm.
- The subject
As with the other points, this one comes with a bit of warning. There are certain things that should rarely—or never—be joked about, so we need to be aware of that when writing. Again, it might depend on the genre, audience, and your intentions and convictions as a writer.
However, you’ll also want to consider the best subject for your sarcasm. For example, if you use a more relevant object or character as the butt of a joke—rather than a more general subject—your audience might instantly find it funnier.
Jesus Himself actually used sarcasm on many occasions. From angering the scribes by asking them “Have ye not read?”, to opening the eyes of onlookers by comparing the Pharisees to whitewashed tombs, sarcasm played an important role in Jesus’ preaching.
In the BBC adaptation of Jane Austen’s “Emma,” sarcasm is also present a lot. As with many of Austen’s works, she often likes to use her stories to prove a point. But instead of simply making a general statement, Austen uses characters and events in her stories to better emphasize her views.
- The manner
As I mentioned before, the way you use sarcasm will greatly depend on your intentions for its role in the story. Maybe you use it to drum up conflict, start arguments between contagonists, and make conversations with your antagonist more interesting.
Or maybe you want to use it more for humorous scenes… maybe you’ll limit the use of sarcasm simply to the “funnier” characters. Or perhaps you’ll even use the narration, description, and circumstances of the story to create a bit of an “inside joke” between you and the readers.
Honestly, you can use any combination of roles for sarcasm. I use a blend of these three, and I know of a lot of other authors who do the same. Again, it might depend a lot on your genre and audience.
In the Bible, we see that James uses sarcasm when talking about the pretentiously spiritual people of his day. He shows how their pride in the fact that they believe in God is invalid… after all, even the demons believe in God.
In the book series, “The Men of Grit,” sarcasm is a well-used tactic. From brothers Chester and Lawrence Stoning, to Colonel Nobody and his sidekick Edmund, to the banter of Jacques and O’Malley, to the quips of the Scot, the sarcastic humor goes on and on. However, I wouldn’t say that it’s overused in the slightest… every bit of sarcasm contributes to a personality, a scene, or the story itself.
- The punchline
Of course, you can’t talk about sarcasm without talking about the actual punchline. As I talked about in the first point, you want to make sure that there actually is a punchline. But you can also get creative with that punchline.
Maybe you leave a joke hanging until the end of the scene—or even until a completely different scene—before revealing the punchline. Maybe you put a twist on a well-known joke or saying, taking your audience by surprise.
Or you can even have more than one punchline. Your MC and sidekick can have a long-running joke between them, or the MC and contagonist can fire comeback after comeback in their heated argument. Your audience will be expecting only one or two good jokes, but they can be thrown off guard (in a good way) when you keep the sarcasm flowing for just a little bit longer.
In the Bible, we see an example of this in the book of Jeremiah. The prophet, Jeremiah, had spent much of his life spreading one message—that the people of Judah must repent, or they would be destroyed. Finally, after years of his preaching landing on deaf ears, King Zedekiah sends for Jeremiah and asks him if there’s any word from the Lord. And Jeremiah responds (in what seems to be quite a sarcastic tone), “There is.”
In the movie, “Treasure Planet,” there is quite a bit of sarcasm. But one scene, in which Jim gets in trouble with the law, stands out as quite humorous. When the robot police officer is citing the rule that Jim broke, he forgets the exact placement of the rule. But, without missing a beat, Jim corrects the officer, showing that he has read—and actually memorized—the rule book. This is a piece of irony that is left to the audience to realize.
It’s good to consider all of the points in order to create a good bit of sarcasm, but the best way to learn is to find some content that includes good sarcastic humor. And, as always, keep practicing.
Comment below your favorite sarcastic line!