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The oldest example of satire is _______, written around 2100 BC.

User Dstrants
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Final answer:

While the exact oldest example of satire being sought cannot be definitively provided due to the loss of works predating the given timeline, a known early figure associated with satirical work is Homer with his piece 'Margites'. Aristophanes is another key historical figure whose surviving Old Comedy plays exemplify satire from ancient literature.

Step-by-step explanation:

The oldest example of satire is often credited to Homer with a work known as Margites, which unfortunately has not survived in complete form. It exceeds even earlier attempts at satirical expression, predating the 2100 BC timeline suggested by the student's question. While The Epic of Gilgamesh from Mesopotamian literature is obsessed with themes of human mortality and can be seen as a complex reflection on human behaviors, it is not primarily satirical in nature.

Nevertheless, if historical analyses are considered, the tradition of satire may have existed long before recorded history, manifesting in oral traditions and folk tales that challenged societal norms through humor and exaggeration. The first clear examples of written satire that we can refer to are from Ancient Greek literature, particularly the works of Aristophanes, who is known for his satirical plays that blended social and political commentary. His plays, categorized under Old Comedy, were explicitly satirical, as he used a wide array of comic elements and targeted the politics of his day.

User Oleksandr Shmyrko
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