The satire of the eighteenth centuryNew ideas, original thoughts and fresh interpretations characterized the spirit of the eighteenth century. Science was thriving and thus brought new discoveries that challenged the traditional dominant force of religion. Influential figures of the time, such as Voltaire, Jonathan Swift, and William Hogarth, strove to ensure human improvement and advance human thought through truth and humorous criticism. They employed the use of satire to achieve their common goal. According to A Handbook of Literary Terms, satire is defined as “a work or mode that blends a censorious attitude with humor or wit to improve human institutions or humanity” (Harmon and Holmann 461). The New Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics further states that satire is "both a mode of discourse or vision that asserts a polemical or critical perspective, and also a specific literary genre, embodying that mode in prose or verse" (Preminger and Brogan 1114) . In essence, satire emerges as a tool to successfully diagnose human flaws and offer a cure for society. Satire often includes abuse, sarcasm, irony, derision, exaggeration, and understatement. Arguably Voltaire's most famous work, Candide features a series of exaggeratedly intertwined characters. For example, the baron's lady was not only an imposing woman, but she weighed a full three hundred and fifty pounds. Furthermore, the baron's castle was considered a prestigious monument, "since his house had a door and several windows and his hall was even covered with tapestries" (Voltaire 19). It is evident that the use of hyperbole, among other elements, played a crucial role in the power of satire... at the center of the paper... and improves judgment: he who rectifies public taste is a public benefactor" (Preminger and Brogan 1115).The 18th century was a period of transformation, in which society was constantly evolving . through satire. Thus, satire was both a furious weapon and a common means used by eighteenth-century thinkers to promote the Enlightenment. Works Cited "Art of William Hogarth", 7 July 2000. Harmon, William and C. Hugh Holman. A Handbook of Literary Terms. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 1992. Preminger, Alex and TVF Brogan, ed.". 2000.