Burlesque Worksheets

Related ELA Standard: RL.11-12.5

Core Standard
Answer Keys Here

The written style of burlesque is something that draws a great deal of laughs from the readers or audience, depending on the medium that it is presented to. It can be taken either way because it roots the nature of its assertion based on the charter that may be questioned in a any type of work. Whatever the main subject of the work maybe, this style of literature or theatre mocks the fundamental subject in a satirical or preposterous way. The original intention of this form of expression was intended to entertain a mass of others. These worksheets are super helpful to students that are studying the concept of burlesque literature and how it was composed.

Burlesque Worksheets To Print:

Family Tree - Demonstrate your understanding of the terms by correctly labeling the diagram that shows how the concepts are related.

Choose a Word - Complete all of the sentences with the help of the word bank.

Farce - How do these two concepts relate and crossover at times?

What Do You Know? - Answer this series of true or false questions to answer that question.

Pride, Prejudice, and Zombies - What is the main focus of the novel? How does the focus of this novel differ from the focus of the novel being parodied?

A Modest Proposal - This 1729 essay by Jonathan Swift is an excellent example of burlesque. Read the essay and answer the questions.

Insignificant Subjects - Think of something that you feel is insignificant that people make way too much of, for example, some minor but annoying rule at school.

History - Discuss the historic importance of this type of literature.

Significant Subjects - Think of something serious that you would like to change. It could be something that is going on politically, or it could be a rule at home or at school that you don't like.

How to Write - Choose an issue that you want to call attention to, and write a short burlesque piece that uses mockery or ridicule to make your point.

Northanger Abbey - What exactly is Austen mocking with the novel?

The Foundation - This can either be used as an introducation or review sheet for your students.

Roses Are Red - She is you can apply this technique to the age old poem we all know and love.

Television - Describe a scene from the program and explain how it is an example of this technique.

Evidence - We walk your through the steps to start using this in your work.

What Is Burlesque In Literature?


Originating from the Italian word burla, which means to "joke" or "ridicule," the term burlesque ("burlesco" in Italian) is used to describe literary work intended to poke fun at something or someone. In other words, it is a form of satire intended to cause laughter by imitating and caricaturing the subject matter of a serious literary creation, genre, or person.


Components in Literature


A piece of burlesque literature aims to create a ridiculous and funny disparity between the matter and manner of literary creation. "Parody" and "travesty" are some other terms used interchangeably with "burlesque" to refer to such a piece of work. However, a better approach is to think of travesty and parody as components of burlesque, which is a more generic word.


This type of literature tends to include different kinds of travesties and parodies within it. Moreover, not all burlesque creations have similar features. In fact, the characteristics vary significantly from one piece of work to another.


Types of Burlesque Literature


This form of literature has two main categories, "Low Burlesque" and "High Burlesque." You’ll find various sub-divisions within these groups.


High Form


A piece of burlesque literature can be classified into this category when the style and form are "serious," "dignified," or "high" while the subject matter is "low" or "trivial." Parody and mock-heroic/mock epic poem are some divisions within high burlesque literature.


Parody is among the most loved forms of this type of literature. In fact, its popularity goes back centuries with masterpieces like Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey (1818), Henry Fielding’s Joseph Andrews (1742), and A.S. Byatt’s Possession: A Romance (1990).


Furthermore, a "mock epic" or "mock-heroic poem" is a kind of parody itself. It mimics the elaborate and complex form of an epic poem. The rather formalized style of the genre is also imitated. The Rape of the Lock (1714) by Alexander Pope is one of the best examples of a mock epic. There’s a lot of elegance in its style, but the subject matter contains little else apart from a person’s curls on the face of it.


Low Form


Burlesque literature of the "low" variety usually includes creations in which the manner and style of the work are undignified. However, the subject matter tends to have a distinguished status. Hudibrastic and Travesty poems are some types of low burlesque literature.


Hudibrastic poems are named after Samuel Butler’s iconic Hudibras (1663), which turned romance and chivalry on their head. Butler inverted the genre’s dignified style to depict a "hero" whose travels were boring and often embarrassing. Hudibrastic poems may also utilize doggerel verses and colloquialisms instead of the usual high-style elements.


On the other hand, a travesty mocks serious and "lofty" creations by treating the "high" subject in an undignified and grotesque manner and style. The 1974 movie "Young Frankenstein" is among the finest examples of modern travesty. It mocks Frankenstein (1818), the original novel by Mary Shelley.


The Lampoon


Lastly, this is another example of burlesque literature. Lampoons are usually short pieces of satire. You might also find the lampoon as a passage or groups of passages within a longer literary creation. The goal of the lampoon is to ridicule a person, normally through a caricature, by describing their personality, appearance, and nature in an absurd manner.