What Is Invective in Literature?

Invective originates from the Latin word 'inevectiva,' meaning abusive or censorious language. In literature, invective is used to insult, attack, or blame an individual, an institution, or a topic.

It can come in the form of a single word, a phrase, or an entire dialogue. Such language aims to hurt or offend someone. We can use it in both prose and poetry.

This literary device can be categorized into two basic types: high and low invective. Both types will often affect readers in different ways.

Low invective defines the use of rude and offensive words and images. For example, someone afraid of the dark may often hear, 'Are you a chicken?'

High invective involves the use of formal and creative language to insult someone. The above example of low invective can be turned into the high form with a bit of rephrasing. For example, you must have been a chicken in your previous life.

Express Negative Emotions

Romans often used invective to express negative emotions against public and political figures in ancient times. It is still used to convey our bitter emotions toward people in power. Comedians and political satirists use this technique in political satire to highlight corruption or other negative aspects of society.

Invoke Negative Emotions

Invective can also be used to invoke strong negative emotions in a character of the story and the audience. You can make the audience feel the same emotions that a character using this tactic in the story feels at that particular moment.

Tool for Characterization

An invective is also an effective tool for characterization. The writers can portray characters as snobbish or critical by making them use invective in the story. It can also be used to indicate that a character possesses a dry and sarcastic sense of humor. Plus, a heated exchange of opinions between the characters can help the readers figure out their relationship.

Tool to Develop Humor

Authors have been known to use strategy in their works of fiction for comedic effect, as two characters calling each other names may sound amusing to the readers.

Examples in Literature

William Shakespeare has used invective in many of his plays and is known for his ability to come up with highly creative insults. Let's start with a classic example used by him in 'The Comedy of Errors'.

He is deformed, crooked, old, and sere,

Ill-faced, worse bodied, shapeless everywhere;

Vicious, ungentle, foolish, blunt, unkind;

Stigmatical in making, worse in mind.

Another effective example can be found in Gulliver's Travel when the Brobdingnagian king tells Gulliver that Englishmen sound like "...the most pernicious race of little odious vermin that nature ever suffered to crawl upon the surface of the earth."

We also have several modern examples of invective in literature. Have you ever heard a 'yo mama' joke? Such jokes are an example of it is used to represent humor.