Irony of Corruption
Juvenal adopts a satirical tone to convey his rage toward the trajectory of Roman society. He mocks his contemporaries and their school of thought that have deviated from the traditional Roman values. Juvenal mentions the irony of the society being oblivious of the hypocrisies in their politics, philosophy, and ethics in the past and present. He asserts that the vices, corruption of the powerful, and misuse of wealth demand ironic criticism.
Irony of Patronage
Juvenal criticizes the economic inequality in Roman society by citing the poverty and desolation of the intellectuals. He identifies the lack of support for crucial members of the scholarly community such as teachers, poets, and lawyers. Ironically, they dictate the course of Roman values yet they are under-appreciated and under-compensated by the Roman elites.
Irony of Pedigree
The Roman poet demonstrates the irony of hereditary nobility that determines the leaders of their civilization. He asserts that pedigree lacks any value if the descendants barely have the qualities or principles of their ancestors. Most of the apparent nobles have no qualities that make them noble or fit to rule and succeeding power.
The irony of False Good
The poet explains that the ambitions of mankind that become their objects of prayers more often than not lead to disappointments. Juvenal states that the desired things including power, wealth, beauty, and glory are false goods that are sources of suffering. These wrong desires can be good without certain interferences yet are also not good by themselves. He lists instances where past figures sought after honor and power and it became their eventual downfall.
Irony of Avarice
Juvenal addresses forms of vices and virtues children learn and adopt from their parents. As such, focuses on a vice that appears as a virtue in the eyes of the parents. Though avarice appears as a virtue, it is a source of crimes and unkindness since it runs contrary to nature. He argues that the child will surpass their parent in their adoption of such vices and the cycle will continue.
