However, you can point to certain eras and movements where satire flourished, with notable figures within them:
* Ancient Greece and Rome: Satire had its roots here, with writers like Aristophanes (Greek playwright) and Juvenal (Roman poet) known for their biting social critiques.
* The English Renaissance: Jonathan Swift (author of *Gulliver's Travels*) and Alexander Pope (famous for his satirical poems) are prominent examples from this period.
* The Enlightenment: Satire was a powerful tool for social commentary, as seen in the works of Voltaire and Jonathan Swift (again), who used wit and irony to expose hypocrisy and injustice.
* The Victorian Era: Satire took a more darkly humorous turn with writers like Charles Dickens, Oscar Wilde, and Mark Twain, who targeted social ills and human foibles.
* The 20th and 21st Centuries: Satire continues to be relevant, with contemporary authors like Kurt Vonnegut, Margaret Atwood, Dave Eggers, and Stephen Colbert engaging in sharp social commentary.
Rather than focusing on a single group, it's more accurate to recognize satire as a recurring theme in literature, with prominent figures emerging in different periods and contexts, each with their own style and focus.