* Create humor: Exaggeration can be used to create humor by making a situation or character seem more ridiculous or extreme than it actually is. For example, in the novel Don Quixote, Miguel de Cervantes uses exaggeration to create humor by depicting the protagonist as a delusional knight who jousts with windmills and mistakes a flock of sheep for an army.
* Emphasize a point: Exaggeration can be used to emphasize a point by making it more extreme or memorable. For example, in the speech "I Have a Dream," Martin Luther King Jr. uses exaggeration to emphasize the severity of racial discrimination by saying, "We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their selfhood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating: 'For Whites Only.'"
* Create suspense or build tension: Exaggeration can be used to create suspense or build tension by making a situation seem more dangerous or threatening than it actually is. For example, in the film Jaws, Steven Spielberg uses exaggeration to create suspense by depicting the shark as a giant, unstoppable monster that terrorizes the town of Amity Island.
* Satirize a person or institution: Exaggeration can be used to satirize a person or institution by exaggerating their flaws or weaknesses. For example, in the novel Animal Farm, George Orwell uses exaggeration to satirize the Soviet Union by depicting the pigs who run the farm as corrupt and power-hungry.
Exaggeration is a powerful literary device that can be used to achieve a variety of effects. When used effectively, exaggeration can add humor, emphasis, suspense, and satire to writing.