The comedy toolkit

The audience saw the character hide from a mouse, so they know he is not brave, while the character speaks as if he is.

A gap between what the audience knows and what a character believes or claims is the definition of dramatic irony.

The humour comes from watching the character undercut himself without realising it, which the audience alone can appreciate.

Because the humour depends on this knowledge gap rather than physical action or language play, dramatic irony is correct.

Slapstick requires physical comedy like falls or collisions, but the scene described is about a spoken boast, not physical action.

Parody requires imitating a recognisable style or work, and nothing here suggests the boast mimics a specific known hero.

Wordplay needs a pun or double meaning in the language itself, but there is no such linguistic trick mentioned in the scenario.

The remaining option, dramatic irony, correctly explains the humour created by the audience's superior knowledge of the character's cowardice.

Satire exaggerates a real flaw such as immaturity or poor judgment until it becomes ridiculous and obvious to the audience.

The childish king exaggerates traits like poor leadership and emotional immaturity that exist in real rulers or authority figures.

By making the flaw absurd, the writer hopes readers will notice similar flaws in real leaders and feel motivated to criticise or change them.

This social critique purpose, not simple entertainment or confusion, defines why writers use satire in this way.

The passage explains satire is dismissed too easily as just for laughs, when it is actually meant to prompt recognition of real flaws.

Satire aims for clarity about the flaw being mocked, not confusion about characters or plot roles.

While satire does require craft, the defining purpose discussed is social critique, not simply showcasing inventive fiction.

The option describing recognition of a real flaw and desire for change matches satire's critical function most precisely.