Burlesque is a literary device that either elevates something low and silly, or lowers of something that is important. High burlesque is making fun of trivial things, while low burlesque is making fun of higher and more important things. Higgins uses high burlesque to poke fun at society's functions, from the upper elite to the common lower class. Eliza uses low burlesque to create comedy out of trivial actions, like her reaction to being cleaned by Mrs. Pickering.