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designing and delivering a speech

Ok, ok. I know what you're thinking...

Rhetoric is basically required in many jobs like:

  • politics
  • public relations
  • communication
  • lobbying
  • law
  • marketing
  • professional writing
  • advertising

"Magistra,

I'm not planning on

doing any of that!"

The Continuing

Legacy of Rhetoric

Many of the concepts developed by the ancients and practiced for over 2000 years continue to have resonance today.

So I made a special list just for you!

You also need rhetoric to:

  • bargain to get a lower price
  • negotiate a raise with your (future) boss
  • give a presentation in front of a group
  • argue over a controversial topic
  • make an official complaint
  • write an essay
  • apply for a job
  • read the news (critically)
  • participate in government
  • and understand elite, erudite jokes!

Rhetoric in the Modern Era

Orators of the Western World

Famous Roman Orators

CICERO (106-43 BC)

Roman philosopher, politician, lawyer,

orator, political theorist, and consul.

How did the speeches of these men influence the course of history?

Famous Roman Orators

Chief among Roman rhetoricians and the best known ancient orator.

QUINTILLIAN (35-100 AD)

Lawyer, orator, writer.

Inspired the Founding Fathers of the United States

and the revolutionaries of the French Revolution.

Famous works: De Inventione, De Oratore

Discussed (at length) the training of the "perfect" orator from birth to old age and reviewed the doctrines and opinions of many influential rhetoricians who preceded him.

Famous work: Institutio Oratoria (one of the most influential works on rhetoric during the Renaissance)

The Actio

The performance of Oratory

Ancient Roman Rhetoric

The orator's delivery of his speech included:

  • voices and expressions
  • gestures and bodily comportment
  • stage-managed theatrical effects (such as running about, stamping of the feet, getting on one's knees, waving of arms)

These were meant to capture the attention of the audience and play on the listener's emotions.

The orator QUINTILLIAN documented the numerous and minute details of how to hold the head and fingers.

"Grasp the tip [of the index finger] lightly on both sides and gently curve the remaining two fingers--the little finger less so [than the ring finger]. This gesture is appropriate for argument. If you wish to seem to argue more keenly, grasp instead the middle joint of the index and have the last two fingers contracted more tightly to correspond with the tighter position [of the thumb and middle finger]."12

What is Rhetoric?

Rhetoric, otherwise known as oratory, is the art of public speaking.

It aims to allow

writers and speakers to

INFORM

PERSUADE

or MOTIVATE

particular audiences in particular situations

The Greek philosopher Aristotle wrote that rhetoric is:

"The faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion."

A Roman Oration

Structure of a good speech

Exordium

"the beginning"

Contained necessary preliminary remarks and the approach to the subject.

Designed to win the favorable attention of the audience.

Narratio

"the narration"

A summary of the facts upon which the argument is founded.

Partitio

"the outline"

An outline of the proposed treatment of the theme or the point to be proved.

Confirmatio

"the defense"

An affirmative argument setting forth the points on the speakers side of the case.

Refutatio

"the rebuttal"

A rebuttal refusing the arguments of the opposing side

Peroratio

"the conclusion"

The conclusion bringing the address to an impressive close, sometimes divided into three parts.

Designed to summarize the arguments and appeal to the jurors' emotions.

History of Rhetoric

Rhetoric in Roman Education

Ancient Greece

The study of rhetoric included:

In democratic Greece, rhetoric was a tool to influence politics and civil life.

understanding, discovering, and developing arguments for particular situations

Logos:

use of reasoning

types of persuasive appeals

It was a medium through which political

and judicial decisions were made.

Pathos:

But, it was also used to develop and disseminate philosophical ideas.

use of emotional appeal

Ethos:

appeal based on the character of the

speaker

Inventio (invention)

process of developing arguments

Dispositio (arrangement)

organizing arguments for extreme effect

Elocutio (style)

determining how to present arguments

Memoria (memory)

process of learning and memorizing the speech

Actio (delivery)

gestures, pronunciation, tone, and pace used when delivering speech

Rhetorical styles

Attic Style

Asiatic Style

  • austere
  • formal
  • traditional
  • simple
  • logical

Cicero writes:

Ancient Roman Rhetoric

  • grandiose
  • emotional
  • florid
  • complex
  • theatrical

"The true Attic orator...is characterized by restraint and simplicity, uses ordinary language, avoids rhythmical cadences and hiatus, excludes obvious figures of speech, speaks pure Latin, chooses pleasing words and phrases. Metaphors are used in the plain style to make the meaning clear, not for entertainment. He will avoid elaborate, contrived symmetry and repetition as well as the more powerful figures of speech. Moderate vocal variety and slight gesticulation are typical of an orator speaking in the plain style. He will use humor and wit to charm and ridicule his opponents."

Among others, especially the Asiatics, one would, being entirely a slave to rhythm, find whatever words can be stuffed into the empty parts of the sentence as if to fill up the meter…

Brutus' speech in Shakespeare= Attic

Antony's speech in Shakespeare= Asiatic

"If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of

Caesar's, to him I say, that Brutus' love to Caesar

was no less than his. If then that friend demand

why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer:—

Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved

Rome more."

in the courtroom

3 Types of Rhetoric

But here I am to speak what I do know.

You all did love him once, not without cause:

What cause withholds you then, to mourn for him?

O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts,

And men have lost their reason. Bear with me;

My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar,

And I must pause till it come back to me.

"As Caesar loved me, I weep for him;

as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was

valiant, I honour him: but, as he was ambitious, I

slew him. There is tears for his love; joy for his

fortune; honour for his valour; and death for his

ambition."

Even at the base of Pompey's statua,

Which all the while ran blood, great Caesar fell.

O, what a fall was there, my countrymen!

Then I, and you, and all of us fell down,

Whilst bloody treason flourish'd over us.

O, now you weep; and, I perceive, you feel

The dint of pity: these are gracious drops.

in the Senate

Public prosecutions and private cases prompted by political motives were really common.

An eloquent orator could make himself known and secure large bodies of supporters.

  • deliberative

concerned the political

(i.e. making laws)

  • forensic

In the large and often turbulent body of the Senate, to sway a large assembly by force of oratory was a highly prized skill.

A single individual could stop or alter government processes!

concerned the judicial (i.e. courtroom cases)

  • epideictic

in the Forum

Roman orators directly addressed large crowds of assembled people from the rostra. Successful speakers can garner the support of the people over any opposition from the Senate!

ceremonial oratory of display

(i.e. praise/blame, values, right/wrong)

Ancient Roman Oratory

The History

In Rome, oratory was an important part of public life and a powerful political tool.

Consider this:

Consider this too:

So WHY did the Romans study rhetoric?

  • In Roman politics, all laws were passed and all magistrates were elected by a vote of all the citizens.

  • With the lack of tv, newspapers, and radio, conversation and public addresses were the only means of disseminating political ideas.
  • In the Roman social hierarchy, the only means for advancement was success in a political career.

  • Next to military fame, the people favored men with oratorical ability.

to facilitate political debates, trials, and informing the people of important topics

to achieve personal political success

obviously public speaking must have been both a necessary and effective political instrument!

obviously, to achieve success, every ambitious Roman had to become a skilled orator!

studying rhetoric signaled refinement, wisdom, and accomplishment

Just like

Latin!

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