speeches

In class on Monday we discussed the rhetorical tools used in Brutus' and Antony's speech in Act III Scene 2 of Julius Caesar. Brutus uses a chiastic pattern in his speech to get his audiences attention. He then goes through a very logical explanation of his reaction to the events leading up to Caesar's murder. Brutus' speech is full of abstract images, while Antony's is much more visual. Antony uses imagery to paint a picture for the audience, allowing them to easily follow along. At the end he relies on emotion to draw the favor of the crowd by pausing drastically, overcome by emotion.

I looked at some of the classic speeches from U.S. Presidents to find some of their rhetorical tools.



President Bush relies heavily on emotion. He also creates logical analogies to show America's resolve despite the physical damage done by the attacks.



JFK delivers a bipartisan speech of unity and progress. He creates a sense of pride and duty in the American citizens, and is thus able to promote his agenda.



President Obama appeals to the crowd by thanking them, inviting their applause, showing his energy and referring to him and his audience as "we".