Oratory

Georgia Institute of Technology ^ | last updated on 1 December, 1995. | Danny James

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ORATORY

Oratory is more than ordinary speech. It is a special kind of public speaking. The orator speaks for a special purpose, in a special way, at a special time. Buehler and Johannesen define oratory as "a memorized, original, persuasive speech, dealing with worth-while subject matter of timely interests, demonstrating qualities of logic, organization, language, and delivery, and producing an effect of eloquence which is far above the ordinary." Oratory rises above the common level of speech and has a greater level of appeal and emotional impact of the listener. Its purpose is to impress, convince, or move the speaker to action.

History of Oratory and Rhetoric

Oratory was being practiced by people long before the ancient rhetoricians developed a theory and a vocabulary for rhetoric. The ancient rhetoricians actually developed rhetoric by observing the fact that certain orators were effective and others were not. These rhetoricians then developed a set of principles for successful communication. Horner comments that "it is these principles that make up the art of rhetoric.'"

To the Greeks oratory was among the noblest of arts and oration was the aristocrat of all forms of public speaking. The orator, among the ancient Greeks and Romans, was looked upon with high esteem. He was highly respected and greatly admired and was concerned a citizen of unusual ability and influence. Aristotle defined oratory as "the faculty of finding all the means of persuasion on a subject." Cicero considered it as "the art of persuasion," and Quintilian viewed it as "the art of speaking well."

Parts of Oratory

Delivery is an important factor of oratory. For the orator to correctly communicate with his audience he must be able to correctly practice the art of delivery. An example of poor delivery, which everyone surly has experienced, is a boring lecture where the speaker seemed wooden and monotonous. In this type of situation, no matter what the orator is trying to say he will be hard pressed to have a great effect on his audience. In order to have an effect the speaker needs to understand the art of deliver and be able to communicate to the audience in an animated, interesting, and persuasive manner.

Another crucial part of oratory is pathos. Pathos is the art of drawing upon the sympathies and emotions of the audience, causing them accept the rhetors ideas, propositions, or calls for action. If used correctly by the rhetor, pathos will stimulate the audience's feelings and seek a change in their in their attitudes and actions.

Still another part of oratory is oration, the action of using oratory in speech. In the same sense as oratory, an oration is your best speech combined with a part of yourself. It gives the audience more than a snapshot view of the thought. Buehler and Joannesen write that "it is important to think of an oration as being more that a mere photographed picture of thought and feeling . . . it is a portrait of a compelling thought." Oration speaks to the listener's soul and conscience, and appeals to his aesthetic sense.

Great Orators of the Twentieth Century

Among the great orators of the twentieth century includes Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., JFK, and Winston Churchill. Malcolm's earlier speeches are often characterized by "provocative rhetoric and violent imagery"(online source). JFK was known to place a sense of hope and expectation in his speeches. Martin Luther King's great gift in oratory allowed him to influence a vast number of others and play a monumental role in the civil rights movement.

Works Cited

• Buehler, E. C., and Richard L. Johannesen. Building the Contest Oration. New York: The H. W.Wilson Company, 1965.

• Horner, Winfred Bryan. Rhetoric in the Classical Tradition. New York: St. Martin's Press, Inc., 1988.

• Online Source: www.webcorp.com/civilrights/malcolmx.htm

• Jay, Antony. The New Oratory. American Management Association, 1971.

This page was authored by Danny James of the Georgia Institute of Technology. It was last updated on 1 December, 1995.

[vannrox]

Oratory is what signifies the great Leaders of our times.

[isthisnickcool]

Oratory. Can you say "Oratory" boys and girls? I thought you could....