Which rhetoric speakers (either in the past or present) do you find are the most inspiring and effective? Feel free to include any specific examples of their rhetoric which you find exceptional…
I know he is inspiring to many, but I would say that Martin Luther King Junior was a fantastic rhetorician and my first pick. To be able to speak with such conviction about an issue that spans not just the time of 1963 or place, Washington D.C. really speaks droves. “I have a dream” has such significance in the pathos sector of rhetoric and he does this with such sophistication. The repetition of “I have a dream” and the phrases of “Let freedom ring” strikes chords with people. An amazing speech that invokes emotion, action and a shared passion in his mission for equality.
I’m trying to think of the most recent instances of public speaking which have been particularly interesting. The one that comes to mind is Barack Obama’s “Yes We Can” speech in New Hampshire after winning the Democratic presidential primary in South Carolina. I think this present-day speech is a good example of rhetoric being an instance of persuasion and honesty (at least in intention), and not “artful deceit”. There have been many powerful public speakers who have used their skills in persuasion to cause harm or misinform, but this does not seem to be the case.
I have to say, Veni, vidi, vici. by Julius Caesar seems to be the rhetoric I find most inspiring. Lots of people have used it. Marketing campaigns are often launched based on this rhetoric. Look at the Apple ads appearing on American TV. They are funny, but more important they state Apple came, Apple saw the problem, Apple has conquered it. Use Apple products.
Veni, vidi, vici is one of the oldest rhetoric still used. What more can be said about a rhetoric that is this long lasting.
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