Have you ever been inspired by a great speech? Have you ever wondered how great speakers — from Abraham Lincoln to Barack Obama — perform their magic? Is the power of persuasive speech a matter of inborn charisma (magic?) or can people learn the techniques of effective public speaking? The ancient Greeks and Romans believed that these techniques could be taught, and several practical guides to public speaking have survived from classical antiquity. In this course, we will learn from the ancients by examining one such handbook of public speaking (Aristotle's Rhetoric) alongside a selection of the many great speeches that have survived from classical antiquity. In addition, we will explore how speeches by modern political leaders (e.g., Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and, yes, Barack Obama) make use of the very same techniques as those developed first by the ancient Greeks. Finally, we will use the techniques we have learned to write our own speeches.

Course Requirements:

Course requirements include active participation in class discussions, a midterm exam, and the performance of a speech on a topic of one's own choosing.

Intended Audience:

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Class Format:

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