Is there a crisis in political rhetoric? The more you think about this question the more you realise just how gargantuan the can of worms you just opened is. Simply knowing how to strategically approach this questions is a mission within itself, and that was the focus of the recent workshop hosted by the Network of Oratory and Politics which took place at Queen Mary University in London on Wednesday 13th September. Continue reading “Is There a Crisis in Political Rhetoric?”
Tag: pathos
Summer recess is over so parliament is back and with it comes Prime Minister’s Questions! To many people, PMQs seems like one of the crazy side effects of democracy. Politicians jeering, waving papers and making snide comments whilst devolving into a tribal state of savagery. This anthropological debacle is chaired by the speaker, who like a toothless beast has to control the chamber with nothing but howls. It is worthy enough to be a David Attenborough documentary. Continue reading “A Rhetorical Review of PMQs”
Some speeches are so bad that they’re good. This is quite possibly one of the best worst speeches the internet has ever seen. Phil Davison was seeking the Republican Party’s nomination to stand as Candidate for the Stark County Treasurer election in 2010 and gave this majestic performance. Receiving hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube the speech has been watched by people all over the world and Phil Davidson became a bit of a celebrity even getting himself an interview on Fox News. Continue reading “Is this quite possibly the best worst speech on the internet?”
This rhetorical commentary of Cersei Lannister’s speech is written purely as an exercise for identifying uses of classical rhetoric in modern popular culture. Rhetoric is used in discourse all the time; it is used in speeches, movies, books, articles and even TV shows about dragons!
If you haven’t watched Game of Thrones, it will still make sense as I have quoted the script and you don’t need much context. If you are currently watching Game of Thrones and haven’t watched up to Season 7 Episode 2 then I suggest you stop reading now (spoiler alert)!
This speech is an example of a philippic which is an aggressive attack on someone’s ethos (this is also known as ad hominem).
Continue reading “Game of Rhetoric: A rhetorical commentary on Cersei Lannister’s speech”
Cambridge Speechwriter 