Aristotle believed that the purpose of rhetoric in speech is to persuade the listener of the speaker’s point of view. Different types of rhetoric serve different purposes, from persuading people to vote to inciting revolution. Rhetoric is a one-way system for conveying information and opinion. While rhetoric has played an important role in democracies, it can also be used negatively, as seen in Hitler’s speeches.
According to Aristotle, the role of rhetoric in speech is to persuade the listener of the speaker’s point of view. This is not to say that the speaker will be successful in doing so, but that the purpose of the speech is to achieve that purpose. Different types of rhetoric in speeches serve different purposes; some speeches are meant to persuade people to vote for a particular law or person, others are used to persuade people to change their minds, and in extreme cases, speeches can be used to foment revolution and violence. When all is said and done, the role of the speech is to get the people listening to do what the speaker wants done.
Aristotle defined rhetoric as an act of persuasion. In terms of speeches, rhetoric is a person’s attempt to persuade many people in his or her audience. Aristotle believed that the rhetorician or orator must master all the methods of the trade to succeed in the role of rhetoric in speech. He also believed that rhetoric should be neutral and non-subjective, meaning that the act of persuasion is based on an objective opinion. However, not all rhetoricians agree.
The role of rhetoric in speech is very similar to the role of other forms of speech. It has played an important role in the development of thoughts, movements and politics around the world. What separates it from dialectic is that rhetoric is not followed by a counterposition, and moreover it does not involve any discussion. Rhetoric is a one-way system for conveying information and opinion.
Rhetoric in speeches has played an important role in democracies around the world. Speeches provide a platform for politicians to persuade people to vote for them or their causes. While using rhetoric in this way is important, it’s not always vital to a politician’s success. Some politicians, such as US President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, have mixed rhetoric and charisma to help seize power; George W. Bush’s lack of oratory skills did not prevent his rise to the top political office in America. The ancient Roman philosopher Cicero, known for his rhetorical skills, was unable to use those skills to gain power.
A few campaigning speeches helped form a national consciousness, but a greater number of political speeches on key issues did. A seminal speech in the shaping of modern America is Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Such speeches transcend their original role of changing the opinions of immediate listeners and also help shape the opinions of later generations.
Rhetoric does not always play a positive role in society and history. The magnetic power of Adolf Hitler’s rhetoric is charged with not only continuing Nazi atrocities across Europe, but also with preserving the regime long after the war had been lost. Rhetoric in speeches has the power to provoke, denounce, and lift people to actions they could not take without it. With such a powerful role in opinion-forming comes great responsibility on the part of the rhetorician.
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