ENGL / COMM 4103 RHETORIC & PERSUASION Cicero: De Oratore, Book I

“[A] knowledge of very many matters must be grasped, without which oratory is but an empty and ridiculous swirl of verbiage” (Cicero 291). Cicero on Rhetoric and Education

Cicero: Major Concerns  Qualities of a Great Orator  Rhetorical effectiveness requires broad knowledge: “[N]o man can be an orator complete in all points of merit, who has not attained a knowledge of all important subjects and arts” (292). Claiming to be an orator often carries with it the implication that the speaker is well-educated (292).  Style Rhetorical effectiveness requires correct style: “[A] style that is dignified and graceful and in conformity with the general modes of thought and judgment” (297).

“[B]efore approaching his task of oratory, [the great orator should be] trained in all the liberal arts” (299). Cicero: The Great Orator

Cicero: Defining Rhetoric  Science, talent, practice  Practice makes perfect: “[H]abit and practice sharpened the edge of discernment and quickened the fluency of delivery” (301) Practice leads to theory (304).  Talent “Natural talent is the chief contributor to the virtue of the oratory” (305).

Cicero: The Orator  The Ideal Orator  Requires: Talent “[R]eady tongue, the ringing tones, strong lungs, vigor, suitable build and shape of the face and body” (305). Broad Education The liberal arts: Grammar, Logic, Rhetoric, Arithmetic, Geometry, Music, Astronomy Excellent character  Judged: Poor public performance will hound the orator “[S]tupidity finds no apology” (306)

“But in an orator we must demand the subtlety of the logician, the thoughts of the philosopher, a diction almost poetic, a lawyer’s memory, a tragedian’s voice, and the bearing almost of the consummate actor. Accordingly, no rarer thing than a finished orator can be discovered among the sons of men” (306 – 307). The Orator

Comparisons  How does Cicero’s conception of the orator compare to:  Plato?  Isocrates?  Aristotle?

“I learned that he must first [1] hit upon what to say; then [2] manage and marshal his discoveries... next [3] go on to array them in the adornments of style; after that [4] keep them guarded in his memory; and in the end [5] deliver them with effect and charm” (308). Training the Orator: The 5 Canons

 The Five Canons of Rhetoric  These are the five guiding principles for the development of every instance of discourse: 1. Invention (Inventio) 2. Arrangement (Dispositio) 3. Style (Elocutio) 4. Memory (Memoria) 5. Delivery (Actio)  At various points in the history of rhetoric, some canons are elevated above others.

“Most students... merely exercise their voices..., and their physical strength, and whip up their rate of utterance, and revel in a flood of verbiage. This mistake is due to their having heard it said that it is by speaking that men as a rule become speakers. But that other adage is just as true—that by speaking badly men very easily succeed in becoming bad speakers” (309) Training the Orator: Practice

 The orator must practice correct habits.  Merely speaking and exercising the voice is not enough training.  Bad training = bad speaking.  Writing is the best practice:  “The pen is the best and most eminent author and teacher of eloquence, and rightly so” (309).  Paraphrasing famous Latin speeches is ok, but  Translating from Greek to Latin is the best practice.

Training the Orator: Practice  The voice must be trained:  Study the best examples from the theater.  The memory must be trained:  Memorize examples of excellent oratory.  Oratory must be practiced in public:  Public performance is the true test of rhetorical training.  “[S]ecluded preparation must be brought forth into the daylight of reality” (310).  Additional training (310).

Two views in De Oratore  Natural talent with training.  Extensive study: logic, philosophy, literature, history.  Fully developed understanding of rhetorical strategies imperative.  Emphasizes depth of knowledge and specialization.  Practice is essential; emphasizes writing and cognitive processes.  General principles fit for almost everyone.  Cultural sampler plate: “tasting what belongs to others” (312).  Style and Delivery win the day.  Emphasizes mechanical training and “general culture.”  Practice is essential; emphasizes developing voice and other elements of physical delivery. CrassusAntonius

Kennedy on Cicero’s The Orator  The Three Duties of the Orator:  Prove  Delight  Stir  The duties are aligned with three speaking modes:  Plain for proving.  Middle for pleasure.  Grand for stirring emotion.

“Cicero artfully argues for a broad, liberal education that allies rhetoric and philosophy as a means of preparing an orator... The citizen- orator ought to be ready to do anything for his country, but not everything was permissable— nothing that went against justice or morality or the law” (59). Glenn on Cicero