StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

Changes in Public Speaking from Ancient Greece to Modernity - Research Paper Example

Cite this document
Summary
The paper “Changes in Public Speaking from Ancient Greece to Modernity” looks at public speaking, which has been an integral part of society since people became able to communicate with one another through oral language. As far back as Ancient Greece, there are examples of public speaking…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER97.9% of users find it useful
Changes in Public Speaking from Ancient Greece to Modernity
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "Changes in Public Speaking from Ancient Greece to Modernity"

Public Speaking: Fundamental Changes in Public Speaking from Ancient Greece to Modernity, with a Look into the Future Public speaking has been an integral part of society since people became able to communicate with one another through oral language. As far back as Ancient Greece there are examples of public speaking, and the impact it had on society. But how has public speaking changed, or has it remained the same By looking at Ancient Greece, and comparing it today, it becomes clear that while there are many differences, there are many more similarities. Public speaking is about sharing ideas with the public, and getting thoughts and ideas into the open that may be controversial. It is about sharing an opinion, or research with others. Looking into the future, while public speaking may continue to change, the goals will remain the same. Public speaking has always been about teaching others, and will remain so. Ancient Greece prided itself on democracy, and the education of its citizens. It is no small wonder that Pindar spoke of Greece as "the noisy regiment" (Hall 1). Greeks used oral language as the primary means of communication, and as one of the cornerstones of democracy. They judged each other not only by how they spoke, but also by what they wore, and how they acted when they spoke, not unlike today. Yet they had one additional hurdle that speakers today do not have to deal with. While crowds today may reach into the billions, speakers today are equipped with microphones, television, internet, and radio to reach the people. In Greece, the speaker not only had to have passion for his subject, but also had to have the ability to remember long quotes and ideas, and to be able to amplify their voice for a long enough time to get their ideas across. Today, speakers can depend on note cards and prepared speeches, while Greeks had to rely solely on their memories. Today, unlike then, speakers are also not required to write their own speeches, and in fact, may not know the material until they step in front of a microphone. Effective speaking requires that the speaker be clear in what they are saying, and look and act convincing. Eye movement, gesturing, even the subtle shifts of the person talking are all subject to interpretation by the listeners. While movement of the speaker has mattered throughout history, it is only contemporarily that it can be shown again and again, allowing endless reinterpretation of meaning. Speaking before recording allowed the speaker to speak with passion, and while mistakes were still not desired, they were more forgivable. A grammatical mistake, for example, would be corrected in the speech was actually written down. Today, those same errors are lauded over the speaker, and are used as ways to discredit them. Greeks did not permit women to speak publicly, and also had a unique way of stopping people who were not interesting enough. If the speaker lost the attention of the people, they were physically dragged off of the stage by the watchers. Today, we are required to sit politely by and let them finish out their speech, or change the channel on the television. Public speaking was one of the most important skills an Athenian had. According to Nancy Harper: For many years, the Athenian could not hire a professional to speak for him in court. Each Athenian jury consisted of several hundred persons, and the citizen, whether the accuser or the accused, had to use his ability as a public speaker to persuade a majority of the jury to believe in his side of the case. Because lawsuits were common in Athens, legal speaking became the central concern of early communication instruction. (Warren 2) Public speaking, or oratory, was all about persuading people that you were correct, and was primarily about legal matters. Today, while public speaking still has a lot of the same roots, it is no longer necessary for each person to be able to speak publicly. In court, people hire lawyers to speak for them, and in life, few step up and speak for themselves. One major difference is in the heterogeneous nature of the modern audience. Zarefsky emphasizes in his book the consideration of the diversity of audiences that a speaker will be talking to in the planning out of a speech. Especially today, with increasing diversity in daily life, it is necessary to realize the wide range of people who we are trying to reach. In Greece, there was only one audience, Caucasian men of similar economic level. Diversity of audience was not a concern, because there was none ! There have been changes in public speaking, especially regarding where it is done, in a small room versus a court of hundreds. However, the goal, to persuade the listener that what you are saying is true, has stayed the same. In the future, there will probably continue to be changes in how speeches are given, and where they are given. As television and internet reach more countries, the need to recognize a diverse audience will become even greater. And as the audience becomes more diverse, so does the need for understanding. Looking at the changes that have already happened in public speaking and the shift from rhetoric to oratory, it is clear that over time public speaking will once again shift in meaning. One person speaking can not address the issues of a million people, and it will fall most likely to a group of public speakers to convince the public that they are speaking the truth. While public speaking has changed over time, chances are the goals of public speaking never will change. Even from the beginning, the goals were to educate, to share common issues and wrongs, and to persuade the listeners that what the speaker is saying is the truth, in spite of what others may say. Public speaking is still used to meet all of those goals today, with very little difference in how they are met. In the future, I can not see these goals changing. However, I do believe that the way public speaking is done will change. Athenians spoke to homogenous juries, and today we speak to vast heterogeneous crowds of people, about politics and passions, issues and ideas. The venue will change, and the meaning of gestures and movements will also change, but the ideals of reaching many people at one time will not. Public speaking will always remain public speaking. Works Cited Hall, Edith. "Splitting images." History Today 44.7 (1994): 41. Academic Search Premier. 2 May 2006. http://search.epnet.com. Warren, Clay. "THE MESSAGE, THE MEDIUM, AND THE MODERN PUBLIC SPEAKER." Communication 12.1 (1983): 17. Communication & Mass Media Complete. 2 May 2006. http://search.epnet.com. Zarefsky, David. (2005) Public Speaking: Strategies for Success. New York: Allyn and Bacon. Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Changes in Public Speaking from Ancient Greece to Modernity Research Paper”, n.d.)
Changes in Public Speaking from Ancient Greece to Modernity Research Paper. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/history/1524241-public-speaking-essay
(Changes in Public Speaking from Ancient Greece to Modernity Research Paper)
Changes in Public Speaking from Ancient Greece to Modernity Research Paper. https://studentshare.org/history/1524241-public-speaking-essay.
“Changes in Public Speaking from Ancient Greece to Modernity Research Paper”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/history/1524241-public-speaking-essay.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF Changes in Public Speaking from Ancient Greece to Modernity

The Policy of Containment during the Cold War

Truman doctrine came into existence in 1947 while addressing a joint session of congress when President Truman requested $400 million economic and military aid for Turkey and greece to contain communist aggression in those countries (Merril, 2006).... The Policy of Containment during the Cold War In Reference to Harry Truman After serving three tours of Russia, Kennan had a great suspicion about the real intentions of Stalin and their men towards the US and its Western Allies....
8 Pages (2000 words) Essay

Marx and Weber on the Transition to Capitalist Modernity

The subject of the paper “Marx and Weber on the Transition to Capitalist modernity” was capitalism and the problem of motivation of labor activity connected with it.... Weber from similar concepts of his ideological opponent K.... Weber from similar attempts to explain an origin and evolution of K.... Anybody from them at all has not mentioned and has not explained, why the traditional thinking and the traditional attitude to work brakes the promotion to a market economy and interferes with an increase in labor productivity....
7 Pages (1750 words) Essay

What Effect Did the Rise of Science Have On Theories of Educational Practice

During the rise of ancient civilizations and development of languages, education became more formal and complex.... In the ancient Chinese civilization, education was about development of secular values, moral uprightness, use of rituals, and music.... Over the ages, education has metamorphosed from esoteric… Herein, we study the development of theories of education, as they evolved down the ages, and how they were impinged upon, by Enlightenment and growth of science. Education serves as a means of developing social cohesion in the formative years....
11 Pages (2750 words) Essay

The Process of Change in Relationships and the Balance in Power

intervention in World War II, and this shift in public opinion accounted for much in determining the course of America foreign relations.... These changes affected the balance in power from different perspectives.... The evidence of that is that he kept some of his actions hidden from scrutiny.... Certainly, these changes affected the balance in power from different perspectives as discussed in the paper which follows.... Pearl Harbour, 'the worst naval disaster in American history'1, was a key turning point in American and world history, which produced a profound shift from 'isolationism to internationalism'2 in US foreign policy....
8 Pages (2000 words) Essay

Disputes between Greece and the Former Republic of Macedonia

The main aim of this dissertation “Disputes between greece and the Former Republic of Macedonia” is to find how the media contributes to the resurgence of the Greek national identity.... Considering this on a more continental basis greece as a Balkan nation has been faced with high levels of pressures.... It was then that the country was declared to be independent as a part of northern greece.... The main aim of this dissertation “Disputes between greece and the Former Republic of Macedonia” is to find how the media contributes to the resurgence of the Greek national identity....
20 Pages (5000 words) Research Paper

Intercultural Communication Between Greece and the Middle East

This paper “Intercultural Communication Between greece and the Middle East” will describe and explore the Greek culture in terms of its cultural characteristics.... I chose greece because its culture is rich and interesting and because I have first-hand social experience of the Greek personality and a deep interest in the fascinating culture.... greece is a beautiful country, with a population of approximately 11 million people.... The main language of greece is, of course, Greek, although there are different accents and dialects throughout the country, and the biggest minority language is Macedon....
14 Pages (3500 words) Research Paper

Globalization and the Mass Media

There are merely two options for making this analysis, one is that we have to first study the global factors affecting media such as the world politics and the second is that we can make the study on the basis of national media setup which varies from region to region (Jonathan Hardy, 2008, pg1-21).... Therefore it has become a major source of communicating authentic and at times the fake ideas about the war on terror which leaves a deep impact on the minds of the general public....
6 Pages (1500 words) Coursework

Analysis of 15 Art Videos

from this work, it is clear about a detailed description of each vide, the main ideas, and messages.... The author of the video seeks to explain the difference of “The Last Judgment” from other paintings in the Sistine Chapel, giving historical background for us to understand moods and motifs.... The idea is that the way the painter used colors, space, techniques, and details, crashed safety barriers between the picture and the viewer, and distanced his art from traditions....
8 Pages (2000 words) Movie Review
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us