Is it possible to please everyone in a speech or in any interpersonal encounter such as in a conversation? Taking a middle path that gives no offence is easier said than done. Perhaps one way to explore this route is to look at how others fared when no practical solution seemed available
How Shakespeare can help you write a really relevant speech
“My words fly up, my thoughts remain below: words without thoughts, never to heaven go” (Shakespeare, Hamlet, Act lll , Sc.1) President Bill Clinton was certainly a charismatic speaker. He attracted huge audiences and will be remembered as one of the most popular U.S. presidents since John F. Kennedy. But can any of us really […]
Every Speech Needs its Own Gravitas
How do we classify such different types of political speakers as Angela Merkel, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Margaret Thatcher? Perhaps the Roman classicist, Quintilian, three categories of public speakers can help us out here. He tells us there are three basic styles: the ‘forensic’ one (plain, argumentative and suited to the law courts), the […]
