7 Great Speeches That Changed History.

Joseph Goebbels, named one of the three most feared figures in Nazi Germany by historians of Discovery Channel's Criminals of the Third Reich, which airs Tuesdays at 10 p.m., said that guns and bayonets don't matter until the hearts of the people are won. .

We talk about five speeches in world history that will forever remain in the memory of posterity. Cicero. First speech against Catiline

The conspiracy of Catiline in 63 BC is one of the most studied and at the same time controversial episodes in the history of Ancient Rome, which has no clear assessment in historiography.

This is largely due to the fact that the main source for studying this issue is the speeches of Marcus Tullius Cicero against Catiline - or, as they are also called, Catilinaria.

Speech of Marcus Tullius Cicero against Catilina / Photo by Cesare Maccari, “Cicerone denuncia Catalina” (1888)

Cicero, who held the post of consul, had to convince the Senate with his speeches that, firstly, Catiline was really planning an armed coup and seizure of power, and secondly, Cicero knew about his plans and took the necessary countermeasures in advance (which in fact was not So).

Therefore, Cicero’s speeches can hardly be called objective, but, despite their bias, they are still considered brilliant examples of oratory.

The most famous was Cicero's first speech against Catiline, which he delivered on November 8, 63 BC in the Temple of Jupiter Stator, when the Senate again met for an emergency meeting.

Cicero's opening line: “How long will you, Catiline, abuse our patience?” - became winged. The speech itself is also replete with metaphors, rhetorical questions, pathetic exclamations, figurative expressions and vivid personifications.

On the one hand, Cicero needed these techniques to make his speech more effective, on the other hand, they allowed him to avoid specifics, avoid awkward questions and clarifications, since the consul could not bring direct charges against Catiline - he simply did not have evidence. One of the most famous phrases of the first Catilinaria is “O times! Oh morals!

After such a speech, Catiline fled from Rome to mobilize forces and develop new tactics: Cicero’s speech, although it was devoid of evidence, produced the psychological effect the consul needed.

Cicero tried to make Catiline nervous and make a number of wrong decisions - on the whole he succeeded. The next three speeches, which Cicero gave on November 3, December 3 and December 5, 63 BC, are of lesser literary value - in them Cicero mainly praises himself for uncovering the conspiracy.

CONTENT

Sujourner Truth: “Am I not a woman?”
Winston Churchill, Fulton speech
Joseph Goebbels, Speech on Total War
Martin Luther King: "I have a dream"
Mach
Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address
Olzhas Suleimenov, "Nevada - Semey"

Words inspire people to change the world and fight for human rights, and sometimes start political conflicts on a global scale. We have collected seven speeches and performances that in one way or another influenced the course of history.

Full text of the speech

Sermon on the Mount

If our ranking were compiled according to the degree of influence of speeches on history, then the Sermon on the Mount would, of course, be in first place. After all, it is in it, in fact, that the whole essence of Christian teaching is contained, distinguishing it from the Old Testament.

Jesus reads the Sermon on the Mount.

The Sermon on the Mount alone was enough for Leo Tolstoy to build his own teaching and understanding of Christianity, which later found a response in the hearts of Mahatma Gandhi and the same Martin Luther King.

It is the Sermon on the Mount that contains the Beatitudes, the Lord’s Prayer, as well as the instructions to always turn the other cheek and not judge anyone, so as not to be judged yourself.

Sujourner Truth: “Am I not a woman?”

Sujourner Truth is a well-known abolitionist (the movement for the abolition of slavery and the freeing of slaves), a former slave, and one of the first black feminists.

Photo source: wikimedia

She addressed the audience with her famous "Ain't I a Woman?" speech. at a women's rights meeting in 1851 in Akron, Ohio.

At that time, women citizens did not dare speak in front of an audience, since the public only supported male speakers who dominated the discussion, and they laughed at them, but during Sujourner's speech the hall fell silent.

She openly demanded personal freedom, respect for herself and her interests, gratitude for work and recognition of personal achievements, equality in rights and morality, regardless of skin color and gender.

After this speech, the activist met with Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses Grant, demanding that women be allowed to vote in presidential elections. She also promoted legislation to protect the land rights of former slaves.

Although the American mentality was not yet ready for such changes, the activities of Sujourner Truth left a mark on the history of feminism and the fight for the rights of blacks.

And then this little guy in the back says that women can't have as many rights as men because Christ wasn't a woman! Where did your Christ come from? Where did your Christ come from? From God and from a woman! The man had nothing to do with Him.
And if the first woman God ever created was strong enough to single-handedly turn this world upside down, then these women together can turn it back, put it back on its feet again! And as long as they ask to do it, men better let them.

Orators of the ancient world

Oratory began its development in Ancient Greece, the secrets of which are still used today. There were already quite a lot of people who could speak beautifully at that time. The list of outstanding figures includes such great orators as Pericles, Cicero, Lysias, Demosthenes, Aristotle and others. In particular, Lysias and Demosthenes should be highlighted, since it was these great orators that all subsequent generations looked up to.

Lysias was an excellent judicial orator of ancient times, whose speeches were always distinguished by originality, expressiveness and uniqueness. He thought through and carefully worked out every detail of his text. Irony was often present in the speeches of this speaker, which aroused great sympathy among the audience. At the same time, the speech was always brief and did not contain anything superfluous. Lysias's speech is considered a standard for orators around the world. Many speakers who spoke in court took their cue from him, borrowing his style of eloquence.

Fox

Another great orator whom many public figures looked up to was Demosthenes. This man is considered a genius, because in order to become a speaker, he had to change a lot in himself. From birth, Demosthenes had a weak voice and short breathing.

Demosthenes

Through long and rigorous training using a variety of techniques, he was able to achieve brilliant results and became one of the best speakers of all time. One could only envy his diction, beautiful and understandable speech. The speeches of this famous speaker were bright, his expressions were short and concise.

Winston Churchill, Fulton speech

On March 5, 1946, at Westminster College in Fulton (USA), former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill delivered the Fulton Speech, “announcing” the beginning of the Cold War.

Photo source: nationalchurchillmuseum.org

Sir Winston himself called the speech “The sinews of peace.” The phraseological unit is translated into Russian as “the sinews of the world,” but the word sinews can also mean physical strength.

This is clearly not the liberated Europe we fought for. And not Europe, which has the necessary prerequisites for creating a lasting peace.

He mentioned that in the countries of the Soviet Union there is strong control over people, and this is contrary to the principles of democracy:

No one knows what Soviet Russia and its communist international organization intend to do in the near future, or what the limits, if any, of their expansionist aspirations are.

Churchill also, without mincing words, accused the Soviet Union of building an “iron curtain” over Europe and trying to force communism on the peoples of the planet:

And for this (to contain the USSR - editor's note) it is necessary, under the auspices of the United Nations and on the basis of the military strength of the English-speaking community, to find mutual understanding with Russia.

Many researchers believe that a radical cooling between the former allies would have occurred without Churchill and his speech. But it was after it that the era of rivalry began, and the former allies found themselves on opposite sides of the ideological barricades.

Famous speakers abroad

There are many famous and great speakers in foreign countries who were distinguished by their excellent ability to structure their speech during speeches so that people did not doubt their beliefs. The most outstanding personalities include two prominent political figures:

Adolf Gitler

Despite all his devilish essence, this man was a powerful speaker who, while speaking, always kept the masses in suspense and full attention. In his speeches, he used sharp hand gestures, spoke emotionally and even rudely. In his speeches there was such a feature as the use of long pauses in order to emphasize something important and basic.

He prepared his speech in advance, writing everything down on paper. Hitler was not known for his restraint, so he often gave vent to his emotions, splashing them out on his listeners. People were attracted by the fact that he sometimes spoke slowly and sometimes quickly. Therefore, he used this technique in every speech. Despite the fact that his ideas were often evil and wrong, the people supported him. In this regard, Hitler is called the speaker of evil. Despite all the dark side of this man, he always ends up on the list - “The Greatest Speakers of the 20-21st Century”.

Winston Churchill

This politician always prepared in advance for each of his speeches, even thinking through his facial expressions and gestures. He worked out the text so that it was perfect. This man was distinguished by charisma and often used humor in his speech.

He was so inspired by his ideas that he could infect the entire people with them. When composing the text, he actively used such artistic techniques as metaphor and comparison. During the communication process, Churchill tried to be calm and behave naturally. From birth he had a speech defect such as a lisp, however, over time he managed to get rid of it.

Joseph Goebbels, Speech on Total War

Joseph Goebbels is considered one of the worst criminals of World War II. He is a prime example of how oratory inspires not only democratic freedoms, but also totalitarian propaganda.

Photo source: wikimedia

From 1933 to 1945, Goebbels served as the Reich Minister of Public Education and Propaganda of Germany. All this time, he systematically turned the German people against others - especially the Jews. Goebbels is one of the provocateurs of Kristallnacht, the first massive wave of attacks on Jews that began the Holocaust.

Goebbels' most famous speech was the Total War Speech, delivered at the Berlin Sports Palace on February 18, 1943. After the defeat in the Battle of Stalingrad, which lasted more than six months, German citizens were depressed and exhausted. Therefore, Goebbels decided to appeal to the people. He told how Soviet soldiers would treat prisoners of war when they captured German territory.

The Minister of Propaganda gesticulated and appealed to feelings rather than to reason; manipulated the audience and called people to war; insisted on mobilizing all resources to repel the enemy. In the end, the enthusiastic audience of thousands actively supported the minister’s words.

Joseph Goebbels did not participate in hostilities, but easily led the people and sent hundreds of thousands of soldiers to their deaths.

I ask you: do you want total war? If necessary, do you want a more total and radical war than we can imagine today? (...) Arise, people, and let the storm break!

Full text of the speech

Steve Jobs

Nowadays, people do not follow the speeches of politicians as actively as before, which is good news. But the value of oratory has not disappeared anywhere - a good speech is still highly valued by the public today.

In 2005, Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, whose capitalization is only three times less than the entire GDP of Russia, gave a speech to graduates of Stanford University. Jobs's words were not pathetic or beautiful - on the contrary, he spoke dryly, and the text consisted of only three stories from his life.

However, Steve Jobs' speech literally blew up the Internet and gained incredible popularity. This is what happens when a person, wise with unique experience, speaks from the heart.

Martin Luther King: "I have a dream"

The US Abolition Act passed in 1865, but African Americans continued to suffer persecution, humiliating segregation, and attacks by members of racist organizations. By the end of the 1960s, one in two African Americans lived below the poverty line.

Photo source: wikimedia

America has certainly failed in its commitment to people of color.

On August 28, 1963, the March for Jobs and Freedom took place at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, where over 250 thousand people witnessed the most famous anti-racist protest.

I dream of the day when this country rises from its slumber and demonstrates its true beliefs. I have a dream that one day this nation will stand upright and live by the true meaning of its principle: “We hold it to be self-evident that all men are created equal.” I dream of the day when my four children will live in a country where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by their personality.

This speech and the March on Washington were the culmination of Martin Luther King's fight for racial equality. That same year, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his fight against racial inequality through nonviolent resistance.

And on December 21, 1965, the UN General Assembly adopted the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. There are now 177 countries participating in it.

Oratory: examples of public speeches by famous people – Master Speech

Oratory skills are useful for a person in any profession, because the ability to communicate with the public makes him self-confident and increases the employee’s value in the eyes of the employer. This is why public speaking is so important—speech examples especially. After all, they will help you choose the right speech style for a particular occasion.

An oratorical performance always has a specific goal, namely, to persuade the public using certain oratorical methods. The goal may be to inform the audience about certain events or results, motivate to achieve improvement in certain indicators, call for certain actions, convince them of the correctness of their thoughts or ideas, etc.

Rhetoric offers different techniques to achieve the goals described above. Consequently, depending on the purpose or nature of the speech, oratory speech has different types, examples of which will be discussed in this article.

Modern classification

According to modern classification, there are 5 types of oratory, each of which includes several more types.

Socio-political eloquence (propaganda speech, diplomatic speeches, speeches on political and economic topics, rally speech, etc.).
Academic eloquence (lectures, reports, conferences, etc.).
Judicial eloquence (speeches of the prosecutor, accused, lawyer, jury judges, etc.).
Social and everyday eloquence (congratulatory speech, toast, memorial speech, etc.).
Spiritual eloquence (sermons, speeches on spiritual topics, etc.).

Examples of public speaking will help you consider each of the proposed types of eloquence in more detail.

Socio-political

Let's consider three genres of socio-political eloquence.

A campaign speech is aimed at getting an immediate response from the public. The speaker's performance wins the audience over to the speaker's side and encourages them to consciously and voluntarily act in the speaker's best interests to achieve a common goal.

Example: “Today, young people spend more and more time on the computer and TV, without thinking about their own health.

Meanwhile, a passive lifestyle leads to unpleasant and sometimes terrible health problems.

Playing sports strengthens your health and immunity, shapes your figure, increases self-esteem, improves concentration, has a positive effect on mood and brings many other benefits to the body.

Play sports! Choose a healthy lifestyle, and the results will not keep you waiting!”

A diplomatic speech is an official speech by a speaker representing a particular state. The speech is distinguished by restraint, but a clear expression of the state’s positions.

Example: “The modern world order is gradually moving from a system of unipolarity to multipolarity, since the hegemony of one strong state cannot ensure the security of the planet’s population.

We stand that in the emerging conditions of the new world order, all issues can be resolved only through peaceful negotiations and the search for consensus.

This is the only way we can preserve this world for our descendants.”

A rally speech is one that energizes the crowd to defend a common idea. Such a speech usually touches on sensitive socio-political topics and gathers people to protest or support one or another decision of the leadership of a country, city, factory, school, etc.

Example: “We have gathered here to express our disagreement with the closure of the enterprise. We will not give our factory to those who want to profit from its demolition. If we stop this chaos now, we will be able to provide jobs for our children and grandchildren. Let's save production! Let the management hear us!”

Academic

The genres of academic eloquence mainly work within the framework of science and education, however, in some cases, academic eloquence is populist and propagandistic in nature.

A lecture is an oratorical speech that has a clear structure, respects all logical connections and, in most cases, has the goal of informing listeners. Thus, lectures can be devoted not only to educational disciplines, but also to certain topics (the harm of smoking, alcohol, drugs, etc.).

Example: “Today’s lecture is dedicated to the development of science. The lecture plan is as follows: stages of the development of science, models of the development of science, types of scientific revolutions and the phenomenon of pseudoscience.

So, let's start with the fact that any science develops in the process of understanding the surrounding world.

There are 5 stages in the development of science: pre-scientific, ancient, medieval, the stage of classical science and, finally, modern science. Let’s look at each stage in more detail.”

A report is a speech given by a speaker, which is held as part of conferences, symposiums, etc. and submitted for discussion to the audience. Typically, a report is a summary of the research and experiments conducted in a particular scientific field.

Example: “The purpose of the report on the topic “The concept of “Friendship” in German and Russian linguistic cultures” is to study the characteristics of the perception of the concept “friendship” by speakers of German and Russian linguistic cultures, as well as to identify similarities and differences. After conducting sociological surveys and a free association experiment, we can conclude that Germans and Russians perceive friendship almost identically.”

A scientific communication is a public speech limited in time and addressed to one specific idea. A scientific message is expressed concisely and logically.

Example: “The current state of the Pacific Ocean is alarming. The garbage patch formed in the northern part of the ocean is a serious threat not only to the inhabitants of the ocean itself, but also to humans. Several proposals to solve this problem have been put on the agenda.”

Judicial

Oratory speech of a judicial nature includes almost all speeches that are held in the courtroom.

An indictment speech is an oratorical speech by a public prosecutor or prosecutor, assessing the progress of the investigation and the available evidence that it was the accused who committed the crime. The prosecutor also proposes for consideration this or that punishment for the accused.

Example: “Today we are going to take part in a hearing in the case of a serial killer. The prosecution would like to pay special attention to the most significant circumstances of the case, as well as present irrefutable evidence of the commission of a series of crimes by the accused.”

Advocacy speech is a public speech that is aimed at fending off the prosecutor’s accusations and providing one’s own evidence that diverts the blame for the crime from the accused.

Example: “Yes, you are right, comrade prosecutor, my client had an ambiguous relationship with the murdered woman. However, it is worth noting that the motive was not only that of my client, but also that of the sister of the murdered woman. Moreover, the evidence found proves that elements of artificial leather were found on the crime weapon. Exactly the same leather from which the murdered woman’s sister’s gloves were made.”

Social and household

Oratorical performances within the framework of social and everyday eloquence are a manifestation of social relations.

A congratulatory speech is a speech to express one’s admiration and joy on a particular occasion. This could be someone's anniversary, birthday, wedding, opening of a business, birth of a child, etc. The peculiarity of such a speech is solemnity and pathos.

Example: “Ladies and Gentlemen! We have gathered here today to celebrate a wonderful event - the tenth anniversary of our company. I want to congratulate everyone who contributed to the development of our common cause, and also wish our company further prosperity and loyal clients!”

Funeral speech - read on the occasion of someone's death. Such a speech is usually based on memories of the deceased, emphasizing his positive qualities, as well as words of support to close relatives of the deceased. The funeral speech is also distinguished by tragic pathos.

Example: “He was a wonderful person. Although I know him only as a colleague and can say that he was a man of his word and incredible love for his work, I can also add that he always remained, above all, a loving father and husband.”

Spiritual

Church eloquence has a strong influence on the masses. Religion is one of the regulators of behavior through moral principles.

A sermon is a speech delivered by a member of the clergy with the purpose of spreading an idea or belief. The sermon talks about God's love for people, mercy, compassion, God's will for all events, etc. Such speech awakens in listeners reverence and awe for religion. The speech is distinguished by high style, pathos, and a moral and edifying tone.

Example: “The Holy Spirit was on Earth when there was no trace of man yet. It was the Holy Spirit who created human life. It was the Spirit of God, through Moses, who freed the children of Israel from the Egyptian yoke and led them to the Promised Land.”

Spiritual lectures are the same educational lectures that convey religious ideas to listeners.

Example: “People are accustomed to living according to legal laws and the laws of nature. In the first case, let’s say a person stole a small amount of money, went to church and lit a candle - that’s it, his soul is calm.

In the second case - jump from the window, no one will punish you, but it will hurt - this is the effect of the law of nature.

However, there is another category of laws - the laws of spiritual life, which help a person to be himself and accept himself.”

Now that the examples have helped you understand what the oratorical path is, it will be much easier to work on your speech depending on the purpose of the speech. The main rule when preparing any speech is always to tune in with the audience.

Source:

Famous speeches

Learning public speaking is not easy. This is because public speaking involves many skills that the speaker must possess. One way to master some of these skills is to study famous speeches. By analyzing examples of masters of rhetoric, you can get something useful for yourself.

This page features some famous speeches by famous speakers. The purpose of this collection is to provide the most interesting and comprehensive information to people studying elocution.

Initially, we do not set a goal to make some kind of article in the style of the top 10, so this page will always be available for changes and additions.

Mach

Mahatma Gandhi became a spiritual mentor for many freedom fighters. In his anti-oppression teachings, he promoted the concept of self-government "swaraj". Its essence is for India to become independent from Great Britain.

Photo source: plus-one.ru/GEORGE RINHART

On November 3, 1917, at the opening of the First Gujarat Political Conference, Gandhi gave a speech on promoting self-rule and decentralization of power in India. He spoke of the power and influence of civil disobedience, which was the willful breaking of unjust laws.

We can petition the government, agitate in the Indian council for our rights, but for the real awakening of the people, internal action is more important. External activities are colored to a certain extent by hypocrisy and selfishness.

Swaraj as Gandhi was not fully realized, but his concept led to changes in the political, economic, military and educational institutions of Great Britain in India, and the philosophy forever changed political practice by demonstrating to humanity the effectiveness of peaceful protest.

Today, many cities around the world have monuments and memorials to the Mahatma. His birthday, October 2, has been proclaimed by the UN as the International Day of Non-Violence.

Russian speakers

In Russia, too, there have always been famous outstanding speakers, which include such famous personalities as Kony, Trotsky, Zhirinovsky, Putin and others.

Anatoly Fedorovich Koni

Anatoly Fedorovich was engaged in legal and social activities at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. He urged everyone to maintain morality in the legal process. Kony's speech was always lively and dynamic, never sounding monotonous.

He believed that speakers speaking in court should be fair and defend the truth. In his speeches, Kony was not dry, but gave free rein to his emotions. But he knew how to combine facts with feelings so that the text had a positive impact on the minds of the judges. This speaker's defense speech left no doubt that the verdict would be pronounced in his favor.

Anatoly Fedorovich Koni had high individual and socially significant moral qualities, followed the rules of honor, always delivered his speech clearly, without using terminology unknown to others, and was fluent in eloquence.

Lev Davidovich Trotsky

Many people said that Lev Davidovich is the best speaker of the 20th century. He had a powerful timbre of his voice, his words were pronounced clearly and understandably. He was an intelligent and active man who was feared by many opponents. The great orator himself did not feel fear of a single person, so he said everything to his face, without hiding anything.

Trotsky's speech was always structured consistently, logically and briefly. He was good at convincing people, so he had a large number of associates. His gift of eloquence was clearly visible during political speeches.

Vladimir Ilyich Lenin

Great orators of the 20th century - this list should undoubtedly include Lenin. Vladimir Ilyich gave speeches that were accessible and understandable to every representative of the people. He had a great sense of people's mood, so he could entice them with almost any idea. Most of all, he used dialogue, communicating with people, answering their questions.

His speech was distinguished by brevity and specificity. He also used directing hand gestures, which only increased his influence on people. Lenin had a charisma that attracted all listening people. His phrases became catchphrases, they were used by other people and published in publications.

Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin

Vladimir Vladimirovich is perhaps the most famous Russian political speaker of our time. He speaks easily, using a bit of humor in his speech. His speeches are always well thought out and contain nothing superfluous. The gestures of the hands are smooth, which does not distract people’s attention at all, and once again emphasizes confidence.

This politician is distinguished by restraint and calmness when communicating with people or colleagues, not allowing himself to say a harsh or rude word. He always answers people’s questions clearly, as he is well versed in many areas of life.

Vladimir Volfovich Zhirinovsky

Vladimir Volfovich is distinguished by the fact that his speech is always accompanied by emotional overtones, it is unpredictable and even sometimes has some aggressiveness. His performances are more like a show. He often puts pressure on his interlocutor with his words and uses energetic gestures.

Zhirinovsky has strong charisma. But he is not only a great orator, but a very smart and fair politician. Vladimir Volfovich can easily start a dispute, as he understands any topic. He is not distinguished by restraint, he always says what he thinks, expresses his emotions, and can often allow himself to say too much to focus attention on his person.

All the best speakers in the world mentioned above are not the entire list of outstanding masters of eloquence (let’s not forget about such great speakers as James Humes, Abraham Lincoln, Steve Jobs, etc.). It is difficult to answer the question of who is the best speaker of all time. Some had the gift of eloquence from birth, while others went a long way, coping with their speech deficiencies and acquiring oratory skills, becoming great. But one thing can be said for everyone: thanks to their wonderful eloquence, they were able to become famous figures in public and political life.

Abraham Lincoln, Gettysburg Address

In July 1863, the largest battle in North American history took place - the Battle of Gettysburg. Harvard University President Edward Everett was invited to speak at the opening ceremony of a soldiers' cemetery in Pennsylvania. At that time he was a popular speaker among the people.

Photo source: history.com

Everett's speech was listed as the main speech on the program, and someone from Congress was scheduled to speak after him. But due to the postponement of the ceremony, all candidates refused. Therefore, the organizers turned to the president.

Against the backdrop of Everett's two-hour speech, rich in references to current issues and images, Abraham Lincoln's speech seemed completely minimalistic. It took two minutes and 272 words.

The President spoke about the significance of the Battle of Gettysburg during the Civil War and the building of democracy.

Lincoln called the democratic principles of true equality, proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence, the most important for building a unified state, where every citizen will be equally important and valuable.

We who live must devote ourselves to the great task still before us - to take from these highly honored dead an even greater commitment to the cause to which they remained fully and completely faithful, to be filled with the conviction that they did not die in vain, that our nation, with God's help, will be reborn in freedom and that the power of the people, by the will of the people and for the people, will not disappear from the face of the Earth.

The text of the Gettysburg Address is engraved on the interior wall of the marble Lincoln Memorial in Washington, included in anthologies, and every American schoolchild knows it by heart.

Full text of the speech

Speech against Catiline

In 63 BC, the Roman politician and orator Marcus Tullius Cicero was elected to the post of consul, winning the election against his opponent, Catiline. He, however, was not going to give up and began organizing a conspiracy to seize power. But Cicero managed to uncover this conspiracy in time and was faced with the task of convincing the Senate that Catiline and his accomplices deserved the strictest punishment.

Cicero reads a speech against Catiline in the Senate.

Cicero wrote four speeches for this purpose, the most famous of which was the first. It began with words that later became one of the most famous Latin quotes, as they were memorized for centuries in all schools: “How long will you, Catiline, abuse our patience? How long will you continue to mock us in your rage? To what extent will you boast of your insolence, which knows no rein?”

In addition, Cicero’s no less famous phrase “Oh, times! Oh, morals! (O tempora! O mores!) is also a quote from this speech. By the way, thanks to his oratory, Cicero completely achieved his goal - Catiline was forced to flee Rome, and his supporters were executed.

Oratory: examples of speeches

Who performs best? Which modern speaker can be cited as an example?

Good speech by the speaker.

Good speech by the speaker. Examples of speeches in this article...

We remember the famous speakers of the ancient world.

Such as Demosthenes and Cicero.

We know the speakers of the past twentieth century.

For example: Lenin, Hitler, Martin Luther King, Nikita Khrushchev...

Here is a link about Adolf Hitler's speeches, with my comments:

Adolf Hitler as speaker

Let's take a look at some of the performances.

The famous speech of Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev at the UN

Many have heard of this speech, but few have seen it. This is where Nikita Sergeevich bangs his fist on the podium, and UN members knock their feet in protest. Watch this video - less than a minute.

But these speakers are already a thing of the past.

“You can’t make someone happy against your will”

“Pokrovsky Gate” (1982), director - Mikhail Kozakov

Still from the film “Pokrovsky Gate” (1982)

In a communal apartment in the 1950s, the touching and helpless writer Lev Khobotov tries to get out of the influence of his domineering ex-wife, stop being afraid of life and defend the right to new love. In this he is helped by the daring graduate student historian Kostik, who, despite his youth, understands life much better than most of his respectable neighbors. A private family melodrama grows into a story about the importance of inner freedom and what usually prevents it.

“Calm. Youth is a moment. Before you know it, I'll change. And not for the better. How reasonable I will be, how moderate I will become... Young, I repent. And yet, believe the historian: you cannot make someone happy against your will.”

HUBSpeakers magazine No. 1 (1) February 2021, page 74

"Look at things from different points of view"

Dead Poets Society (1989), directed by Peter Weir

Still from the film “Dead Poets Society” (1989)

Speech from the Desk has made fiery language arts teacher John Keating (Robin Williams) the dream teacher for independent teenagers everywhere. Placing art and inner freedom above all the rules of the prim American college, he reveals to his students a new world where it is not forbidden to tear up textbooks and stand with your feet on the table, as long as you try to think for yourself, develop a sensitivity to beauty and find your own voice. Communication with Keating greatly changes each student - it is no coincidence that at the end of the film the class says goodbye to their mentor with a quote from Walt Wee's poem dedicated to Abraham Lincoln himself.

“Why am I standing here? Any ideas? I stood on the table to remind myself to look at things from different perspectives. You see, the world looks different from here. If you don't believe me, try it yourself. The moment you think you know something, you need to look at it differently, even if it seems stupid or ridiculous. And when you read, don't think about what the author wanted to say. Think about what you would like to say."

“No one in the world hits as hard as life”

Rocky Balboa (2006), directed by Sylvester Stallone

Still from the movie "Rocky Balboa" (2006)

In the film about the legendary boxer, Rocky, who has already retired from the sport, greatly misses his deceased wife and sorts things out with his matured son Robert, who does not want to live “in his father’s shadow” and blames him for his own failures. The middle-aged, saddened, but not losing his inner strength hero calls on the young man to take responsibility for his own destiny and “take” the blow, no matter what.

“I will say something that is not news to you. The world is not so sunny and welcoming, it is a very dangerous, tough place, and as soon as you give in, it will knock you over with such force that you will never get up again. No one in the world hits as hard as life. It doesn’t matter at all how you hit, it’s important what kind of blow you take, how you move forward.”

“Smile, gentlemen!”

“The Same Munchausen” (1979), director – Mark Zakharov

Still from the film “That Same Munchausen” (1979)

One of the most charming tricksters of Soviet cinema, Baron Munchausen played by Oleg Yankovsky, constantly gives out aphorisms: “A thinking person is simply obliged to pull himself up by the hair from time to time,” “You cannot offend with the truth,” “At one time, Socrates told me: “Be sure to get married.” . If you get a good wife, you will become happy. If it’s bad, you’ll become a philosopher.” I don't know which is better." But best of all is the final monologue of the hero, doomed to death because of his sharp tongue and refusal to be like those around him - that only a sense of humor can truly defeat stupidity and anger.

“I understand what your problem is. You are too serious. An intelligent face is not yet a sign of intelligence, gentlemen. All stupid things on earth are done with this facial expression. Smile, gentlemen, smile!”

"Get into the person"

“The meeting place cannot be changed” (1979), director - Stanislav Govorukhin

Still from the film “The Meeting Place Cannot Be Changed” (1979)

Soviet investigator Gleb Zheglov understands people no worse than Dale Carnegie - he manages to extract information from the most intractable witnesses. At the request of his young mentee, Volodya Sharapov, Gleb shares his rules of successful communication - they remain relevant even more than thirty years later.

“So, rule one - remember, I won’t repeat it. Solidify it like a drill code. Always smile when talking to people. Understood? People love it. And now the second rule - be attentive to the person and try to encourage him to talk about himself. And how to do it? But for this there is a third rule: find a topic that interests him. Rule four - show sincere interest in the person. Delve into him, find out how he lives. This is, of course, difficult. In general, you will have to sweat. But if you can do it, he will tell you everything.”

Quotes to start your speech. Oratory: examples of public speeches by famous people.

I am honing my public speaking skills with all my might, because I feel that this is mine, and this is what I was missing. And I started by taking a course at “New Speech” with Dmitry Makeev and starting speaking at the Oratorical Club (aka: OK).

Due to the fact that you need to speak at the OK on the topic of rhetoric, I decided to start from the beginning and talk about how to start your speech. Below is the text of my first speech (as it is), if you are interested, please take it into account.

Good evening everyone, my name is Oksana Gafaiti, in life I am a blogger and private investor, and today I am a presenter at the speaking club, which I am incredibly happy about. And in the next 30 minutes I will share with you where to start my presentation. And where should it start? That's right: from preparation.

Moreover, it is important to prepare not only the text of the speech, but also yourself. What does it mean to prepare yourself? This means: bring yourself into balance, relieve tension and stress, warm up your voice and work on diction. Let's write it like this:

Relieve tension.
Warm up your voice.
Work on your diction.

And let's go through each point.

How to relieve tension

Emotional stress always manifests itself in the body and the easiest way to eliminate it is by working with the body. By removing the body clamp, you will free yourself from the emotions that bind you inside. How to do it? Alternating tension and relaxation in the body.

For example, you can stand in such a stance, inhale and tense your whole body as much as possible, and then, slowly exhaling, gradually relax it. You will feel the tension go away as you exhale. Let's try to do this right now.

If you have internal fear, then you need to shake yourself with all your might from fear, then relax, repeating this several times. Well, my favorite remedy is shoulder massage.

Now stand behind each other, put your hands on your neighbor’s shoulders and begin to knead them. Now switch places and give pleasure to the one who massaged you.

Did you feel a surge of calm and relaxation? Great, then let's move on.

How to warm up your voice

Before you start warming up your voice, you need to stretch your vocal cords. To do this, gently press on the larynx with your thumb, and then breathe deeply into the diaphragm.

. How do you know if you are breathing from your diaphragm? Place your hand between your chest and stomach, then take a short breath and exhale slowly. This is similar to when we, having experienced relief, exhale in a relaxed manner, “phew.”

By the way, such breathing is an effective technique for eliminating anxiety. As soon as you feel fear or tension, take a short breath, then exhale smoothly and you will feel much better.

Now you can move on to warming up your voice. Where do we start here? For example, from the “Om” exercise.

To do this, place your hand on your head and begin to continuously pronounce the sound Om. Try to expand the volume of the larynx as much as possible until you feel vibration in your hand.

It is also good to draw out the vowels “i”, “e”, “a”, “o”, “u”

(in exactly that order and for as long as possible). Their alternate pronunciation activates blood circulation in the neck and chest.

You can enhance the effect of stretching vowels if you add the “Tarzan” exercise

and start beating your chest with your fist. This will not only clear the bronchi, but will also energize you before the performance.

Thus, by breathing diaphragmatically, you fill your voice with volume and strength, and by stretching the vowels, you improve its sound. However, how you sound depends largely on how you handle diction. Therefore, we move on to working on speech clarity.

How to improve your diction

The simplest and most effective way to improve diction and give clarity to speech is well known to us since childhood. These are all kinds of tongue twisters. However, it is important for us, as speakers, to be able to pronounce them in one breath. For example, I like these:

Margarita collected daisies on the grass. Margarita lost her daisies, but not all of them.

Queen Clara severely punished Charles for stealing coral.

The bull was blunt-lipped, the bull was blunt-lipped, the bull's white lip was dull.

Tell us about your purchases. What about purchases? About shopping, about shopping, about your purchases.

The king is an eagle (must be repeated quickly several times).

In the shallows we lazily caught burbot, You exchanged burbot for tench. Wasn’t it me you sweetly begged for love,

And into the mists of the estuary they beckoned me?

Next, you should stretch your speech apparatus. To do this, you can move your lower jaw, like a shelf, pushing it forward and back, and also, stretching your lips, rotate them clockwise and counterclockwise. You can improve the mobility of your tongue by sticking it out and moving it up and down, then sideways and in a circle, as well as “brushing” your teeth with it inside and out.

Thus , before starting your speech, you must:

Remove anxiety by working on your body and breathing through your diaphragm.
Warm up your voice by stretching the vocal cords and stretching the vowels.
Work on your diction using tongue twisters and warming up your speech apparatus.

Where to start your speech

Now let's move on directly to where to start our speech. And the techniques of the best TED speakers will help us with this. TED is a popular annual conference that brings together people who want to share their ideas. And this is where they most often begin their performance.

is the most popular story

from personal experience. If you can tell your story authentically, this is a proven way to engage and lead your audience.

The next most popular TED technique is to start by making a shocking statement.

. Typically, such statements are based on statistics or recent research and may express your views on them.

For example, it might look like this: “Every 6 seconds, 1 person in the world dies due to smoking. During my speech their number will exceed 200 people. To me, these are terrible numbers, and I'm here to reduce them."

The purpose of this technique is to evoke an emotional response in the audience and appeal to their needs, in particular, safety, health, love, communication, etc.

And the third most common way to start is to ask a question

. If you decide to lean towards it, then ask a question that begins with “How” or “Why”.

For example: “How can you stop food from killing you?” At the same time, you should not confuse these two questions and ask questions that are not related in meaning. For example: “Why is the sky blue?” and “Why are elephants afraid of mice?”

To make your question more effective, make it more targeted by using “you.”

Now we have the fighting techniques of TED speakers in our arsenal. Let's write them down. So, when starting their speech, they most often:

They tell a story from personal experience.
They make shocking statements.
They ask discouraging questions.

And now I suggest you feel like a speaker at a TED conference and, choosing one of these techniques, practice starting your speech. The duration of your speech should be no more than a minute, and you also have one minute to prepare. Time has passed. Anyone ready, please come out.

Aaron Sorkin

The famous screenwriter and director in his speech adhered to the concept of radical honesty: “...And make no mistake about it, you are dumb. You're a group of incredibly well-educated dumb people. I was there. We were all there." In a joking manner, Aaron tried to prove to the graduates that there is nothing wrong with the fact that they do not have experience and knowledge - everything will come with time.

“Make your own compass and trust it. Take risks, don’t be afraid to make mistakes; remember, the one who first cuts a hole in the wall always gets in trouble.”

"Freedom will never die"

The Great Dictator (1940), directed by Charlie Chaplin

Still from the film “The Great Dictator” (1940)

Charlie Chaplin's satirical comedy, in which a simple Jewish barber turns out to be the doppelganger of the dictator Hynkel (the political allusion is quite clear), is full of hilarious jokes and incredible coincidences, but it ends with one of the most touching and serious humanistic messages in the history of cinema. The barber who replaced the dictator with a fiery speech calls on all soldiers to lay down their arms and stop being slaves to a cruel system.

“We think too much and feel too little. More than mechanisms, we need humanity. More than intelligence, we need kindness and delicacy. Without these qualities, life will be cruel and everything will be lost. Airplanes and radio brought us closer to each other. The very nature of these inventions appeals to the goodness in man, appeals to universal brotherhood, to the unity of us all. Even now, my voice reaches millions around the world, millions of desperate men, women and little children - victims of a system that forces people to torture and imprison innocent people. To those who hear me, I say: “Don’t despair!” The suffering that now overwhelms us stems from greed. The hatred of the people will pass, and the dictators will die, but the power that was taken from the people will return to the people. And while people die, freedom will never die."

“There is no more pitiful sight than a severed spirit.”

“Scent of a Woman” (1992), directed by Martin Brest

Retired Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade, suffering from blindness and depression, decides to spend his last weekend in style before committing suicide, and he gets the company of a naive and inexperienced high school student, Charles Simms. Charlie helps Frank regain his taste for life, but he himself gets into serious trouble by refusing to hand over his troublesome friends to the school administration. Frank comes to a meeting of the school's disciplinary committee and defends his young friend with a rude but very heartfelt speech about the complexity of moral choices, honesty and courage.

“What kind of nonsense is this? What principles do you promote? “Boys, snitch on your friends and save your skins, and if not, we will roast you over a slow fire”? You are building a ship for rats, and if you think you are preparing these klutzes for adulthood, then you are sorely mistaken, because you are killing the spirit that your school is trying to instill... I didn't fall from the moon, you know. There was a time when I was sighted. I saw the same young men - with torn off limbs. But still there is no more pitiful sight... than a severed spirit. It cannot be replaced with a prosthesis.”