Hannah Hecht's Blog

Summary

Cicero explains his beliefs on eloquence and the art of rhetoric. He begins by explaining that almost every political feat and catastrophe known to man was caused by someone with extreme eloquence and knowledge of the rules of rhetoric, in other words, an amazing public speaker. Eloquence paired with wisdom is a powerful force, which can help one to achieve almost anything. On the other hand, an incredibly eloquent person lacking wisdom is a destructive force, a great danger to society.

Cicero’s supports this statement by explaining what he believes to be the true origin of good and evil. He asserts that men were once beasts, and became “human” because a wise, eloquent person decided that men should not live in anarchy. This astute man educated the rest of the world and decided that men should be governed by the rule of law. On the other hand, evil was born when an extremely articulate man who lacked wisdom persuaded the world that he knew how to run the human race. This eloquent evil man caused the world to fall into disaster and turmoil.

Cicero ends his statement by describing the rules of rhetoric, which can allow one to become a powerful public speaker. By properly using the tools of Invention, Arrangement, Elocution, Memory, and Delivery, one can persuade the world to do or believe practically anything.

Response

Cicero’s ideas about powerful speeches and speakers seem completely believable. Listening to a good speaker can sometimes be as satisfying as eating a home-cooked meal. Just being able to hear someone express their true thoughts and feelings has an effect very similar to that of seeing something beautiful. It doesn’t even matter what the eloquent person is saying, just the way that they say it can make stir up a movement and push people to act in ways that they would never have acted otherwise.

I agree that true eloquence is a gift and a talent that, used without wisdom, can be the most destructive force in the world. History is littered with examples of men and women who stirred up a movement purely with their knowledge of rhetoric; some of these movements were beneficial, and others, those not backed by knowledge,  incredibly detrimental.

John F. Kennedy’s speech “Ich bin ein Berliner” demonstrates the overwhelming hope and pride that a good speaker can instill in an audience. JFK talks to a dejected West Berlin about the dangers of communism and the horrors that their East Berlin brothers were facing. He has a way of expressing the audience’s true feelings that almost brings some of the spectators to tears. His rhythmic pauses and general execution of the speech paint a picture of Berlin that helps modern-day listeners understand the both the suffering and triumphs of the people of the divided German capitol.