Cicero- De Inventione Book 1
In Cicero’s De Inventione Book 1 he discusses the different sides of eloquence and public speaking. The main question throughout the piece is: Is eloquence good for a speaker? Public speaking can be good or bad depending on the use of eloquence, and how the speaker presents the speech. Cicero points out that eloquence used with wisdom can be good and helps to achieve many things, but eloquence used without wisdom is just asking for a problem to occur. It can be the greatest service one can give to our country if it is approached the right way.
Cicero talks about what makes an eloquent speaker and how to go about it. He discusses the good side of it and how to use it to the best of your ability for the good of society. The bad side is also discussed with how to use it the wrong way. A good side is that many cities have been established and wars ended due to eloquence. But on the bad side, people have been misinformed and battles started that never should have. It basically depends on how eloquence is used as to whether it is good or bad.
Response:
I thought this piece was kind of confusing at first, but Cicero makes so many good points. I don’t think it’s just about how the speaker uses eloquence, but it’s also left up to the audience. The point of a public speaker is to get a point across and influence you one way or the other. At the same time the audience chooses what they listen to and how they interpret it. Some people that are very good public speakers have the worst intentions and as an audience, we have to be able to tell the different and make a decision based on beliefs and morals.
Eloquence in public speaking tends to challenge ideas and beliefs. It makes people really think about what they want and how they want things done. It really can be good or bad depending on how it is used and interpreted. Cicero really made that point clear, I thought.