Response to Chapter 10, style and appropriateness

For this week’s reading response I was quite interested in kairos and style. Chapter ten of ARCS begins by discussing appropriateness of oration.  “Appropriateness probably derives from the Greek rhetorical notion to prepon, meaning to say or do whatever is fitting in a given situation” (331). Although, appropriateness heavily relates to Gorgias’s notion of kairos, Cicero argues “the universal rule, in oratory as in life, is to consider propriety” (331). And “Cicero defined propriety as “what is fitting and agreeable to an occasion or person; it is important often in actions as well as in words, in the expression of the face, in gesture and in gait” (331).  For the rest of the reading response I will briefly go over the importance of understanding your audience and how it relates to the optimal performance of a speech.

Before giving a speech, it is essential that one develops and has a grasp of their surroundings. That is, an understanding of their audience. In most speech giving situations, this is extremely vital because it allows the speaker to become relaxed, and ultimately prepare the style he or she will used throughout the whole oration.  For example, before I gave my speech with the first assignment in this class, I quickly analyzed my audience. In this case, I knew that it was a classroom situation where people were just as nervous as I was about giving their speech. Therefore, I had to lighten up the classroom by asserting more of a humorous speech. Not only did giving more of a humorous style oration lighten up the classroom, but it allowed me to focus, and relax throughout it.  Depending on your audience, the style of your speech will alter.