Outstanding Orators of the 20th Century. Great orators of different times Famous speakers

The history of eloquence begins in Ancient Greece. Oratory was known in Egypt, and in Assyria, and in Babylon, but in the form in which it is known to us, eloquence appeared in Hellas. The success and career of the Hellenic depended on his ability to speak beautifully: public speaking was the main weapon of a politician and lawyer, they were used to judge a person’s education. Therefore, already in the first half of the 5th century BC. Sophists appeared - paid teachers of eloquence, who conduct public discussions. The Sophists were the first to record oratorical speeches, which until then had only existed orally.

Gorgias of Leontina

One of the most famous orators of antiquity, Gorgias of Leontina, belonged to the sophists. He was not only a practitioner - a skilled rhetorician who taught young men from wealthy families to make speeches and lead a discussion. Gorgias was also a theoretician. Traveling around Hellas, he became famous for his successful performances. He convinced the Athenians to provide military assistance to their compatriots, and during another speech, to oppose the barbarians in unison. This speech, delivered at Olympia, made Gorgias a celebrity. Gorgias paid great attention to style. He developed and applied "Gorgian figures" - rhetorical devices that gave speeches poetic expressiveness. For his time, Gorgias was a great innovator: he used metaphors and comparisons, symmetrical construction of phrases, identical sentence endings to enhance persuasiveness. Few direct advice from Gorgias has survived to this day: “Refut serious arguments with a joke, jokes with seriousness.” As you can see, the Hellenes did not like too serious orators who were not able to embellish their speech with a good joke.

Demosthenes

A little later, Demosthenes lived - he is rightfully called the greatest Greek orator. Demosthenes drew attention to himself by speaking in court: the young man's guardians squandered his father's fortune, and Demosthenes sought a refund. He managed to regain only a small part, but skillful speeches at court hearings did not go unnoticed. Demosthenes dreamed of glory, he studied with the outstanding Isaius of Athens, and as an example for himself he took Pericles - the "father of Athenian democracy", a commander and a master of eloquence. In the time of Demosthenes, the Athenian public was spoiled by public performances, the listeners were sophisticated. They expected from those speaking to the public not only the beauty of the style and the deep content of speeches, but also a beautiful, almost theatrical presentation: staged gesture, facial expressions. By nature, Demosthenes could not boast of outstanding data: he had a short breath, a weak voice. He also had a habit of twitching his shoulder nervously. To overcome these shortcomings, Demosthenes used a technique well known to anyone who used diction: he spoke with pebbles in his mouth. To make his voice stronger, he rehearsed speeches on the seashore: the sound of the sea replaced the noise of the crowd. And in order to develop breathing, he read poets, climbing steep paths. He practiced facial expressions in front of a mirror. In the end, by perseverance, he overcame his shortcomings, and although the very first speeches of Demosthenes were not successful, he did not give up and subsequently made a brilliant political career.

Mark Tullius Cicero

Greece became the birthplace of oratory, it gave the world many outstanding speakers. This was required by the very way of life of the Hellenes. But the baton of eloquence was successfully picked up by Rome, which borrowed a lot from Hellas. One of the most prominent rhetoricians of Rome was Marcus Tullius Cicero. Cicero owes his dizzying career solely to his own perseverance and oratorical talent. He came from a modest, humble family and from birth had a very modest opportunity to become an influential person. However, thanks to his oratorical talent, he entered the Senate and became consul. You can learn from Cicero yourself: he left a great literary heritage that has survived to this day, and his letters formed the basis of European epistolary literature. Before becoming famous and gaining recognition, Cicero studied Greek poets and prose writers - he was fluent in Greek. His teachers were great orators: Mark Antony and Lucius Licinius Crassus. Since in the time of Cicero it was necessary to know Roman law well, the future consul studied it with Quintus Mucius Scaevola, the most popular lawyer of his time. The first success of Cicero was brought by the speech "In defense of Quinctius" - it was written and delivered in order to return illegally seized property. His second famous speech also defended the unlawfully offended: a native of the province of Roscia, who was unjustly accused of parricide. In this case, Cicero proved to be not only a brilliant orator, but also a real detective: he took the trouble to personally visit the crime scene and investigate the circumstances. Cicero's speeches were built according to all the rules of rhetoric of that time: they included direct appeals on behalf of the accused and a refutation of the arguments of the prosecution.

Abraham Lincoln

Oratory helped to make a brilliant career not only in the distant times of the Roman consuls and legionnaires. The sixteenth president of the United States and America's national hero, Abraham Lincoln also owes much to his eloquence. Although he was born into a poor family, from childhood he was drawn to education and received a law degree. Long before he became president, Lincoln became famous as an oral storyteller - people even came from afar to listen to his stories. And the Gettysburg speech, delivered by him at the opening of the National Soldiers' Cemetery, went down in history as one of the greatest speeches in the history of the United States. Lincoln took the preparation of his public speeches seriously. He thought and prepared each speech for a long time, did not hesitate to discuss his own ideas at every opportunity, and was attentive to criticism. This allowed him to find brilliant arguments in defense of his position.

Winston Churchill

Churchill is a journalist, writer and Nobel Prize winner in literature, but we remember him as the Prime Minister of Great Britain. It was he who held this responsible post for most of the period of the Second World War. Winston Churchill went down in history as an unsurpassed orator. Churchill attached great importance to the emotionality of speech and the speaker's devotion to his own ideas: how can you convince others if you yourself do not believe your own words? But he attached no less importance to technology. Churchill valued simplicity and rejected everything too complex, pretentious, which would prevent listeners from catching the essence. He believed that "short words are the best," and one can learn from him to simplify his own speeches, making them clear.

Russian speakers

In Russian history, Vladimir Lenin became famous as a brilliant orator - the leader of the proletariat, although he did not have impeccable diction and delivered speech of the announcer, but had his own style, which won the hearts of people. First, Lenin would have agreed with Churchill in terms of emotionality and devotion to ideas. He was famous for his enthusiasm, obsession with his own ideas, as well as expression. Who burns himself, can kindle the hearts of others. At the same time, Lenin remained laconic in his speeches. He addressed the audience simply, without too much pathos, creating the illusion of communication on an equal footing. Another outstanding orator of Russia is Leon Trotsky. Political opponents were afraid of the influence that Trotsky knew how to exert on listeners. At that time there were no speechwriters, and politicians wrote speeches on their own: Trotsky's speeches were consistent, logically verified, but at the same time emotionally charged. If you want to have before your eyes an example of a contemporary, watch Vladimir Zhirinovsky. The odious politician is famous for the fact that it is impossible to outguess him. I do not advise imitating his defiant manner of speaking, but pay attention to his truly encyclopedic knowledge and how deftly he applies it; how Zhirinovsky is always confident in himself and never allows himself to be knocked out of a rut. This is not a complete list of prominent speakers. If you want to learn more about oratory skills, come to classes at my school "Oratoris": I conduct individual and. I will teach you how to prepare the text of a speech, own your own voice and hold yourself in front of the public like the best rhetoricians in history!

Aleksandrov Petr Akimovich (1838-1893)

After graduating from the law faculty of St. Petersburg University, from 1860, for 15 years, he held various positions in the Ministry of Justice. Solid knowledge, great abilities and talents ensured his rapid promotion through the ranks: Deputy Prosecutor of the St. Petersburg District Court, Prosecutor of the Pskov District Court, Deputy Prosecutor of the St. Petersburg Court of Justice and, finally, Deputy Chief Prosecutor of the Cassation Department of the Governing Senate. In 1876, after an official conflict caused by the disapproval of his superiors in court in one of the cases, where he spoke in one of the cases, where he spoke in defense of freedom of the press, Aleksandrov retired and entered the bar the same year.

As a defender Aleksandrov drew attention to himself by speaking in the well-known political trial of the "193s". The case was heard in 1878 in the St. Petersburg District Court behind closed doors. The best forces of the St. Petersburg Bar Association took part as defenders.

Speaking in this process, Alexandrov, little known as a lawyer, first attracted the attention of the public with a thoughtful speech, a convincing polemic with the prosecutor.

Soon, following this case, a case was heard in the St. Petersburg District Court on the charge of Vera Zasulich of attempted murder of the St. Petersburg mayor Trepov. The speech delivered by Alexandrov in defense of Vera Zasulich brought him wide fame not only in Russia, but also abroad. His speech was completely reproduced in foreign languages. It should be directly noted that Alexandrov's speech had a great influence on the formation of the jury's decision in the case. This speech showed the great talent of a gifted, courageous judicial orator.

Respecting his profession, P.A. Alexandrov was always restrained in his speeches. His speeches are distinguished by the thoroughness of finishing the main provisions, the internal consistency of all their parts. He spoke them quietly, convincingly, with great inner strength. Being a brilliant orator, he never relied only on his oratorical skills, attaching great importance to pre-trial preparation for the case and the judicial investigation. He always carefully thought out his speeches.

Andreevsky Sergey Arkadyevich (1847-1918)

A very talented pre-revolutionary lawyer. After graduating from the law faculty of Kharkov University in 1869, he was a candidate for a judicial position at the prosecutor of the Kharkov Court of Justice, a judicial investigator in the city of Karachev, a fellow prosecutor of the Kazan District Court, where he proved himself to be a talented prosecutor. In 1873, with the direct participation of A.F. Koni, with whom he was close in joint work, S.A. Andreevsky was transferred to the assistant prosecutor of the St. Petersburg District Court.

In 1878, the tsarist justice was preparing for a hearing the case on the charge of Vera Zasulich of attempted murder of the St. Petersburg mayor Trepov. In the bowels of the Ministry of Justice, issues related to the consideration of this case were carefully processed. Much attention was paid to the composition of the court and the role of the prosecutor in the process. The Ministry of Justice was invited to act as a prosecutor in this case - S.A. Andreevsky and V.I. Zhukovsky. However, both of them refused to participate in the process.

Already the first process in which Andreevsky spoke (a speech in defense of the accused in the case of the murder of Zaitsev), created a reputation for him as a strong criminal lawyer.

Unlike Alexandrov, he did not care about a deep, comprehensive analysis of the case materials, he did not pay enough attention to the conclusions of the preliminary investigation. They focused on the personality of the defendant, the analysis of the environment in which he lived, and the conditions in which the defendant committed the crime. Andrievsky always gave a psychological analysis of the defendant's actions in a deep, lively, vivid and convincing manner. Without exaggeration, he can be called a master of psychological defense. The images he reveals always make an irresistible impression.

In cases where not only consistency and infallible logic were required, but also strict legal thinking, the study of legislative material, he, as a lawyer, was not up to par, and success betrayed him. As court speaker S.A. Andreevsky was original, independent.

Its main feature is the wide introduction of literary and artistic techniques in defensive speech. Considering advocacy as an art, he called the defense lawyer a "talking writer." In his work “On Criminal Defense”, noting the role of the psychological disclosure of the inner world of the defendant, Andreevsky wrote: “... fiction, with its great disclosure of the human soul, should have become the main teacher of criminal lawyers” S. A. Andreevsky, Drama of Life, Petrograd , 1916. Noting the need to introduce the techniques of fiction into the criminal defense, he believed that "... the techniques of fiction should be included in the criminal defense completely, boldly and frankly, without any hesitation" Ibid ..

He not only expressed these views on the defense in the press, but practically put it into practice in court. Andrievsky always carefully finished his speeches. They contain many vivid figurative comparisons, well-aimed words, truthful reproductions of the events of the crime. True, his speeches are not devoid of a certain pathos, a desire for excessive eloquence.

His contemporaries said that Andreevsky's style was simple, clear, although somewhat pompous. His speeches are harmonious, smooth, carefully planned, full of bright, memorable images and colors, but his passion for psychological analysis often prevented him from giving a deep analysis of the evidence, which in some cases greatly weakened his speech.

S.A. Andreevsky was also engaged in literary activity. He wrote many poems and poems on lyrical themes. Since the beginning of the 80s, he has been published in Vestnik Evropy, in the book Literary Reading a number of his works and critical articles about Bartynsky, Nekrasov, Turgenev, Dostoevsky and Garshin have been published. In 1886, a collection of his poems was published.

Andreevsky's court speeches are published as a separate book.

Zhukovsky Vladimir Ivanovich (1836-1901)

Graduated from the Faculty of Law of St. Petersburg University with the rank of Candidate. In 1861 he entered the position of a judicial investigator in the Orenburg province. Subsequently, he worked in various judicial positions. In 1870 he was appointed assistant prosecutor of the St. Petersburg District Court. Successfully served as a prosecutor. With his speech on the sensational criminal case of the arson of the mill by the merchant Ovsyannikov, Zhukovsky established himself as a talented speaker.

In 1878, for the same reasons as S.A. Andreevsky Zhukovsky was forced to leave the prosecutor's office, and entered the bar. He has successfully acted in many group cases as a defender and civil plaintiff. He was widely known both in St. Petersburg and on the periphery. His speeches in court were always simple and intelligible, easily perceived by the audience. He especially established himself as a representative of a civil plaintiff. Zhukovsky delivered speeches quietly, naturally. Comic situations did not escape his observant gaze. He brilliantly owned irony, and skillfully used it in court.

Zhukovsky carefully finished his speeches, paying much attention to making them accessible and well received by the audience. In his speeches, he always found a place for a caustic joke, doing it like a great master. He skillfully argued with the prosecutor, but did not always pay attention to a deep and detailed analysis of evidence. Zhukovsky's contemporaries noted that the shorthand records of his speeches did not fully convey the character of individual details of speech, which acquire special significance in tone, facial expressions and gesture, which V. I. brilliantly owned. Zhukovsky.

Karabchevsky Nikolay Platonovich (1851-1925).

In 1869 he entered the natural faculty of St. Petersburg University. Fascinated by the lectures of famous pre-revolutionary lawyers - professors P. G. Redkin, N. S. Tagantsev, A. D. Gradovsky, he moved to the Faculty of Law, which he successfully graduated in 1874 with a candidate's degree, and entered the bar the same year. For five years he was an assistant to a barrister, and from 1879 he was a barrister at the St. Petersburg Court of Justice. He quickly gained popularity as one of the capable defenders in criminal cases. Repeatedly made defensive speeches in political processes.

As a young lawyer, he successfully acted in the process of "193", defending Breshkovskaya, Rogacheva and Andreeva. He proved himself well, speaking in the big trial “On Quartermaster Abuses During the Russian-Turkish War”, considered by the military district court. In this large, labor-intensive case, Karabchevsky showed himself to be a serious lawyer, able to give a complete, detailed analysis of numerous evidence in complex, intricate cases.

Among his most famous speeches in criminal cases is a speech in defense of Olga Palem, who is accused of premeditated murder of student Dovnar, in defense of the Skitsky brothers, in defense of the Multan Votyaks, in the resolution of whose fate V. G. Korolenko took part. His speech on the case of the wreck of the steamer "Vladimir" was very famous. Widely known are his speeches on political matters, in defense of Gershuni, Sazonov, and Beilis.

In addition to advocacy, Karabchevsky was engaged in literary work. He wrote a number of literary works - prose and poetry, published in the collection "The Lifted Veil". Memoirs and articles on legal issues were published in his book Near Justice. He is also known as the editor of the magazine "Lawyer" that was published at one time. Died abroad in exile.

Plevako Fedor Nikiforovich (1842-1908)

Graduated from Moscow University. He was a barrister at the Moscow Court of Justice. Worked as a lawyer for over 40 years. Gifted legal speaker. Gradually, from process to process, he gained wide recognition with his speeches. He carefully prepared for the case, deeply knew all its circumstances, was able to analyze the evidence and show the court the inner meaning of certain phenomena. His speeches were distinguished by great psychological depth, worldly wisdom, simplicity and intelligibility. He illuminated complex human relationships, insoluble everyday combinations in a heartfelt manner, in an accessible form for listeners.

Speaking in many major trials, he proved himself to be a sharp and resourceful polemicist.

Spasovich Vladimir Danilovich (1829-1906)

In 1849 he graduated from the law faculty of St. Petersburg University. After graduation, he worked as an official in the chamber of the criminal court. At the age of 22, he defended his master's thesis in the department of international law. Engaged in pedagogical work. Translated Polish writers into Russian. He was close to the scientist-historian K. D. Kavelin, on whose recommendation he took the chair of criminal law at St. Petersburg University. A gifted criminologist, known for his theoretical work in the field of criminal procedure, Spasovich was the author of one of the best textbooks on Russian criminal law of his time. Spasovich was very popular with students. His lectures attracted a large number of students. Spasovich had an enemy of routine views in the science of criminal law and process, which caused dissatisfaction with the university authorities.

In 1861, together with a group of advanced scientists, he left St. Petersburg University in connection with student unrest. At the bar since 1866. Served as defense counsel in a number of political cases.

Khartulari Konstantin Fedorovich (1841-1897)

After graduating from the law faculty of St. Petersburg University, he served at the beginning in the Ministry of Justice, and since 1868 - as a barrister at the St. Petersburg Court of Justice. Known as an exceptionally balanced lawyer, far from any attempt to saturate his speech with excessive eloquence.

His speeches in court are distinguished by a thorough and in-depth analysis of evidence, the ability to find the main points in the case and give them the right coverage. A characteristic feature of his speeches is the careful finishing, the proportionality of their parts, the deeply thought-out presentation of the material. His best speech is his speech on the sensational criminal case on charges of the murder of Marguerite Zhyuzhan. True, this speech is devoid of bright colors, an acute situation and deep psychological images, which he did not know how to draw. The speech in the case of Marguerite Zhyuzhan is an example of business-like in-depth analysis of evidence, strict consistency and logic, which makes it intelligible and convincing. The lawyer did not leave a single piece of evidence without a detailed analysis and careful comparison with other evidence. This speech skillfully grouped and consistently presented all the evidence confirming the innocence of Marguerite Zhyuzhan. This largely secured a verdict of not guilty.

A speech in defense of Maria Levenshtein and Raznotovsky, accused of attempted murder, was delivered in a completely different way. Here Khartulari showed himself to be a good psychologist, a great observer, and a vivid description of everyday life.

Holev Nikolai Iosifovich (1858-1899)

In 1881 he graduated from the law faculty of St. Petersburg University and immediately became an assistant barrister at the St. Petersburg Court of Justice, where he began his advocacy. He did not gain fame immediately. Only five or six years later he happened to speak in a major trial, where he showed his oratorical abilities to the full extent. His speeches, like the speeches of K. F. Khartulari, are characterized by efficiency and confidence in the word. Holev's best speech is a speech in defense of Maksimenko and a speech on the case of the wreck of the steamer "Vladimir".

His speeches, however, are rather dry, they lack brilliance, sharp humor, combative polemical enthusiasm, he is not capable of deep psychological digressions. Holev's success was due to his ability to conscientiously collect evidence and correctly present it to the court. For example, his speech in defense of Maksimenko is hard, painstaking work. Every piece of evidence he handles is carefully checked. Analyzing the evidence, he is strictly consistent. The logic of his speech is hard to dispute. His controversy with medical expertise makes a great impression. Holev's speeches are an example of an extremely conscientious attitude to the duties of a lawyer. Kholev was not in the first line of pre-revolutionary Russian orators, but he was one of the well-known, spoke in major trials, where he achieved success with great work and diligence.

But before and now there were not only talented people who were fluent in oratory, but also those who were not given it at all. Here's a good example for you.

Viktor Stepanovich Chernomyrdin(Appendix 7) - our contemporary, the current politician, who enriched the idioms of the Russian language with numerous phrases. Viktor Stepanovich has always been distinguished by the peculiarities of his eloquence. Having heard Chernomyrdin's speech, you will not confuse his style of presentation with someone else's. His expressions have become aphorisms, each of us often quotes them in everyday life.

But, despite his peculiar and unique manner, he was very popular in society. He was entrusted with being the ambassador to Ukraine, despite the fact that Russia has rather tense relations with this country.

Not possessing the generally recognized oratorical art of his feelings, emotions and thoughts, he nevertheless conveys to a wide mass of people, and just yesterday he was a prominent figure in the political arena.

I would like to quote some of his phrases that we often use and hear.

"We can't do anything to anyone's detriment to ourselves"

"... we wanted the best, but it turned out as always"

"Without me, Mamai passed through the country"

"This has never happened before, and here it is again!"

"The government is not the body where you can use your tongue at random"

"It's better to be the head of a fly than the ass of an elephant" There is no worse vodka

"You have to think what to understand"

"Whoever's hands itch - scratch elsewhere!"

"You there there..."

"I'm generally far from thinking."

"We can't join. As soon as we start joining, we will definitely step on something"

"We have completed all the points: from. A to. B"

"Principles that were fundamental were unprincipled"

"Here you are not here"

"We have a country - enough for her to skip jumping"

"I won't say much, otherwise I'll say something again"

In addition to the manner of speaking, the presentation of oneself as a speaker also plays a very important role. Many personalities have become great people of their word precisely because of charisma and temperament. In order for the speech to touch and interest the audience, the authority of the speaker or his special psychological attitude is important. In order to induce listeners to take some action, the speaker, first of all, makes an effort himself, requiring a special effort of will. This effort is felt in the speech of the speaker and is transmitted to his listeners, prompting them to action. One of the brightest representatives of the modern political world is Vladimir Volfovich Zhirinovsky ( Appendix 8).

Zhirinovsky's political activity is characterized by extremely bright and often defiant scandalous populist statements. It is believed that Zhirinovsky voiced the plans of the Russian government several times and often these predictions came true. A number of public scandals and brawls (especially in 1994-1995) were associated with the name of Zhirinovsky, which added to his popularity among voters. It has no censorship. Vladimir Volfovich does not select correct and ethically verified phrases for his statements. He speaks directly, in fact, and calls all things by their proper names. No banknotes. His manner of conveying information to the public does not fit into the standard framework of oratory, but despite this, crowds of people listened to him. It was his way of teaching himself that made people pay attention to him. And most importantly, listen to him.

Here are some of his quotes:

"Here was a good journalist, John Reed - made a report, died, buried."

"If McDonald's is a good place, why are our people dying at 57?"

"We will explain to our people what the Russian people are. This is savagery in general!"

"We will be told..."

"The Germans sent us Bolsheviks in a sealed wagon. Now we need to send a sealed wagon with Chechens to Europe."

"He will say today, and tomorrow he will be hanged."

"What do cows go crazy about? British democracy."

"Pushkin was unhappy. It would be better if he didn't exist at all."

"So is Jacques Chirac. Let him come here and sit in the ward between droppers and see how Russian doctors can treat. We treat all diseases."

"Only under Russian songs the planet cries."

"My hands are clean, but they will be covered in blood if I become president."

Having considered the outstanding personalities of the past and modern times, I want to bring you to a man who is held up as an example to many politicians, who has absorbed the best qualities of a modern orator. Being our contemporary, he represents the classical school of oratory. Most politicians tend to give the palm to him!

Hugo Rafael Chavez Frias(Appendix 9) - President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. A good example of the ability to keep an audience.

On May 23, 1999, the program "Hello, President" went on air with the participation of the president of the country himself. Chavez explained his desire to try himself as a TV presenter by saying that he wants to convey the truth about what is happening in the country and around it to every Venezuelan. On the air, Chavez asks questions to his ministers, communicates with local residents, conducts teleconferences with other regions, explains government policy, makes historical digressions, sends kisses and jokes. On February 15, 2007, President Hugo Chavez began to communicate with his people daily on weekdays for an hour and a half from 20.00 to 21.30. But he didn't stop there. In August, Chavez set a record by talking to the Venezuelan people for 7 hours and 43 minutes. During the broadcast from the presidential palace, Chavez did not take a single break and only occasionally drank a cup of coffee. And during the September TV program, Hugo Chavez set a new record for its duration. He, without interruption, with a thirty-degree heat, led a popular program in the country for 8 hours and 06 minutes. He is the epitome of oratory. All the norms are observed in his speech.

Dialogue requires the speaker to have extensive knowledge of philosophy, history, law and literature so that he can take the discussion of any issue to higher spheres, and not be limited to narrow legal problems. How skillfully and effectively we are able to communicate with people depends on how others perceive us, and how successful we will be in life. People who can communicate better than others are usually more successful, they achieve more, both in their personal lives and in business. The ability to communicate is the art of listening and hearing, the art of seeing and feeling, the ability to understand the interlocutor and convey your thoughts to him. Many great people have said wonderful things about oratory.

Communication in itself is inexhaustible and exciting - the more you do, the more you get real results - the more you want to continue. It is unusually interesting and exciting - to understand human relations, rebuild communication, notice what other people do not notice. When small details become visible, a completely different picture begins to clear up, much deeper and more significant than everything that was noticeable before.

Oratory has an ancient history, its roots stretch back to the time of ancient Greece. Epochs and rulers changed, but the essence of the art of eloquence remained unchanged. To become great, a speaker must be able to convince, to make the audience believe even in the most unthinkable ideas.

It is the power of persuasion that underlies the art of oratory. It sounds easier in words than in practice. To become a good speaker, you need to master many different tactics and methods of persuasion. And, no less important, master your emotions, facial expressions, movements: control them during a performance and use them to achieve the desired effect.

This can be learned - for example, in rhetoric courses organized by the theater studio "Benefis". In the lessons you will learn how to keep the attention of the public, convince them that you are right, how to competently answer uncomfortable questions. We will be engaged in staging a speech: your voice will sound confident, you will learn how to influence the audience with the help of various intonations and gestures. This article will focus on the great speakers of past eras and the present, whose speeches, with bated breath, listened to thousands of people.

Great orators of antiquity

The orators of ancient Greece were famous for their eloquence. Demosthenes is considered the first of the great speakers. His biography can surprise anyone, because a burry stuttering boy without proper upbringing and training became famous. Inspired by the applause and delight of the audience at the orator's speech in court, Demosthenes decided to devote himself to the mastery of speech. He found himself a mentor and studied for many years, preparing speeches for other speakers. And when he decided to speak on his own, he was cruelly ridiculed by the public due to the lack of expressiveness of speech. Demosthenes lost heart and decided at all costs to get rid of his speech defects.

He shaved off his hair and exercised until it fell off. He took lessons from an actor friend, recited poetry loudly while climbing a mountain, stuffed his mouth with stones and honed the beauty of oral speech. Perseverance and ingenuity allowed Demosthenes to become a professional in oratory.

The famous orators of ancient Rome were not inferior to the Greeks in the beauty and persuasiveness of their words. A vivid example of this is Cicero, who introduced the world to the concept of "definition". From an early age, the future ancient Roman figure was fond of poetry, which led him to success in eloquence. He studied philosophical questions a lot, discussed with friends, compared teachings with each other. Cicero went to court every day and listened to the speeches of the prosecution and defense. In his first speech at the meeting, he won the case. And then he patiently received political positions, and at the end of his career he wrote three great treatises.

The most famous speakers of our time

The great orators in the history of mankind of all times were famous for the fact that they did not stop improving themselves for a single moment, they were faithful to speech activity all their lives.

Abraham Lincoln

Lincoln was no exception, although he attended school for one year. He read a lot, was engaged in self-development and could easily discuss with the most educated people of his century. As a speaker, at first he was timid and constrained, but after a couple of minutes in public he became liberated, spoke confidently and from the heart. He wrote his speeches in everyday affairs on any piece of paper, folded it into a hat and wore it until there was time to sort everything out and prepare material for the report.

Winston Churchill

An outstanding political figure, Winston Churchill, said that the most significant talent is oratory. The British politician, like some orators of antiquity, suffered from a speech impediment. But his lisp did not prevent him from becoming a heart-rending broadcaster. Churchill was not afraid to show emotions in his speech, he used short and simple words, which brought him closer to the people. He understood the power of humor and skillfully used it in his speeches, creating a good mood for others.

Adolf Gitler

Not all famous speakers from antiquity to the present day were "positive" characters in history. Adolf Hitler must be recognized as one of the craftsmen of skillful speech. He was fluent in German dialects and seemed like a countryman to any peoples of Germany. Willpower and a piercing look attracted the listener to Hitler and forced him to blindly listen to ideas. The Fuhrer studied psychological persuasion, knew the correct postures and gestures that made the performance believable. He began his speech calmly and detachedly, gradually increasing the pace, and by the end he was already clearly expressing emotions and connecting acting. Hitler became one of those who devoted themselves entirely to a monologue, wasting a lot of energy and emotions.

Vladimir Lenin

Vladimir Ilyich Lenin is a man who spoke the same language with the people, our compatriot and another master of rhetoric, who can be safely written down as the great orators of the 20th century. Lenin did not offer ideas that he himself did not believe in. Charisma and confidence in the correctness of his thoughts met not only on stage, but also in everyday life. He spoke with energy and confidence, interacted with the crowd and received "feedback" from them every time. He used simple words available to the people, was on an equal footing with him. However, the desire to express everything that was in his soul made his speech chaotic and overly emotional. He changed intonations and moods several times during the performance.

Steve Jobs

Not without great orators in our days. Steve Jobs became an example of the fact that oratory is also useful in the field of business. Jobs is popular not only as the creator of one of the largest companies of the 21st century, but also as a successful presenter. He has mastered the rhetoric and the competent presentation of the product. Jobs convinced hundreds of people of the need for a brand and believed that confident and clear speech is the key to sales success. He deliberately left several questions unanswered in his speech in order to start a dialogue with the audience. Steve Jobs walked around the stage, joking and anticipating questions from the audience. Conciseness and simplicity were seen in all the affairs of this man.

Vladimir Putin

It is impossible not to add the current president of our country, V.V. Putin, to the great orators of Russia, in whose manner of persuasion it is impossible to doubt. The manner of his speech differs markedly from previous speakers, because he speaks with restraint, balanced and consistent. He gesticulates smoothly and measuredly, calmly stands still. It is characteristic of him to joke in a manner familiar to the mentality. Ironic answers sometimes live a separate life from a famous politician.

All masters of the word are different, each had and still has an individual style of narration, conversational tactics and acting skills. Some coped with the difficulties of speech, others put it at the forefront. Everyone has one thing in common - perseverance and hard work. Many years of work on oneself, the development of rhetoric skills, the development of charisma.

Oratory is used in their work not only by politicians and journalists. It helps businessmen, guides, teachers, coaches, diplomats, etc. in their work. The rhetoric courses from the theater studio "Benefis" have various directions that are designed for the specific needs of students. If your goal is to gain basic knowledge in this area, learn how to communicate effectively with friends, peers and colleagues, sign up for a standard course. If your goal is to captivate a wide audience with your charisma, breaking a storm of applause - sign up for a course with an acting bias. If you want to not only speak effectively, but also learn how to compose strong texts -

Oratory and the art of speech, rhetoric exercises, video lessons in this discipline - all this, at first glance, may seem to you something unnecessary or even outdated.

It seems that parents and school taught to express their thoughts in childhood, there are no problems in communication with other people - that's great.

But speech is a very deep and interesting thing, which, in skillful lips, can work wonders.

Not just miracles, but very large-scale phenomena. For example, to change the world, to create, as well as to destroy.

You don't have to look far for examples: the great orators of the 20th century, including Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin and Winston Churchill, proved that the spoken word has tremendous power.

Life Reactor will tell you what the secret of oratory is and how it can serve you in all areas of life.

Origin of oratory

Most modern historians agree that the birthplace of the art of eloquence is Ancient Greece.

Although the ancient Romans also claimed their rights as discoverers and, to tell the truth, they had quite good reasons for this.

The spirit of cultural rivalry, which has always reigned between ancient Greece and ancient Rome, is especially aggravated on this issue.

The Hellenes succeeded a little more, because it was from their people that Demosthenes came out - the most skillful and famous speaker, whose skill was greatly revered by his contemporaries.

His speech was stunningly simple and beautiful.

Demosthenes voiced some thesis that was understandable to all his listeners, and then led the crowd along the winding paths of elegant and precise metaphors, not forgetting to use logical conclusions.

Each speech of the famous Greek orator gathered thousands of onlookers who greedily caught every word, admiringwith an eloquence never seen before.

It is worth noting that the ancient era gave the world a whole galaxy of outstanding masters of eloquence.

Among them, the most notable are:

1. Pericles (490-429 BC)
2. Socrates (469-399 BC)
3. Plato (427-347 BC)
4. Mark Tullius Cicero ( 106–43 AD BC.)

The attitude of the ancient Greeks and Romans towards people who were fluent in the art of speech was so high that magical, and sometimes even divine, origins were attributed to their abilities.

Not everyone could master the most complex oratorical science. This required a lot of patience and a special attunement of consciousness.

It is not surprising that the training of the necessary skills took so much time that only those who had this time in abundance could do them.

As well as those who were ready to rely on oratory and give up other activities for a long time.

It is noteworthy that in the pagan pantheon of the ancient Greeks there was a place for the whole goddess of eloquence - Peyto, whose name in literal translation means" belief " .

It was the ability to convey one's thought to the listeners, to put a certain intention into their hearts and minds, that was considered the height of skill.

"The Death of Socrates" (fr. La Mort de Socrate) - a historical painting by Jacques-Louis David (1787) from the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York, USA)

And if the speaker accompanied his speech with skillful artistic turns and logic, then an epithet was often attached to his name"divine" - so great was the veneration of the adepts of oratory.

It is noteworthy that in ancient Rome, a person’s intellectual baggage and even his character traits were evaluated by rhetorical abilities. These things were inextricably linked.

So the expression that literate and structured speech is the first sign of a person's general culture has ancient roots.

Centuries have absolutely not deprived it of its relevance, as anyone can see just by going out into the street.

Great orators of our time

Despite the fact that it is the ancient era that is considered the most generous for speakers, the 20th century also gave the world outstanding masters of this art.

Most of them were involved in politics and were leaders of their countries in a terrible time for humanity of bloody revolutions and world wars.

Gestures in the ability to speak are no less important than words. The photo shows the hands of Demosthenes, an ancient Greek statue

The great orators of the 20th and early 21st centuries are:

1. Anatoly Koni
2. Vladimir Ulyanov-Lenin
3. Joseph Stalin
4. Leon Trotsky
5. Adolf Gitler
6. Joseph Goebbels
7. Winston Churchill
8. Sergey Shipunov
9. Vladimir Putin
10. Vladimir Zhirinovsky
11. James Humes

Life Reactor will briefly talk about the greatest masters from the list above, as they absolutely deserve not only your attention, but also the highest praise as outstanding speakers.

Anatoly Fedorovich Koni - the only person on the list who had nothing to do with politics.

An outstanding lawyer of the 20th century, Anatoly Koni gained fame as an unsurpassed master of persuasion with a word.

His speeches in court were not monotonous, but were lively, dynamic and full of meaning. This alone set him apart from the boring lawyers and public prosecutors of that time.

Anatoly Koni brilliantly wielded facts, not forgetting about.

He always knew how to find a golden mean: in his speeches there was no place for both excessive dryness and eccentric cries and overly poetic speech turns.

The skill of the brilliant Russian lawyer was based on a personal conviction: judicial orators had to bring the truth, and for this it is necessary to be able to open human hearts.

Vladimir Ulyanov-Lenin - this is not only the main ideologist, but also the voice of the Russian revolution, especially in its first years.

He earned people's love thanks to the simplicity and intelligibility of speech, as well as the ability to captivate with ideas.

Contemporaries of the main Russian revolutionary noted that he had a very strong energy.

Another important distinguishing feature of Lenin's oratorical skill was that he often entered into a dialogue with the audience.

Communication took place on a two-way basis, and this can leave few people indifferent.

Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin adopted many rhetorical devices from his predecessor and mentor.

But unlike Lenin, who preferred to be extremely brief,

Stalin was not indifferent to long and complex lexical constructions, which, however, did not negate his success with the audience.

Vladimir Ulyanov-Lenin

Experts in the field of oratory call Joseph Vissarionovich one of the brightest figures of the 20th century.

Trotsky was a very educated person, thanks to which he easily discussed any topic, delivering speeches without the slightest hesitation.

Ideological opponents feared him, and the people heeded every word.

Adolf Gitler is one of the most important orators of the 20th century. His speeches were distinguished by excessive emotional coloring, hypnotizing energy and liveliness.

The leader of the German people knew how to keep a crowd of thousands in suspense from the beginning to the end of the speech.

To do this, he used long pauses, speeding up speech, shouting, and so on.

The rhythm that he set to his speeches did not allow you to get bored for a second. In addition, Adolf Hitler actively used gestures - another important technique of oratory.

Eminent speaker Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill - an example of a careful and thoughtful approach to public speaking.

Each text of the speech was polished to a dazzling brilliance. All ideas were thought out in advance, brought to perfection, inspired the speaker, and only then - the audience.

It is noteworthy that even taking into account the long preliminary preparation, Churchill held on very well, joked a lot and used metaphors, which attracted the attention of listeners.

How can I master the art of speaking and why do I need it?

Today, rhetoric is as necessary for a business person as it was centuries ago.

Despite a significant change in the methods of communication, among which the almighty Internet has taken the dominant position, nothing can replace live speech.

Only with direct contact between the speaker and the audience can a real relationship occur, the magic of persuasion can be created.

The speaker does not have to speak only in front of a large crowd.

You can use the art of rhetoric at work, during meetings with friends, as an auxiliary tool to achieve goals, or make it your hobby.

Possession of eloquence will definitely come in handy, so do not neglect the opportunities that the global network gives.

Today, there are three main ways to study rhetoric:

1. Online courses
2. Specialized literature
3. Master classes

The first option is the most affordable. The Internet offers courses for every taste and among them you can easily find lectures and video tutorials on public speaking.

Not sure where to start, turn to online courses

A nice bonus is that they are mostly free and at the same time quite high quality. youfind everything you need.

Specialized literature also became available.Look to the work of Dale Carnegie or James Humes.

How to compose a good speech and prove your thesis, you will certainly learn thanks to their work.

Master classes in rhetoric are quite rare, so if you have the opportunity to attend a speech by a specialist in this field, do not miss it!

Watching the master speak with explanations is the best experience for a novice speaker, which is no less important than the theoretical background.