Analyzing and Critiquing a Analyzing and Critiquing a SpeechSpeechEnglish I EOC

Identifying the Speech Identifying the Speech ObjectivesObjectives What is the speaker’s

goal? Is it to educate, to motivate, to persuade, or to entertain?

What is the primary message being delivered?

Why is this person delivering this speech? Are they the right person?

Was the objective achieved?

In the first place, I deny everything but what I have all along admitted, the design on my part to free the slaves. I intended certainly to have made a clean thing of that matter, as I did last winter, when I went into Missouri and there took slaves without the snapping of a gun on either side, moved them through the country, and finally left them in Canada. I designed to have done the same thing again, on a larger scale. That was all I intended. I never did intend murder, or treason, or the destruction of property, or to excite or incite slaves to rebellion, or to make insurrection.        I have another objection; and that is, it is unjust that I should suffer such a penalty. Had I interfered in the manner which I admit, and which I admit has been fairly proved (for I admire the truthfulness and candor of the greater portion of the witnesses who have testified in this case), had I so interfered in behalf of the rich, the powerful, the intelligent, the so-called great, or in behalf of any of their friends, either father, mother, brother, sister, wife, or children, or any of that class, and suffered and sacrificed what I have in this interference, it would have been all right; and every man in this court would have deemed it an act worthy of reward rather than punishment.

John Brown’s

Last Speech, 1859 in

Charleston, WV

Identifying the Audience and Identifying the Audience and Context for a Speech Context for a Speech 'I have fought against

white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.'

~ Nelson Mandela, 1990

Where and when is the speech being delivered?

What are the key demographic features of the audience? Technical? Students? Elderly? Athletes? Business leaders?

How large is the audience?

In addition to the live audience, is there an external target audience? (e.g. on the Internet or mass media)

Mandela Speech

Identifying Speech Content Identifying Speech Content and Structureand StructurePlease look at

the Gerald R. Ford Speech: Remarks on Taking the Oath of Office as President

Please also follow along with the Speech Analysis Worksheet

Before the Speech: Were there other speakers

before this one? Were their messages similar, opposed, or unrelated?

How was the speaker introduced? Was it appropriate?

Did the introduction establish why the audience should listen to this speaker with this topic at this time?

What body language was demonstrated by the speaker as they approached the speaking area? Body language at this moment will often indicate their level of confidence.

Identifying Speech Content Identifying Speech Content and Structureand StructureThe Speech Body Was the presentation

focused? i.e. Did all arguments, stories, anecdotes relate back to the primary objective?

Were examples or statistics provided to support the arguments?

Were metaphors and symbolism use to improve understanding?

Was the speech organized logically? Was it easy to follow?

Did the speaker bridge smoothly from one part of the presentation to the next?

The Speech Conclusion Was the conclusion

concise? Was the conclusion

memorable? If appropriate, was there a

call-to-action?

Identifying Delivery Skills Identifying Delivery Skills and Techniquesand TechniquesEnthusiasm and Connection to

the Audience Was the speaker enthusiastic?

How can you tell? Was there audience

interaction? Was it effective? Was the message you- and we-

focused, or was it I- and me-focused?

Humor Was humor used? Was it safe and appropriate

given the audience? Were appropriate pauses used

before and after the punch lines, phrases, or words?

Was it relevant to the speech?Use of Stage Area Did the speaker make appropriate

use of the speaking area?

Visual Aids Were they designed effectively? Did they complement speech

arguments? Was the use of visual aids timed

well with the speaker’s words? Did they add energy to the

presentation or remove it? Were they simple and easy to

understand? Were they easy to see? e.g. large

enough Would an additional visual aid

help to convey the message?Physical – Gestures and Eye Contact Did the speaker’s posture display

confidence and poise? Were gestures natural, timely, and

complementary? Were gestures easy to see? Does the speaker have any

distracting mannerisms? Was eye contact effective in

connecting the speaker to the whole audience?

Identifying Delivery Skills Identifying Delivery Skills and Techniquesand TechniquesIntangibles Sometimes, a technically sound

speech can still miss the mark. Likewise, technical deficiencies can sometimes be overcome to produce a must-see presentation. The intangibles are impossible to list, but here are a few questions to consider:

How did the speech make you feel?

Were you convinced? Would you want to listen to this

speaker again? Were there any original ideas

or techniques?

Vocal Variety Was the speaker easy to hear? Were loud and soft variations

used appropriately? Was the pace varied? Was it slow

enough overall to be understandable?

Were pauses used to aid understandability, heighten excitement, or provide drama?

Language Was the language appropriate

for the audience? Did the speaker articulate

clearly? Were sentences short and easy

to understand? Was technical jargon or

unnecessarily complex language used?

What rhetorical devices were used? e.g. repetition, alliteration, the rule of three, etc.

EOC-Type QuestionsEOC-Type QuestionsWhich statement best evaluates Ford’s

bias in the speech?

A. Ford is unbiased, objectively describing his situation as the new president. B. Ford is clearly biased against Nixon and describes Nixon’s misdeeds in detail. C. Ford shows some bias in favor of Nixon, asking the country to pray for the former president. D. Ford is unbiased, detailing his own mistakes as a politician as well as those of other politicians.

Answer ExplanationAnswer ExplanationThis question focuses on evaluating a

speaker’s bias. The correct answer is option C since this is the only statement that is supported by the text. Ford asks the country to pray for President Nixon and expresses appreciation and sympathy for him.

The student might choose option A or option D by assuming that an unbiased approach is present; however, as a fellow Republican, Ford is at least somewhat biased. The student might choose option B by misjudging the sense of the speech; Ford does not describe Nixon’s misdeeds in detail.

What would be the most effective opening line of a speech for President Ford to use when addressing the United States Congress?

A. I’m not real sure how I’m gonna do as president, but I will do my best. B. Mr. Speaker, members of Congress, I am honored to address you. C. Dear fellow politicians, I want y’all to know what we will be doing next. D. Well, President Nixon is a hard act to follow, but here goes.

Answer ExplanationAnswer ExplanationThis question focuses on choosing

appropriate language for a specific purpose in a speech. The correct answer is option B because it is the most appropriate opening of the four choices.

The student might choose option A and C because it sounds more informal than either B or D; however, option D is not as respectful an opening as is option B. Options A, C and D also fail to inspire confidence in the speaker.

If you were giving a speech intended to persuade people that Ford would be an important and effective president, which would most likely serve as an effective conclusion?

A. Ford did the best he could with what he was given. B. So you see now why Ford is by far my favorite president. C. Ford will be remembered in history for doing a lot of things while he was in office. D. Ford will long be remembered for renewing the nation’s confidence in the presidency.

Answer ExplanationAnswer ExplanationThis question focuses on choosing an

appropriate closing for a speech given a specific situation and purpose. The correct answer is option D because it is the most respectful and gives the most persuasive closing to the speech.

The student might choose option B or option C because both seem to have a positive tone, but neither is specific enough to be a better answer than option D. Option A is not a persuasive closing for a speech in the given situation.

Which source would most likely provide accurate information on the Watergate scandal?

A. court records related to the scandal B. a historical novel about the scandal C. political cartoons related to the scandal D. your relatives’ memories of the scandal

Answer ExplanationAnswer ExplanationThis question focuses on determining a

credible research source. The correct answer is option A because it is the source that provides the most accurate information for the topic. Court records are historical documents that would be more reliable and authoritative than the sources named in the other choices of answers.

The student might choose any of the other options because they seem to specify sources of good information, but none of the other choices would provide reliably accurate information.

Which source would provide information with the least amount of bias about the Watergate scandal?

A. biographies of Gerald R. Ford B. memoirs of Richard M. Nixon C. opinions of current politiciansD. transcripts of Congressional hearings

Answer ExplanationAnswer ExplanationThis question focuses on selecting a source

that would likely provide bias-free information. The correct answer is option D because it is the only source that provides strictly factual information.

The student might choose any of the other options because all seem to be reliable sources for an informative essay. But none of these other choices would provide information that is likely to be as bias-free as option D. Although bias might be present in any of the hearings, the transcripts themselves would simply record what was said without any other commentary. It is also likely that the hearings would have involved people with a variety of viewpoints on the issues involved.

Which historical source would provide the most information about how the Watergate scandal was discovered?

A. business memos B. government brochures C. newspaper articles D. policy statements

Answer Explanation Answer Explanation This question focuses on determining

sources that would likely provide the greatest amount of relevant information on a research topic. The correct answer is option C because it is the only source likely to contain the relevant details needed for this research task.

The student might choose option B because it contains information published by the government, but it is not likely to outline the facts of the scandal. Likewise, options A and D would likely not contain enough information relevant to the research task.

YOUR TURN!YOUR TURN!

Turn to the Susan B. Anthony Speech: Women’s Right to Vote for

Which sentence is the thesis of the speech?

A. It shall be my work this evening to prove to you that in thus voting, I not onlycommitted no crime, but, instead, simply exercised my citizen’s rights, guaranteedto me and all United States citizens by the National Constitution, beyond thepower of any state to deny.

B. It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the malecitizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the Union.

C. And it is a downright mockery to talk to women of their enjoyment of theblessings of liberty while they are denied the use of the only means of securingthem provided by this democratic-republican government—the ballot.

D. For any state to make gender a qualification that must ever result in thedisfranchisement of one entire half of the people, is to pass a bill of attainder, or,an ex post facto law, and is therefore a violation of the supreme law of the land.

Which of these best describes the overall structure of the speech?

A cause-effectB compare-contrastC proposition-supportD theme-illustration

Read this excerpt from the speech.It is not a republic. It is an odious

aristocracy; a hateful oligarchy of gender; the most hateful aristocracy ever established on the face of the globe; an oligarchy of wealth,where the rich govern the poor.

Which device is used in the excerpt?

A. analogyB. hyperboleC. rhetorical questionD. parallelism and repetition