Oratory

The word oratory refers either to the art of eloquent speech or to a place of worship.

An orator is one who practices oratory or speaks in public.

The fear of public speaking is called glossophobia (or, informally, "stage fright"). It is believed to be the single most common phobia — even above death — affecting as much as 75% of all people.^[1]

Etymology

Orator is recorded in English since c.1374, meaning "one who pleads or argues for a cause," from Anglo-French oratour, from Old French orateur (14c.), from Latin orator "speaker," from orare "speak before a court or assembly, plead," from a Proto-IndoEuropean base *or- "to pronounce a ritual formula". The modern meaning "public speaker" is attested from c.1430.

The derived word oration, originally used for prayer since c.1375, now means (recorded since 1502) any formal speech, as on a ceremonial occasion or delivered in similar high-flown or pompous manner. Also another word for oratist. Its etymological doublet orison is recorded since c.1175, from Anglo-French oreison, Old French oraison "oration" (12c.), from Latin oratio "speech, oration," notably in Church Latin "prayer, appeal to God," from orare as above, but retained its devotional specialisation.

One meaning of the word oratory is abstract: the art of public speaking.

There is also the equivalent word "Rhetor" of Greek origin, hence the abstract noun rhetoric.

Pulpit orator denotes Christian authors, often clergymen, who are renowned for their ability to write and/or deliver (from the pulpit in church, hence the word) rhetorically skilled religious sermons.

Place of worship

In the Roman Catholic Church, an oratory is a semi-public place of worship constructed for the benefit of a group of persons (Code of Canon law, can. 1223). Other faithful may attend the church under certain circumstances. An oratory is more private than a church, since in a church everyone has a right to attend. It is, however, more public than a chapel since only the owners of a chapel have the right of entrance.

The oldest extant oratory is the Archiepiscopal Chapel in Ravenna (ca. 500).^[2] Oratorians are responsible for the construction of many oratories in Great Britain.

Saint Joseph's Oratory is the name of a Roman Catholic basilica in Montreal.

The term "Oratorians" also refers to the congregation of priests founded by St Philip Neri in Rome, Italy in 1575.

Speech

In ancient Greece and Rome, oratory was studied as a component of rhetoric (that is, composition and delivery of speeches), and was an important skill in public and private life. Aristotle and Quintilian discussed oratory, and the subject, with definitive rules and models, was emphasised as a part of a "complete education" during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, although this was generally confined to the church.

The development of parliaments in the 18th century saw the rise of great political orators; the ability to wield words effectively became one of the chief tools of politicians, and often made the greatest difference in their positions. By the mid 20th century, oratory became less grandiloquent and more conversational; for instance, the "fireside chats" of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

The term oratory has generally fallen into disuse and is used mostly as a historical or subject term.

Development of oration since ancient Greece

In ancient Rome, the art of speaking in public (Ars Oratoria) was a professional competence especially cultivated by politicians and lawyers. As the Greeks were still seen as the masters in this field, as in philosophy and most sciences, the leading Roman families often either sent their sons to study these things under a famous master in Greece (as was the case with the young Julius Caesar) or engaged a Greek teacher (under pay or as a slave).

The history of oratory can be confused with the one of rhetoric in certain sense. In fact, the art of public speaking was firstly developed by the ancient Greeks and, after the ascension of Rome, copied and modified by the Latins. An example would be Cicero.

In the opinion of Dr. Iran P. Moreira Necho, the "...oratory suffered severely after the Latin power ascension, for the public speech can only be developed in ambients where the debate is allowed. Hence, inside a Roman regime, where the very essence of man was to live as a State appendices (and not debate it), the oratory fastly became a mere compendium on "how to speak fluently" (focus on the beauty of the exposition), even though without any content (preferably without content, since it requires critical thinking)..."^[3]

That is why Latin oratory (formalist, with little to no focus on content) ended to find a reception in the world until the beginnings of the 20th century, since the majority of the states in the indicated period was ruled by some kind of monarchy or dictatorship.

In spite of this, with World War II , a historical moment where the democratic ideals began to take body in the world and there began a gradual deprecation of the old Latin style of communication which focused on the formalism.

Nowadays, there is a vigorous tendency to return to the "Greek School of Oratory" (Aristotelian), since the modern world does not accept - as it did in the past - "fluent speeches" without any content. On the other hand, despite the high demand, the creation of new centers of Greek oratory have some counterpoints:

Teachers:

The Latin Oratory, because it is merely formal, is easy to teach.
The Greek Oratory, for it demands much more in terms of content, requires (from the masters) an extraordinarily superior formation (philosophy, logic, ethics, stylistics, grammar, etc...), since it is not acceptable that a Master could be defeated by his/her disciples. Therefore, while teachers of Latin Oratory are just any person who delivers speeches with fluency, to train a teacher of Greek oratory could take years of study and deep meditation.

Students:

Latin Oratory can be taught through relatively fast courses.
Greek Oratory demands much more time and effort.

Distinctions Between the Latin Oratory School and the Greek Oratory

Latin: Strong valorization of form. Remarkable use of stylistics. Constant appeal to the listener emotions. Communication is deemed as a way to demonstrate "intellectual superiority" or eloquence.

Greek: Strong valorization of message content. Utilization of argumentation strategies. Appeal to the common sense. Communication is deemed as skill to persuade and obtain influence.

Training

Leadership often requires the skill of good public speaking, and this can often make up for a lack of other skills. Adolf Hitler and Martin Luther King, Jr. are two examples of the efficacy of powerful oratory.

Effective oratory can be developed by joining a club such Rostrum, Toastmasters International, Association of Speakers Clubs (ASC) or International Training in Communication (ISC) in which members are assigned exercises to improve their speaking skills. Members learn by observation and practice, and hone their skills by listening to constructive suggestions followed by new public speaking exercises. These include:

The use of gestures
Control of the voice
Choice of vocabulary
Speaking notes
Using humour
Developing a relationship with the audience

International Federation of Professional Speakers affilates (often called National Speakers Association) offer a similar service for those whose occupation is a professional speaker.

Commercial training services such as Speaking Circles International are also available.

References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

↑ 2006. Ask A Toastmaster Toastmasters. Retrieved January 4, 2007.
↑ 2007. Early Christian Monuments UNESCO. Retrieved January 4, 2007
↑ Necho, Iran. Oratory Course Instituto Moreira Necho. Retrieved January 4, 2007.

External links

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[1] 2006. Ask A Toastmaster Toastmasters. Retrieved January 4, 2007.

[2] 2007. Early Christian Monuments UNESCO. Retrieved January 4, 2007

[3] Necho, Iran. Oratory Course Instituto Moreira Necho. Retrieved January 4, 2007.

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