Speech on Olympic Games
Ladies and gentlemen:
At the mention of Beijingбпs bid for the 2008 Olympic Games, I feel extremely thrilled about it. However, I keep asking myself what it is going to mean if Beijing finally wins the honor to host the 2008 Olympic Games. Probably, to a government official, it would mean the creation of jobs, the promotion of economic development and the demonstration of national power; to a Beijing citizen, it would mean the betterment of environment, the improvement of living conditions and the enhancement of city image; to me, a common Chinese youth, it is going to mean a chance to enjoy, a chance to learn, and a chance to show.
First, the Olympic Games will serve as a marvelous enjoyment for me. I will be seeing people of my age struggling to win, shedding sweat, even blood. I will be seeing them exerting themselves to pursue the upmost honor and never give up. I will be seeing energy in their steps, confidence in their movements and fortitude in their minds. I feel I will be leaping with them, running with them and hailing victory with them. This is not only going to be the enjoyment of sports but also the enjoyment of youth of their vitality, their strength and their beauty. This is the enjoyment of the Olympic spirits and its motto: higher, faster and stronger. And I am fully convinced that if the 2008 Olympic Games is to be held in Beijing, it will substantially stimulate the spread of the Olympic spirits among the 400 million Chinese youth.
Second, supposing the 2008 Olympic Games are to be held in Beijing, it will mark the first time in the Chinese history when we invite so many people around the world in such large a quantity to come to China. It is going to provide us with a great opportunity to communicate with different sorts of people and to acquire knowledge of the varied cultures worldwide. On the other hand, the bid awakes our deep wish to know about the world and to be known by the world, thus plunge people into an irresistible desire to master English and to be more cosmopolitan.
Whatбпs more, the Olympic Games is not only a stage for the athletes to show off their talents, but also a theater for the Chinese people to demonstrate their potential. It is a showplace for us to exhibit our economic strength, our splendid culture and our relentless willpower. I am confident that with the commitment, vigor and capability of the Chinese people, Beijng will deliver to the world a truly memorable Olympic Games in 208.
Ladies and gentlemen, In the past five decades, the Olympic Games has traveled around the world for many times, choosing a place to create a carnival of sports and exertion at four-year intervals. Eight years ago, this carnival missed Beijing and Beijing missed it. This time, will the Olympic Games choose Beijing for the arena of a new wave of celebrations? I am hopeful that with the welcome and hospitality of 1.3 billion Chinese people, the Olympic spirits are going to enjoy its greatest fulfillments ever.
Hate Speech
The writers of the First Amendment of the Constitution had the notable luxury of not being forced to deal with the issue of campus speech. The ever controversial issue of free speech, with all its loopholes and murky gray areas, grows even more incomprehensible when it descends upon an unsuspecting college campus.
Considering the melting pot of people from widely varied backgrounds, perspectives, and ideals that college creates, universities seem undeniably ripe for the speech controversy. One of the primary issues presently under constant scrutiny is whether or not speech restrictions should exist within the college environment.
The unclear and often over-emotional nature of this controversy has left innumerable victims grasping for some semblance of a solution. At the very least, however, these victims desire an explanation for what has happened to them. Eden Jacobowitz, for example, was charged for rebuking a group of rather vociferous African American women who were disturbing his study time. Eden angrily called them “water buffalo,” which the young women took as an offensive racist remark. This case could certainly be defined as falling into the infamous “gray area” of protected speech. Numerous people have sided with the unfortunate Eden Jacobowitz since many interpret his insult as a mere expression of anger not affected in any way by the race of the women. As previously mentioned, the rather unclear guidelines and emotion-laden arguments of such ambiguous cases leave victims like Eden reaching for some reasonable explanation.
Those brave enough to take the helm of this unquestionably complex issue includes people ranging from everyday college students, to qualified university faculty, to legal experts. From this cross-section of people with differing perspectives and lifestyles emerge two distinct sides of the campus speech issue. One faction asserts that stringent campus speech regulations need to be implemented immediately in hopes of a quick fix for the quandary at hand. Those supporting the other major viewpoint offer much different solutions, however. They argue that campus speech regulations should, for the most part, be avoided because of their general ineffectiveness and failure to address the problem at its core. Their proposed resolutions generally center on the belief that attacking the problem at its ignorant roots through education and open coexistence are the only plausible long lasting solutions.
The First Amendment is the central focus of the majority of arguments on both sides of the issue. Therefore, in order to fully understand and appreciate the validity of each argument, a general explanation of the purpose of the First Amendment should be defined. America was founded on the premise of universal acceptance. The early citizens of this new nation were finally relieved of the burden of religious and speech oppression endured under Great Britain’s rule. Therefore, when drafting the principles and ideals that were to be the foundation of this country, they understandably desired them to vary as much as possible from Britain’s old doctrine. The implicit purpose of the First amendment is stated very clearly by professional lawyer Susan Gellman in her article “Sticks and Stones Can Put You in Jail, But Can Words Increase Your Sentence?” She wrote that the first amendment was created to ensure “the availability of the broadest possible range of ideas and expression in the marketplace of ideas” (Gellman 177).
In order to devise any definite solution to this dilemma, we must, as with any problem, be fully aware of its source. The inherent problem lies with the ignorance of the general populace regarding persons of other races, creeds and genders. From that ignorance stems fear, and from that fear rises an instinctual feeling that the group is some sort of a threat. The old adage “we fear that which we do not understand” supports this logic beautifully.
I believe that everyone will agree that the best solution to any ignorance is the antithesis of ignorance: education. Therefore, what better place to combat ignorant hatred through education than at the very institutions that stand for the pursuit of knowledge- college and university campuses.
Admittedly, speech regulations would probably serve their purpose, to some extent, as a deterrent to hateful speech. However, society of Professional Journalists president Paul McMasters disputes this in his essay “Free Speech vs. Civil Discourse”. He surmises that speech codes are futile because, rather than encouraging education, they have enforced a form of ignorance (McMasters 173). He seems to be contending that by regulating people’s speech the institution is thinking for the people. This eliminates any need for hateful, ignorant people to evaluate their own moral standpoints since it is being done for them. Speech codes only change people’s actions, not the actual beliefs which cause their actions. Therefore, these beliefs will continue to cause hateful actions once the codes are taken away. Renowned author Franklyn Haiman echoes McMaster’s view in his book Speech Acts and the First Amendment. Haiman states, suppressing the overt verbal or symbolic expression of a group does not make the attitudes that give rise to such expression go away (Haiman 194).
Virtually all of the authors, even those in favor of speech regulations, do acknowledge the great value of education. Speech regulation advocate and Georgetown law professor Mari Matsuda emphasizes just that in a speech she gave at various universities entitled “Assaultive Speech and Academic Freedom.” She reiterates that the important work at hand is “learning to talk across difference” (Matsuda 153).
Philosophy professor Timothy Shiell concurs in his essay Campus “Hate Speech on Trial”. He asserts that it is in a university’s best interest “to respond to hate speech with educative and counter speech measure rather than punitive ones” (Shiell 168). Examples of these educative countermeasures could include speakers on racism and classes on eliminating prejudice. Susan Gellman affirms Shiell’s belief that education is in the universities’ best interest, proclaiming that “more affective (approaches) than criminal sanctions may be ignored if we pin our hopes to criminal sanctions. These (the more effective approaches) include education…” (Gellman 181).
To create some tangible reasons to support their seemingly sensible proposition of education, the authors offer numerous potential solutions. Paul McMasters suggests implementing “a university statement of principle about diversity and multiculturalism that students would see” (McMasters 175). This would serve the purpose of having stated guidelines indicating that the university does indeed maintain a stance against hate speech. It would function merely as a guide for the moral conduct of students without forcing an unconditional punitive policy upon them that would encourage ignorance.
Timothy Shiell supports McMasters with his claim that “in the long run: developing grassroots support for racial equality (is more effective than) having a speech czar dictate that the word “nigger” cannot possibly have a positive meaning.” Shiell should not be misinterpreted as implying that the word nigger has a positive connotation. Rather, he is merely referring to McMaster’s idea that an unconditional punitive policy would encourage ignorance and discourage the moral contemplation that this issue deserves. Susan Gellman further clarifies this argument with her statement “Without occasional reminders that there is another, even a ‘wrong,’ way to look at something, we are unlikely to think very often about why we look at it as we do, and why it is we think that perspective is ‘right’ (Gellman 179).
Often when dealing with the elimination of speech regulations, arguments similar to that of law professor and speech regulations advocate Charles Lawrence III arise. In his article “If He Hollers Let Him Go: Regulating Racist Speech on Campus,” he argued that even though “regulation…(has) been characterized…as work of ‘thought police,’…it does nothing more than prohibit intentional face-to-face insults” (Lawrence 158). Although Lawrence probably did so inadvertently, his statement supports arguments against regulations. Note that Lawrence says, “…it does nothing more than prohibit intentional face-to-face insults.” That statement perfectly illustrates the limitations of hate speech codes. Speech regulations do nothing more than stop nose to nose insults. They do not, as he admits, affect thought in any degree. Therefore, many people restricted under such rules will still hold to their hateful beliefs. As a result, when they’re released into the world outside of college, they will be free to express their hatred once again. This concurs with previously mentioned arguments from McMasters and Haiman that regulations are not permanent solutions.
As previously stated, the implementation of these education programs and guided coexistence will necessarily result in the elimination of punitive speech codes. This understandably causes concerns that campuses will suddenly become lawless cesspools of hatred and moral depravity. However, the students and faculty of colleges and universities still must comply with the laws of the United States. Therefore, if someone is, for example, physically or verbally harassing someone in any threatening manner, they will still be punished in compliance with the law. This will serve the purpose of keeping civility on campus just as the very same laws function in the world outside of the campus cocoon. It will also help to prepare college students for the outside world by teaching them to follow precisely the same laws they will be dealing with throughout their lives.
Hate speech is indeed a very real and increasingly prevalent problem on college campuses. It has grown to such proportions that a solution must be implemented as soon as possible. Although specific punitive speech regulations for universities would seem to provide the quickest solution, they may not actually be the most effective. Regulations generally only stop people from expressing their attitudes; they don’t actually sway their ignorant attitudes more toward respect, tolerance, and equality. The ideal solution is to combat the ignorance causing hatred through education toward peaceful coexistence. With these new peaceful attitudes in place, people’s actions will obviously follow their attitudes, and we will see a virtual elimination of hateful actions.
City Law Speech
Many controversies surround us in our daily lives, one such controversy that many students here on the campus at the University of Iowa face is that of the admittance age to the bars in down town Iowa City. The Iowa City council members want to pass an ordinance to make the age for admittance to these bars strictly 21, but I foresee the problems that will occur with passing this ordinance, and so I firmly believe that the age should remain at 21. Thus, my thesis statement becomes, the age for bar admittance in the down town Iowa City bars should remain at 18 because if it is changed to 21 it will create safety, health, and economic problems. With this controversy in mind, my purpose becomes clear. My purpose in this paper is to describe and analyze this controversy and why as well as the rhetorical tactics that I will be using to argue my views, which will later be demonstrated in my final speech. The purpose will be argued in the format of a proposal speech. It is seen in this light for the simple reason that my speech is action oriented and declaring that the Iowa City council should take the initiative to stop this problem. It is also a problem that the future will depend on and so it fits the scheme of the proposal argument.
With my thesis statement and purpose in mind along with the type of argument that I am making, my warrant comes in to affect. My warrant is, things that disrupt the safety, health, and economic balance of society should not be allowed. By passing the ordinance that states all patrons of the down town Iowa City bars should be 21, the Iowa City council members are risking the well being of many students who go to the University of Iowa. I will show this aspect by using the actual ordinance that is being taken into consideration, and I will pick it apart to show them its fallacies. Since the Iowa City council is the main governing branch that has the power to control this situation, it is only natural that my speech is targeted to all of the Iowa City board members who are going to vote on the ordinance. Thus, my focal audience becomes the Iowa City council board members.
The Iowa City council is a very powerful and influential governing body. It is for this very reason that I take many aspects of delivering my speech into account. Due to the fact that these are professional people who believe in the severity of the matter at hand, I will need to address them in such, a professional way. First off, I will dress to make a positive and clear statement; One that states, though I am young, I am responsible, and this is a key factor that the city council members must see. Which brings me to the delivery of my speech, my tone will have to be formal and serious. I will have to be passionate and powerful in what I say, and present it in a manner that is equally mature. This will be orchestrated by using a broad vocabulary and yet an eloquent demeanor of speaking, this will be done so that the board members can see that I am serious and that I strongly care and believe in what I am saying.
After knowing the delivery format of my speech, it is vital that I organize my speech in an effective manner that will bring about each of my points in a logical and structured order. This will be done so that the board members can see that my speech was well planned out and practiced, it will convey the message that I am prepared, and I know what I am talking about. I will begin my speech with an example that will illustrate why this ordinance should not be passed, such as a specific story, or quotation (I have not decided on it yet), and I will tie this example in with a statistical appeal of logos that states error in passing the ordinance. After this example, which will set the tone for my speech, I will introduce the matter of changing the ages in the bars with a brief summary of the situation.
The summary has been completed and my audience now has to be lead into the direction the speech will be taking; further organization techniques will be shown to stress the structure and balance of my speech. This is a general overview of the way I will layout my speech. I will give preview statements stating that I will first address the safety concerns that will need to be taken into account, and second I will talk of the health problems that will arise, and third, I will demonstrate the economic instability that will be brought forth. After I have addressed these three issues, I will use a counterargument that will be a factor the council members will be using in their aid to pass this ordinance, but I will use this counterargument and refute its point to show the weakness in its credibility. After the counterargument, I will use an appeal to pathos on the innocent students who go out to just socialize and it will be followed by some statistics that will lead me to my conclusion.
The general formatting has been laid out, and now the specifics to each individual section of my speech, and the reason for doing it this way, will be addressed. When I talk about the safety issues in my speech, I will use the petition written by the student of the University of Iowa to explain how bars and restaurants provide a safer environment than private parties. I will bring up points such as; bars having bouncers can regulate rowdy crowds and prevent fights from breaking out and thus creating a safer atmosphere. Also, bars have bartenders who can restrict and limit the intake of alcohol a patron is taking and thus keeping that individual safer from attaining alcohol poisoning where at a private party many individual drink themselves into obliteration. I will follow this by statistics of the safety of the students particularly females, and I will use an appeal to pathos that says though these 18 year olds are drinking, they are being safe because one way or another alcohol will be attained and consumed; it may as well be safe.
Safety will be one issue, but health risks will be another. To begin this section off, I will use more appeals to logos and bring statistics involving the risks of going to a private facility for enjoyment rather than a public facility. The usage of logos will be an effective tactics to use because this governing body is more sophisticated, and when they are being addressed, I will need factual and substantial evidence to argue my point. I will talk about more students who will suffer from alcohol poisoning, like the above stated, bar tenders will be able to limit consumption of alcoholic beverages, while private parties will not be able to. Also, in private parties the alcohol could be previously tampered with as to cause severe problems. I will also bring in at this point an article, “A Pledge Dies at the University of Iowa, and the Parents Blame the Fraternity,” by Leo, Reisberg. This article shows that a boy consumed a high amount of alcohol and died because of it, and though it is not directly related to my controversy, it shows that more “private” mishaps and occurrences would occur if students did not have an outside place to go. It will appeal to pathos because it will make the council members think of their own children and the loss of their lives. It also relays the message that more students would be peer pressured into doing things that they would not want to do, and in public they could refuse to do it and be okay.
The final issue that factors in is that of the economic instability. Once again, with the usage of logos, statistics will expertly show the loss of income and value that will occur if the ordinance passes. I will bring into account some aspects the petition uses such as, many full time jobs and hundreds of high paying student will be lost. Bars and restaurants contribute a substantial amount of money to Iowa charities and philanthropies. Also, the ordinance will force several entertainment venues out of business. I will appeal to pathos, in defense of the innocent owners of these restaurants and these bars, and how they are not at fault. I will relay an appeal to ethos at this point, and state that this is a major reason why this ordinance did not pass before.
Once I have set a strong argument in favor of not passing the ordinance, I intend to bring in the careful construction of a counterargument. The counterargument will demonstrate my aspect of considering other viewpoints while addressing the issue. It will show the city council members that I am looking at all the options and while looking at them I can deduce the weaknesses in the counterargument’s credibility. Under aged drinking is a problem and I agree that it along with over consumption of alcohol is an issue in the state of Iowa, but I do not agree new regulation or laws are the way to solve it. This counterargument shows that I am willing to address the problem at hand, but it must be done in a logical way. I then will suggest that enforcing current laws, education, social norming, and forming a task force of community members to work together with the city are better alternatives to resolve the issue. I will then again appeal to my audience with logos.
The counterargument will be followed by a minimal and yet balanced appeal to pathos. It will take into account the side of all the students who do not drink when they go to the bars and restaurants. It will show how the ordinance will restrict these individuals from late night dining. Also, many students like to socialize and dance along with playing billiards. By passing the ordinance many students will lose enjoyment. I will reflect on a personal instance and show that it is difficult to meet people that you actually will see again and meet in a class room setting, the down town facilities let students do that. Some students also look at down town as a relaxation where they can get away from their studies and relax their minds. Once again the petition will be brought into accordance and that this ordinance is a serious matter to the students, and that is why they wrote a formal petition to address the council members. Some more logos will be brought into play and I will lead into my conclusion which will sum up the ideas of safety, health, and economic concerns. I will state how the city council together with the wishes of the students and business owners in the city of Iowa can come up with a compromise to end this problem. I will leave them with a statistic or two, and an empowering quotation.
With the final aspect of my speech being an appeal to pathos and a quotation it is completed. So, the purpose of this paper has been illustrated clearly. I have shown the structure of my speech and in the structure I have specifically detailed information that I have chosen to use in my speech. Along with the structure and the specifics, my controversy was easily described and due to the fact that my audience is the Iowa City council board members, I have used specific tactics to ensure the success of my speech. Logos was used to shower statistics that the board members will be relying on to make their decision. Pathos was used to show the humanistic nature and the importance of passing the ordinance. A crucial organization pattern was used so that the ideas addressed in my speech are clear and concise. With these rhetorical tactics combined with my sources of information, I see the efficiency of my speech and the thorough analyzing and direction of my paper.
Speech on Smoking
Good morning everybody , today as the President of the consumer club, I would like to give a speech on the speech on the dangers of smoking and ways of overcoming its all effect.
As we all know, smoking is bad for health, smoking can cause our lungs to be infected, This may even devellop into something more deadly, like cancer of the lungs.
There is tobacco and nicotine inside a roll of cigarette. These are the things people who amoke get addicted to. These two things are deadly and harmfulto our body and brain. A person who smokes usually dies earlier then someone who doesn’t. Smoking can lead to blood clotting in the brain and blocked arteries.
The government should impose various laws on smoking, smoking in piblic places should be banned and people caught smoking should be fined a minimum fee of RM500. This should teach the people as it is quite an expensive lesson!
School are also good places to teach about the dangers of smoking. I suggest that smoking and its ill effects should be made part of the physical education curriculum . The teacher could show the students some pictures of what a smoker’s lungs look like. Trust me, this will certainly work as a smoker’s lungs are often charred black. Nobody would want their lungs to end up like that.
Also , students found in possession of cigarettes should be expelled without for the warnings if we give them a chance, they may make the same mistake over and over again. Any student caught smoking should also be expelled. The student might just burn the whole school any day!
So ladies and gentlement, lets all do our part and ban smoking. It is good for everyone, whether it is the smoker oe the people around him. Thank you.
I Have a Dream Speech
For my paper I decided to choose a very moving, life changing speech that was delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. on August 28,1963. Martin Luther King Juniors “I Have A Dream” speech is full of persuasive material that was intended to give African Americans their freedom, which they felt they greatly deserved. In this paper I plan on using the human nature perspective, the pathos perspective, demographic perspective, and last the use of motivational appeals. Through the use of these concepts I plan on showing how Martin Luther King Juniors speech was persuasive enough to change history.
I decided to analyze the “I Have A Dream” speech because it is a very popular speech that changed history and the way we live forever. I consider the speech to be very persuasive because it persuaded the white race to accept African Americans as a citizen to this country. It stopped the banding of “whites only” bathrooms; His speech was persuasive enough to put an end to the restaurants that allowed only people of white skin to dine there. Through his great words of wisdom, black and white children were able to “hold hands and walk as brothers and sisters.” This great man is the reason behind why today we are able to “work together, pray together, to struggle together,” and even attend this University together. He is the one who was able to persuade the white race to accept African Americans into not only are hearts but also our lives.
In our book Persuasions In The Media Age, Brocher defines persuasion as “the co- production of meaning that results when an individual or a group of individuals uses language strategies and or visual images to make audiences identify with that individual or group.” Through the use of the co-production of meaning, or better known as the sender and receiver persuasive process, King was successful in getting his message across. By delivering a speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial he was able to send his message out to thousands of people. Because of the location and through the intensity of his speech he was able to reach the receiver/ audience members and get his point of “freedom” across. Through his speech, King was able to bring together the audience and create a shared reality of “freedom, rights, and peace” on earth.
Through the uses of symbols throughout Kings speech, he was able to relate ideas that every one shares to tangible objects. This is just another way he was able to persuade people to hear his words of wisdom and persuade people to take action. For example he said “ now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. By taking the symbol of quicksand he represents the sinking, decline the nation’s injustice was facing and symbolized that this nation needs to be strong, bonded, “solid rock of brotherhood”.
I feel this speech is related to myself in every aspect imaginable. If this man had not ignited a fire, delivering the words which spread the flames for freedom, then I am sure I would not have best friends who are black. Also I am sure my favorite football players would not be black. I do not feel this speech is directly targeted towards me today but I know it has definitely affected me as a 21-year-old white male who is a college student. If Kings words of wisdom had not changed the white mans beliefs, then my first roommate here at USF wouldn’t have been black. I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to be part of The Student Support Service program here at USF, a program that is prodimantley of black race. The Student Support Services is a program that has helped me academically as well as finically through school. Yet the best thing I have gained out of the program was the long lasting bond with many fellow students who are of the black race and also are my best friends. I feel Martin Luther King Juniors speech last can best be related to me because now I can help my best friends out as we work are way through school and someday be able to work together in the real world.
The first concept I am going to use is the human nature perspective to show how Kings speech is persuasive. I feel that this concept focuses on the true essence of human nature. It Means that we are all alike and no one is different from one another no matter the color of their hair, skin, or how much money they make. For instance the way blacks were though to be animals is an example of degrading some one, and is an example of an unethical human nature perspective. King uses the human nature perspective through out his speech to show that the black man is no different then the white man. He say’s directly in his speech that “all men are created equal”, not only coming from him but from the 1st Amendment. He feels that every man is on the same level and every man was created equally and no man should be any less then the other man. I feel King try’s to express that he should fall in under the “all men” category. Yet he still feels the segregation and discrimination form the rest of the people who fall under the same category as he does.
Another great example of the use of a human nature perspective is when King says “I have a dream that my four children will one day live in nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” Again this quote talks about the racism and how no one should be judged by the color of their skin.
The second concept I choose to use was pathos. Pathos is a way to appeal to audiences emotions. Through relating to one’s emotions a speaker such as Martin Luther King Junior was able to persuade his audience. In his speech he is trying to relate to his fellow race and appeal to their emotions they face towards discrimination. A great example of King trying to appeal to his audience’s emotion is how he says, “we cannot march alone. And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall march ahead.” In this line of his speech he is trying to reach deep with in to grasp a hold of the emotions with in his fellow race members to take a stand and fight for the rights they deserve. The use of pathos can be seen through out his entire speech. The tone and flow of his speech are meant to “pump up” his audience and get them to take a stand and fight for justice.
The third concept I choose to use was demographics. Demographics are the divide of an audience in to groups based on one’s race, sex, age, religious belief, and income level. I feel that Kings “I Have A Dream “ speech is broken down into different demographic stages. I feel that the speech is related to African Americans because of the way he urges them throughout his speech to put an end to the prejudice they are faced with. By King using the word “Negro” he is trying to relate himself to his race, using the word is a sense of calling someone your “brother”. When King uses the words “ we must forever conduct our struggle on the high planes of dignity and discipline”, he is relating that al blacks must control their anger to win the war against racism.
The last concept I used to show how Martin Luther King Juniors speech is persuasive is the use of motivational appeals. Motivational appeals are based on ones feelings that are to target audience members emotions, values, or influence this person to act upon the subject. King’s entire “I Have A Dream” speech uses motivational appeals in it from the very first line to the last. King tries to insure the African Americans that he can be trusted and persuades his audience of their values they deserve.
Speeches in Medea
In speech A, Medea mood is theoretical, almost philosophical, as she speaks of the miserable lives that women are forced to lead by complying with men’s rules. The purpose of this speech is to show that women are more powerful then men. Women niche in society is to satisfy and comply with the demands of men, sacrificing her own happiness whenever necessary. Men however are free to do as they please; even if that mean abandon his family and betray his marriage vows. From birth to death a women is the property of men; first her father then her husband. This concept of kyrieia diminishes a female to nothing more than property of the man in her life; taking away her humanity and drastically lowering her place in society. However, Medea also reveals a bitter determination for revenge on Creon, Jason, and his new bride-to-be. Medea start off the speech in a calm matter, however she is deeply hurt and distraught by Jason’s actions. When the speech progresses, Medea starts to talk about her outsider status in Greece, her feelings of anger progress as well. Finally ending the speech, by asking the chorus to keep her secret plans for revenge, in a bitter and vengeful matter.
Compared with speech A, speech B, which comes after Medea’s meeting with Creon, is much more determined and resentful. Here Creon grants Medea one day to make arrangements for her exile. Consequently, Medea now has an extra day to plan her revenge on Creon, his daughter and Jason. Her final plan for vengeance is too use her sorcery to poison Creon’s daughter and everyone she touches; following by the murder of her own children. Medea asks Hecate, the mistress of the underworld, the goddess of her hearth, to be an accomplice in her plans. She also promises to restore honor to her lineage (her grandfather was Helius, the god of the sun) and shame Jason’s Corinthian tribe. Finally, Medea ends with her prayer and a tirade by claiming the natural affinity of women for acts of evil. In this speech we can see the change of her state of mind: At first, she is very determined, then at one point she becomes tentative, and then she becomes angry and scornful. She finishes her speech with a certainty she had at the beginning. In comparison with speech A, in speech B her plans are much more clarified.
Medea’s mood in speech C is devoid of the doubt present in speech B. After meeting with Aegeus, the final element that was necessary to Medea’s plans is complete; Aegeus provides her with shelter in Athens, after the deed is done, in return for better fertility. Throughout this speech her anger and vengefulness keeps gradually escalating.
Her plan to poison Jason’s bride-to-be does not satisfy her urge to hurt Jason: even with her death he will still have everything. He has family, wealth, and he is a man; the only thing that she could do to him out of spite is to kill their children. Medea feels that her children are a luxury to Jason. First she pretends that she has come into terms with everything that he has done to her and agrees with all his previous arguments. Then when she has him believing her she asks to take the children into his new family. The children will be used as a ploy to kill the princess by bringing the gifts to her – a beautiful dress and a golden crown which will be poisoned. Lastly, Medea will kill her children, so that her revenge on Jason will be fulfilled. The death of her own children and the princess will cause him the most suffering, and Medea is willing to do it even if she will hurt herself in the process. In all, from her initial delight to self-satisfaction and pride in seeing herself as a willing victim, she ends her speech in an almost arrogant manner, as though she was boosting her motivation.
Compared to the ruthlessness of speech C, in speech D, in this speech Medea shows her softer more compassionate side. She is torn because she wants to go through with the plan and hurt Jason, but at the same time is mournful towards the future of her children. Even though one might consider that her feeling, even towards the death of her children were selfish because she is not thinking of what they are going to miss out on, but what she is; like seeing their marriage and having them perform the traditional burial rituals. Medea then addresses her children, and protests against the farewell that she must soon offer them. The children, though, are not affected by their mother’s remorse and continue playing. In the speech, Medea goes back and forth on whether to proceed with her plan of murdering her children. However, her pride appears to be the factor that helps her to abandon her compunctions and as it did. Medea ends her speech by making up her mind to go through with what she believes is the right thing to do, which in this case is killing her children.
In speech E, Medea is completely sure of her righteousness, though it is accompanied by a great sorrow. She has prepared herself for completing in the final part of the revenge that is murdering her own children. Medea says that it is necessary to kill them quickly because she does not want to see her children suffer or be killed by others. At the end, Medea might be feeling remorseful about the act of violence she is about to carry out, but in her mind she is so set in her plans that her hesitation is finally put aside. For a moment, she becomes a mournful mother and a tragic figure – even though her present state is self-inflicted)- , who loves her children so dearly, that she believes she is the mother whose hand should end their lives. In speech E, all that grew and ripened in speeches A, B, C and D in which she sowed and watered the seeds of her scheme throughout the story, are about to be reaped. The moment of the climax and the fulfillment of her ploy in the story are completed.
Speech on Anorexia
Eating – Most people do not give this a second thought. It comes as naturally to most people as breathing. For others, however, eating is the source of a severe psychological disorder. This disorder is known as anorexia. According to Harvard’s eating disorder center , one out of every one hundred young women between ten and twenty are starving themselves, 8 million people in the United States suffer from eating disorders , and without treatment the death rate is around 20-30% due to complications from the illness. Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that can cause a person to literally “waste away,” as you can see here in these pictures, (show woman pictures) in some cases starving to death. They may try to stop eating entirely, exercise excessively, or purge their food by vomiting or misusing laxatives. This disorder is not only limited to teenage girls as many think , some men as well as older women also develop the problem. (picture of men). This is a very dangerous disorder. Today I will talk about the causes and consequences of anorexia. The causes of anorexia are psychological and the consequences are physical and psychological. First let’s look at some of the main causes.
There are many psychological causes that lead to anorexia. When looking for root causes of such a damaging disorder like anorexia, one of the first things examined is the anorexic’s childhood – their family life and childhood. Paul Robbins, author of a book called Anorexia and Bulimia, found that anorexics are often raised by parents with certain characteristics. Mothers of anorexics have been described as anxious, overprotective, and fearful of separating from their children; fathers are described as moody, withdrawn and passive. It has been found that the parents usually have psychological problems. Further more, anorexics often come from families that have a difficult time communicating.
Although the families of anorexics do have an impact, the real problem lies within the patients themselves. Harvard’s eating disorder center found that there are psychological patterns that characterize many anorexics- that there is a certain anorexic personality. These patterns include a psychological drive for thinness, perfectionist tendencies, and a fear of becoming mature. The obsession to lose weight is the real burden held by anorexics. It is the driving force behind their psychological turmoil. For most anorexics, the drive for thinness probably has its roots in our society and media. Our society and media glamorize thinness to the point that some young females obsess about it. Cultural ideas of what is desirable or beautiful may change from culture to culture. The culture we live in values thinness, and has done so since the early 20th century as seen here.(show ad). This ad shows a soap that can “magically” wash away fat. We can also see the updated version of this in today’s magazines.(find example and show here) The message is sent – to be thin is said to be beautiful and to be beautiful is to be popular. In an anorexics mind, fat is viewed as unattractive, food causes fat, and therefore food should be avoided.
Now that we have looked at the various causes, let’s look at some of the effects. The consequences of anorexia are harsh and can be medical or psychological. The whole body and mind suffers! The medical effects are numerous and can very well lead to death. As mentioned before , the anorexic often over exercises and under-eats. The effects of this behavior sometimes cannot be seen by the casual observer. Dan Harmon, author of Anorexia Nervosa – starving for attention, gives us a preview into some of the grim consequences- both medical and psychological. (make slide for here) The skin may appear yellowish and flaky and the hair may start to grow on the face. Anorexics often suffer from constipation, dry skin, swelling of joints and bodily soreness. The heart may no longer work to its capacity, and studies have shown that the heart itself may actually shrink. Also, the pulse and blood pressure fall to abnormally low levels. While the medical consequences are punishment enough, there are also psychological consequences. Anorexia also causes it’s victims to have an irritable nature and bad moods. Social withdrawl, sleeping problems, and a distorted view of their bodies are also caused by anorexia. Of all these dangerous consequences, the one that leads to the most deaths is the damage to the heart. The strain put on the heart from lack of nourishment is likely to get worse and worse until the patient receives treatment. As you can see anorexia is deadly disease with many causes and effects.
Now that I have told you about the causes and effects of anorexia, both physical and psychological, I hope it has made you more knowledgeable of this deadly disorder. You never know when you will need this information to help a friend or loved one in fighting this disorder.
