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Outline of Dramatic Speech

In your production of a dramatic script you tackled an issue of social significance, offering social commentary on a potentially divisive, important issue. It is time to take that passion and internalize it to speak out in a way that only you can, by delivering a speech that fully expresses not only your position, but your expectations for action. There are two components of this assignment.

 

 

  1. The first is that you must provide the rhetorical context of your speech:

  • What is your role as a speaker (are you a concerned citizen, student, or member of the affected group?
  • The occasion that informs your writing (what makes you take a stand now to delivery this speech (beside an assignment)?)
  • Who is your audience? Be as specific as you can.
  • What is your purpose? What is it that you wish to accomplish?
  • What is the subject you are discussing?
  • What tone will you use? What is the attitude you will have regarding the issue and the audience?

 

  1. A brief outline that provides the structure and intended rhetorical devices of the speech.

  • Create an outline that includes the claim, support, counterclaim, and conclusion/call to action.  
    • What reasoning and support will you use?
    • Will you begin with your claim, evidence, or counterclaim? Why?
    • What arguments will your opposition use, and how will you respond to them?
    • What actions will you call on your audience to take?
  • What Rhetorical devices do you intend to use?
    • Consider: Allusion, aphorism, anaphora, alliteration, juxtaposition, rhetorical questions. Include examples of how you might use them!