Abstract:
This study contributes to the rekindled interest in rhetoric in the 21st century, with the
rise of important politicians on the world stage. It investigates the different rhetorical
devices used by politicians to get their audiences to consent to their ideas. Selected
political speeches analysed in this study highlight the different rhetorical techniques
used by notable politicians in public speaking platforms. These techniques include
the use of plural pronouns, repetition, allusion, rhetorical questions, negation,
comparatives, present and future tense, hyperbole, and personification. The political
speeches analysed here are Barack Obama’s inauguration speech (2009), Nelson
Mandela’s inauguration speech (1994), Thabo Mbeki’s “I am an African” speech
(1996), Muhammadu Buhari’s inauguration speech (2015), and Mmusi Maimane’s
SONA Debate speech (2015). The study found that all the five speeches make use
of the identified rhetorical devices to ‘sell’ their ideas to their listeners and canvass
their support. The study clarifies the concept of rhetoric in public speaking and also explains why people (listeners) may be persuaded by politicians to ‘buy’ their ideas, conveyed through manipulative political language. It is imperative that people be made aware of the influence that political rhetoric could have on their decision-making, particularly when public opinion is formed regarding events announced on public media.
Members of the public or prospective voters will be able to distinguish the truth from
falsehood, if they are familiar with the elements of rhetoric in political speeches.
Politicians are likely to be stopped in their tracks from betraying public trust for
personal gains. It is also important to realise that there is nothing wrong if politicians
apply rhetoric in public speaking, as long as they have no intention of deceiving the
listeners. However, modern-day politicians seem to use it differently. This study has
identified various rhetorical devices used in the selected speeches that provide some
understanding of how other terms such as persuasion and manipulation are related
to rhetoric.Key words: language and power, manipulation, persuasion, politicians, political
rhetoric, public speaking.
