Oratory refers to the art of expressing oneself before a group of people with precision, clarity and eloquence . Whose main objective is to persuade an audience on some particular issue.

Oratory, understood as an oral discourse , is characterized by being a rhetorical procedure in order to work with the spirits in the audience based on an argument or idea, which is exposed, sustained and defended by a speaker.

Some aspects of oratory that distinguish oratory are the frequent use of vocative, the use of rhetorical questions and the second person singular in order to maintain and guide the attention of the listeners, as well as a diversity of ranges of inflections of voice to convey greater impact in words.

Oratory as a discursive genre and as a form of communication encompasses different subgenres of oral proclamation, such as sermons, lectures, speeches, panegyrics, harangues, lectures, etc.

As such it arose in Greece, where it was used as a tool to obtain political prestige and power. For Socrates, it was important that the speaker be a person instructed and guided on the basis of the highest ideals.

Public speaking is a tool widely used by business leaders, politicians, entertainment and public figures , as well as religious leaders and teachers.

Speech types

• Pedagogical oratory: it is very common in the area of ​​educators, teachers, professors, in the academic or school environment, with the aim of transmitting knowledge, training and information to a group of students.
• Forensic or judicial oratory: it is typical of the legal area. It is handled in the area of ​​jurisprudence to make oral presentations by juries, judges and prosecutors. This encompasses both defense and prosecution statements. A discourse of a rational rather than imaginative nature is specialized, due to the use of clear, precise and respectful language, and because it has a basis in the science of law.
• Political oratory: is one that refers to all matters related to the government. It is based on political ideas and its purpose is to incite people to what, from the speaker’s point of view, is useful and of great benefit. It is frequent in the assemblies and rallies, specifically in electoral times to convince the voters.
• Social oratory: also known as ceremonial, sentimental or augural, they are those that are used in a certain period of time where the human being participates in a ceremony.
• Sacred or religious oratory: carry out sermons from the word of God using as a reference to the bible or other books of a religious nature.
• Business speech (management speaking): it is managed by businessmen and entrepreneurs in order to convey corporate objectives.

Characteristics of a good speaker

Oratory is not simply expressing oneself before an audience, a good speaker must have the ability to meet certain characteristics, which distinguishes him from the rest of common speakers.

• The speaker must be clear about the purpose of his speech. This can be a persuasive speech, with the aim of convincing the public of an opinion, for example. In addition, it has the ability to move, teach or please your audience.
• Physical appearance plays an important role as well as personal grooming. The clothing that the speaker chooses should be tied to the circumstance depending on the occasion.
• It is necessary that a speaker be sincere and congruent , that is, that there is a relationship between what a speaker expresses and does. She must also be loyal to those who have trusted her or him.
• You must have a great memory capacity , since oratory requires 90% of speech and only a little reading of notes if necessary.