Throughout history, many leading figures have used the art of rhetoric as a unique communication means to express their ideas and persuade others to follow them. Jesus, Pericles and Cicero in ancient times, and more recently Tomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Napoleon and Martin Luther King – all delivered eloquent speeches at dramatic points in time, demonstrating deep commitment to their cause. These speeches have all come to be representative symbols of their time, generation or ideas, and are now part of the great heritage of the world's most outstanding speeches.

In the course we will analyze a number of famous speeches delivered by historical figures or by literary ones. We will explore the circumstances and characteristics that are required to make a speech memorable and representative of an era or an idea.

We will analyze a number of speeches in class, and discuss the theoretical elements of rhetoric. Commonly used methods of persuasion will be introduced, such as talking to the listener's logic, emotions, and trust. We will also define various types of arguments and common fallacies, get acquainted with different types of speeches and with the way they are structured, and look into different ways of rhetoric expression and their goals.

At the end of the semester the students will be required to choose a speech and to submit a written paper in which they will analyze it based on the theoretical materials studied.