Oratory is one of the most mysterious. And one of the most impressive, too. Indeed, eloquence is a great, unstoppable force. It is not clear what kind of gift the greatest speakers have, and yet all of them are simply heard. And they control, lead the crowd, skillfully using their eloquence.
History remembers cases when successful speech helped seize power. A correctly pronounced call to action is able to awaken the crowd and raise it to rebellion. And just like the consequences of the speeches delivered by the greatest orators of history, they will forever remain in the archives, the names of those who stood behind them will also be recorded there. Consider them.
Great Speakers of the World: List
The following are the names of those who most influenced oratory, achieved mastery in it, and, improving themselves, left a mark on history. Naturally, these are far from all the greatest speakers: everyone in this short article simply cannot be accommodated. But these are significant personalities worth knowing more than just names.
Demosthenes
Ancient Greece was not stingy with talents. The world remembers her artists. Demosthenes became famous for his eloquence, many great speakers of antiquity took an example from him. What was the path of this ingenious man? From childhood, Greek knew what he wanted, and from an early age he understood how much he would have to overcome for this: after all, the boy suffered tongue-tied, his voice was weak, and his breathing was too short. Harsh training corrected all these shortcomings: the future master of political speech was picking pebbles in his mouth and taking the element as his assistant - he learned to recite on the seashore and climbing high hills. The first method is now recommended for the development of diction and is considered very effective - there are good reasons and numerous confirmations. As you can see, Demosthenes is not just the first to be mentioned when a conversation comes about those who are called the "greatest speakers."
Cicero Mark Tullius
An outstanding speaker from Ancient Rome, whose skill has reached such heights that his name has become a household name in this type of activity. Unfortunately, out of more than one hundred different judicial and political speeches of Cicero, only fifty-eight have survived to date. His merits also include the development of the theory of rhetoric.
Abraham Lincoln
The following trend is observed: many of the greatest speakers have succeeded by practicing on their own. They turned art into a business of their whole life, without putting a point in development and continuing to improve. The same goes for Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of the United States of America, whose family’s financial situation allowed him to sit on the school bench for just a year. Nevertheless, the boy himself took up his education and eventually became one of the most prominent speakers that the world remembers.
Winston Churchill
The great speakers of the 20th century cannot be mentioned without the name of Winston Churchill, whose merits were enough for both the political sphere of activity and the literary (for the latter he was awarded the Nobel Prize). The path of the British Prime Minister in oratory is somewhat similar to the path to the mastery and glory of the aforementioned Demosthenes: after all, like his ancient Greek counterpart, Churchill had speech defects, but, having pulled himself together and called for help an extraordinary willpower, managed to overcome this obstacle, which earned him a place on this list.
Thomas Woodrow Wilson
The twenty-eighth president of the United States of America, Woodrow Wilson, was a highly educated head of state. He was fluent in English and had a doctorate. One of his most outstanding speeches - "Fourteen Wilson Points" - contained the thesis of the president about the war and became the draft peace treaty that concluded the First World War.
Adolf Gitler
A significant person in the history of the twentieth century, who influenced her in a considerable way, is usually remembered as the greatest tyrant. But it is difficult to argue that Adolf Hitler possessed numerous talents, otherwise he would not have reached such heights. Eloquence, the ability to speak beautifully and convincingly, was also inherent in him fully. Hitler is called the most hated and at the same time the most adored person of the 20th century. The ability of this leader to make speeches was recognized even by his most ardent opponents.
Vladimir Putin
The second and fourth president of Russia is rightfully included in the list of greatest speakers. So, Vladimir Putin has had more than fifteen years of public speaking experience. His rhetoric has several features: oratory is often emphasized by brightness and shocking, but the speech of the President of Russia is always balanced, constructive, calm and judicious. And this has its effect: after all, Vladimir Putin is a significant player in the political arena of the world.
Steve Jobs
The orator of modernity, whose skill will be evaluated by future generations through a YouTube video, reflects the spirit of the twenty-first digital age. Seeing at what pace this person promoted the company of his Apple products, it is difficult to doubt his mastery of oratory. In contrast to the above examples, Steve Jobs, however, directed his eloquence not to the political sphere of activity, but to marketing. This has borne fruit. Mr. Stephen Jobs’s magnetic, charismatic and catchy manner of speaking is worthy of being mentioned on this list.