According to the article, delivery in roman times “referred primarily to oral delivery: to making a public speech on political, juridical, or ceremonial occasions” (3). Delivery in Roman Times started to become “lost” when the printing press started to become popular. Rather than give giant speeches, individuals were able write their ideas, and share them in multiple areas. This allowed for individuals to think about how they would present their ideas when writing them out, compared to how they would act on stage in front of an audience.
Body and Identity have a vital role in classical rhetoric and delivery in Roman times. In the article Body/Identity are defined as “concerning online representations of the body, gestures, voice, dress, and image, and questions of identity and performance and online representations of race, class, gender, sexual orientation, and ethnicity” (2). Using the body helped create an emotion appeal to the audience. This was valuable when presenting ethos. An example that Porter shares is creating an avatar in the simulated world of Second Life. When creating an avatar, an individual is able to create a bodily representation of themselves. “That avatar is my virtual bodily self that, when combined with virtual speech and behavior, results in a rhetorical performance” (6).
This aspect has been something I’ve really into since taking my public speaking class my freshman year here at WKU. Since I want to become a high school teacher, body/identity is something that I need to focus on when teaching lessons. A professor who is shy, looks uncomfortable is someone that could lose their students. I remember an English teacher that I had that was too quiet, had closed arms, and seemed afraid to display their personality. This would immediately disengage the students. Another factor would be body gestures. Those teachers that would talk with their hands were able to help make ideas and lessons appear clearer.
We also see this when people apply to their careers. An individual who wears a suit will be seen as more professional. An individual who uses lots of hand motions and has a strong voice appears to be smart and know what they are talking about. They appear to be more engaged. Looking carefully at body/image in my writings and work is something that I consider improving every single day of my life.
Q: Explain a time when you were arguing a point and you that believe your body/image was to your advantage.
Intro to Digital Texts and Media 