Othello' Speech (Act 1 Scene 3) - Annotation

2-4-13

Click on image to see in full-size

Is Othello an effective speaker? Is he persuasive? What persuasive strategies does Othello use to win over his audience? 

Othello is a very effective and convincing speaker because he uses many different persuasive techniques. Firstly, he uses the rule of three in his introduction mainly to make an appeal to whom he is talking to. He is starting his speech like how people would do it during a debate. This is in a way sucking up to the listeners. Secondly, he uses alliteration and repetition to make his speech even more convincing and emphasizes his point. Thirdly, he makes another appeal to them by admitting what he did. By doing this, he sets the record straight and he establishes veracity. Fourthly, he switches the sentence structure around in some sentences putting more emphasis on his point. Fifthly, Othello uses several Caesuras to again give emphasis and giving the listeners time to think about his point. Lastly, Othello continues to remind the listeners that he is noble soldier and he is very important so that no matter what sort of offenses he admits, the listeners still feel empathy. In conclusion, Othello using many different kinds of techniques makes him truly an effective writer.