Muhammad Ali: I mean [indistinct] gets paid to be an idiot what’s your excuse?
[Laughter]
Michael Douglas: Wait a minute (2.0) if you don’t settle down (.) I’ll take both of you on
The effect of using non-standard English and colloquialisms creates an informal register during the interview, creating a softer atmosphere.
For my second supporting text, I will be analysing Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar speech. The purpose is set to inform and persuade the audience about the murder of Julius Caesar. In Antony’s speech, he seems to project more character and passion into the speech. He uses more repetition and stresses the abstract nouns such as ‘ambition’ and ‘honourable’. He constantly uses flattery on Brutus for his bravery creating a sarcastic tone. He also uses this technique on Caesar, describing him as an ambitious man. Antony’s use of blank verse creates a divergence, an attempt to identify himself with the audience.
For Brutus is an honourable man;
So are they all, all honourable men -
Come I to speak in Caesar's funeral.
Comparative Literary techniques and linguistic features
In Antony’s speech, as it was delivered in the pre 20th century, Shakespeare chose to write the speech in Blank verse, normally presented for noble and high status characters. Shakespeare used blank verse for Antony in order to suggest his authority to the audience, providing a formal register. ‘I thrice presented him a kingly crown.’ The extract doesn’t contain any rhyme, however it has a rhythmic pattern which develops as the speech goes on. This attracts the audience to listen more to his speech.
In Martin Luther King’s speech it had been identified as important through his formal register and Standard English. He applies parallelism continuously to the speech to also create a rhythm and a poetic flow, creating a poignant image for the audience. ‘One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity.’
Muhammad Ali’s interview doesn’t incorporate any rhythm or any poetic flow, as the conversation isn’t structured formally as the other texts. However, it is memorable and persuasive as he employs rhetoric literary language, applying extended metaphors to his speech.
Muhammad Ali: //You don’t have a chance (.) There ain’t no way in the world you gonna whoop me [Moves forward]
I’m gone sweep the ring up in with you (1.0) I’m gone clean up the ring right here on television I want the whole world to see that I’m the true champion of the world(.) Joe Frazier (.) Kid Jark-naughton (.) all of them chuck- Ain’t nobody that can whoop me.
This creates an aggressive tone towards the opponent as he threatens him. This leaves the audience in suspense, as they anticipate a more aggressive answer Chuck Wepner. Muhammad Ali has more power in the conversation by using false starts and interruptions, rather than to use words which help him to win the control of the conversation.
Chuck Wepner: I’m not a popularity contest (1.0) I intend- I intend to take the title on the 24th and er//
Mike Douglas: //How
Muhammad Ali: you-you-you will take (.) you’ll take it (.) you be there in Cleveland Arena (.) this month the 24th of what is it?
This is effective as it shows his excitement and the speed of the speech. He struggles to speak eloquently and think about what he is planning to say before he pronounces it.
MLK applies anaphoric references and cohesions of words to structure his sentence appropriately. ‘In a sense’ and ‘now is the time’ to expand on his speech. Julius Caesar uses conjunctions such as ‘yet’ and ‘sure’ is also helping to develop the motive behind the speech. Again Muhammad Ali’s interview struggles to use any form of conjunctions and instead replaces with their own use of colloquialisms – proving his enthusiasm, along with fillers fails to improve the development of the conversation,
‘Michael Douglas: Wait a minute (2.0) if you don’t settle down (.) I’ll take both of you on
Muhammad Ali: You there (.) You laughing (.) you think it’s a joke don’t you?’
Instead, interrogative statements such as ‘Muhammad Ali: I’ll put one right in your mouth just for that//’ creates tension within the conversation as it threatens the opposition for a more aggressive answer. The interview clearly breaks Grice’s Maxims through interruptions and lack of politeness.
Chuck Wepner: Now all this big bad talk you’ll be//
Muhammad Ali: //You don’t have a chance (.) There ain’t no way in the world you gonna whoop me [Moves forward]
I’m gone sweep the ring up in with you (1.0) I’m gone clean up the ring right here on television I want the whole world to see that I’m the true champion of the world(.) Joe Frazier (.) Kid Jark-naughton (.) all of them chuck- Ain’t nobody that can whoop me
His assertion towards the opponent is taunting for a more aggressive response, heightening the atmosphere of the conversation.
Muhammad Ali: //Yeah you think I’m just talking huh?//
Chuck Wepner: It’s hard to talk with a glove in your mouth
Muhammad Ali: With a glove in my mouth//
Chuck Wepner: //Yeah right
Muhammad Ali: I’ll put one right in your mouth just for that//
Repetition occurs frequently between MLK and Antony’s speech, as they try to make a point towards their motive. Antony uses abstract nouns such as ‘honourable’ and ‘ambitious’ to create an ironic force into the sentence, however it creates a sarcastic tone for the audience, questioning his integrity.
MLK also uses abstract nouns such as ‘freedom’ and ‘we’ to produce a sense of unity and to encourage the audience that they will no longer be restrained to acts.
His use of hyperbole stresses the urgency of the situation. He does this frequently. ‘…Millions of Negro slaves who had seared in the flames of withering injustice.’ He cleverly uses a metaphor to describe the suffering of the slaves. He often refers to the United States Declaration of Independence and uses religious references, which not only suggests his knowledge of the American history, but proves him to be educated. His charismatic authority and his assurance towards the audience provide trust and reliance. "And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together." , “When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir.” He refers to the idolised American dream, which half of the population is denied. He later applies more parallel features to the speech, applying pressure towards the opposition, (the government) and influencing the audience that enough is enough. ‘Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial injustice.’
Antony uses listing in 3’s in order of friends, Romans, countrymen, reflecting his preference of audience for the speech. It creates a rhythm and attracts the audience to listen. He appears to echo his opponent Brutus, almost creating a mocking tone.
Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
He personalises the speech, using concrete nouns such as ‘me’, and ‘my’ and ‘I’ frequently develops more trust in Antony.
He applies parallelism and antithesis such as ‘The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones’ to build a contrast and provides the sentence with a greater point.
Antony expresses the speech in a negative tone, attempting to question the audience’s loyalty and plays on their emotions.
I thrice presented him a kingly crown,
Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition?
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
And, sure, he is an honourable man.
The rhetorical question appeals to the audience’s conscience and questions their integrity.
He applies a deliberate pun on Brutus’ name, to turn the audience against the opposition of Brutus.
O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason. Bear with me;
My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar,
He employs the pun in order to use Brutus’s name in a negative aspect. Thus creating an off-putting outlook onto Brutus. As Brutus already has the connotation of aggressive and showing lack of human sensitivity, he cleverly uses this to his advantage.
Clearly, Martin Luther King’s speech and Antony’s speech have the same linguistic and literary features, both persuading an audience for a change and justifying why this should happen in their societies. The MLK and Julius Caesar speech both have heavy rhetorical features, and both are multi-modal texts, the differences are that the content of the speeches are providing fairness for one man, and the other for thousands of people in America. All of the texts include declarative statements and metaphorical language. However the languages used are from different periods, coming from different stages; Julius Caesar: Early modern, and Muhammad Ali’s interview and MLK’s speech coming from the late modern English period.