Shakespeare and Teaching Rhetorical Technique in the Speech Classroom

Shakespeare’s artistic communication within the speeches of his plays has the potential to augment student learning in college speech communication courses. Studying Shakespeare is appropriate in college speech communication courses because students could achieve improved rhetorical skills. Studying Shakespeare could even fulfill learning objectives of speech communication classes. For example, at Iowa State University, one of the learning objectives of the speech communication foundation course, SP CM 212, is to “select appropriate language to communicate ideas vividly, accurately, and respectfully” (LeFebvre 3). William Shakespeare’s plays have thrived because of his vivid, rhetorical language. Therefore, by studying the language of several key speeches from Shakespeare’s plays, college students could learn by way of example how to communicate their ideas through rhetorical devices like oxymoron and repetition