According to Cicero, when Demosthenes was asked to name the most important canon of rhetoric "he 'gave the palm to delivery and assigned it second and third place as well.'"

Question

What does this mean, and do you agree? Compare the audio and text versions of the Gettysburg Address to support your answer.
(Note: there are many correct answers to the second part of this question. Make sure you are using information and concepts from the reading and source material)

Answer 1

This quote from Cicero means that Demosthenes believed that delivery was the most important aspect of rhetoric, and that it should be given the highest priority. I agree with this sentiment, as delivery is a key factor in how effective a speech is. The audio and text versions of the Gettysburg Address demonstrate this, as the audio version is much more powerful and effective than the text version. The audio version conveys the emotion and passion of the speech, while the text version is more straightforward and lacks the same impact. This shows that delivery is an important factor in how effective a speech is, and that it should be given the highest priority.