How does Johnson’s rapport/register, structure, diction, and use of rhetorical devices help to construct meaning in his speech on Margaret Thatcher?
After the death of Margaret Thatcher, many people from all backgrounds expressed their views on her controversial time as Prime Minister, one of whom was Boris Johnson, current Mayor of London and a Conservative MP. In a highly provocative speech, Johnson did not criticise Thatcher and her actions but instead expressed his respect and admiration for her, criticising her opponents. He presents his views by creating a rapport and using structure, diction, and rhetorical devices. These techniques help to construct meaning and made his speech on this contentious subject successful, and more engaging …show more content…
Johnson successfully uses a rapport to construct meaning and present ideas in his speech. He builds a rapport in his speech through both verbal and non-verbal techniques, such as body language. A physical speaker, Johnson relies on body language to establish a rapport. By doing things like running a hand through his hair and putting a pen in his pocket, he humanises himself. These mundane actions are performed by everyone, so seeing a politician behave in such an uninhibited way lessens the gap between the speaker and the audience, building a rapport. Similarly, Johnson is often uneasy in the delivery of his prepared speech, looking at his advisers when he says something particularly disputable which makes the audience feel sympathy towards him and his views. Johnson attempts to connect with the audience when he talks about how he ‘walked through the crowds’, as this is something many members of his audience would have also done which …show more content…
Johnson’s choice of words and phrases are designed to have an impact on the audience, and he uses both formal and informal language to do so. When discussing the ‘few people so stupid that they heckled the mortal remains of an 87 year old woman’, he emphasises the words ‘mortal remains’. This highlights Thatcher’s humanity, and the audience connects with her over a shared fate and common humanity. The phrase also uses age and gender as an indication of fragility, and Johnson uses society’s stereotype of a vulnerable old woman to depict Thatcher as being weak and frail. This makes the audience feel guilty about opposing her. Johnson also shows ‘the dissenters’ in a negative light by describing them as ‘twerpish’. This colloquial and derogatory word belittles Thatcher’s opposition, and also makes the audience feel ashamed about the ‘foes’, regardless of whether they were personally involved or not. Johnson uses several rhetorical devices including the power of three. Johnson uses the power of three several times throughout the speech. When talking about the ‘politics A level’ questions, he gives three different examples. By using the power of three, Johnson builds up the point he is trying to make and strengthens it with every example. He also repeats the phrase ’45 marks’ every time, which adds humour and lightens the mood, building the rapport. This rhetorical
After the death of Margaret Thatcher, many people from all backgrounds expressed their views on her controversial time as Prime Minister, one of whom was Boris Johnson, current Mayor of London and a Conservative MP. In a highly provocative speech, Johnson did not criticise Thatcher and her actions but instead expressed his respect and admiration for her, criticising her opponents. He presents his views by creating a rapport and using structure, diction, and rhetorical devices. These techniques help to construct meaning and made his speech on this contentious subject successful, and more engaging …show more content…
Johnson successfully uses a rapport to construct meaning and present ideas in his speech. He builds a rapport in his speech through both verbal and non-verbal techniques, such as body language. A physical speaker, Johnson relies on body language to establish a rapport. By doing things like running a hand through his hair and putting a pen in his pocket, he humanises himself. These mundane actions are performed by everyone, so seeing a politician behave in such an uninhibited way lessens the gap between the speaker and the audience, building a rapport. Similarly, Johnson is often uneasy in the delivery of his prepared speech, looking at his advisers when he says something particularly disputable which makes the audience feel sympathy towards him and his views. Johnson attempts to connect with the audience when he talks about how he ‘walked through the crowds’, as this is something many members of his audience would have also done which …show more content…
Johnson’s choice of words and phrases are designed to have an impact on the audience, and he uses both formal and informal language to do so. When discussing the ‘few people so stupid that they heckled the mortal remains of an 87 year old woman’, he emphasises the words ‘mortal remains’. This highlights Thatcher’s humanity, and the audience connects with her over a shared fate and common humanity. The phrase also uses age and gender as an indication of fragility, and Johnson uses society’s stereotype of a vulnerable old woman to depict Thatcher as being weak and frail. This makes the audience feel guilty about opposing her. Johnson also shows ‘the dissenters’ in a negative light by describing them as ‘twerpish’. This colloquial and derogatory word belittles Thatcher’s opposition, and also makes the audience feel ashamed about the ‘foes’, regardless of whether they were personally involved or not. Johnson uses several rhetorical devices including the power of three. Johnson uses the power of three several times throughout the speech. When talking about the ‘politics A level’ questions, he gives three different examples. By using the power of three, Johnson builds up the point he is trying to make and strengthens it with every example. He also repeats the phrase ’45 marks’ every time, which adds humour and lightens the mood, building the rapport. This rhetorical