“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers…” See how this one speech from Shakespeare’s Henry V is a master class on motivational speaking.
The Battle of Agincourt is famous as a miraculous victory, but it began in a mood of doubt, with a question: what’s a king to say? What can he say to encourage his ill, exhausted, frightened little squad in the face of a much greater army?
When William Shakespeare told the tale, he had Henry V deliver one of the greatest motivational speeches of all time. By focusing on that “Band of Brothers” speech, we’ll see how to construct a persuasive argument, how to rally the troops behind you. The speech is constructed to help actors deliver it with power and feeling. We can all use some help in that department! And if positive encouragement doesn’t work, Henry has another speech that shows how to scare the wits out of people. You won’t have to make any speeches yourself, just come and learn from Shakespeare how it’s done.
What to Expect: From Shakespeare’s examples, we’ll learn techniques for speaking persuasively and getting the audience on your side. Henry V shows a variety of approaches to using words as weapons or tools for motivation. We can use them today. Knowing more about the nuts and bolts of the play increases our appreciation of Shakespeare’s skill as a writer. I hope to whet everyone’s appetite for seeing the play, too!
Feedback from Suzanne’s past courses:
“I learned a good way to appreciate Shakespeare and enjoyed Ms Sanders’ presentation and humor.”
“Suzanne Sanders gave a thoroughly enjoyable presentation that held my interest and gave me an informative and entertaining look at many aspects of Shakespeare. You can tell she really loves it.”
“I absolutely loved this class. Suzanne is marvelous. She really helped us understand and enjoy Shakespeare, ********** 10 Stars”
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