Say It Like Shakespeare: How to Give a Speech Like Hamlet, Persuade Like Henry V, and Other Secrets from the World's Greatest Communicator

321 Pages·2001·1.35 MB·English

by  Thomas Leech

Say It Like
Shakespeare
How to Give a Speech Like Hamlet,
Persuade Like Henry V, and Other Secrets
From the World’s Greatest Communicator
Thomas Leech
McGraw-Hill
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DOI:10.1036/0-07-138270-4
Contents
Acknowledgments v
Part I: The Path to Better Communication 1
1. Why the Bard as Communication Guru? 3
2. Exceeding Wise or Counterfeit Rascal: What’s Your Personal
Scorecard? 13
3. Mend Your Speech a Little: Ready to Go? 23
Part II: The Sender’s Role 35
4. Speak the Speech, Trippingly: Tune Up That Voice 37
5. Speak Plain and to the Purpose:
Enhancing Language Power 47
6. Is Your English Frittered? Overcoming
Language Deficiencies 61
7. Suit the Action to the Word: Body Language That
Works for You 79
8. Let the Apparel Proclaim the Man (and Woman): Appearance
as a Positive Factor 97
9. Get into a Winning State of Mind 107
Part III: The Receiver and Feedback Roles 117
10. BestowtheSenseof...HeyThere,AreYouListening? 119
iii
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CONTENTS
11. Receiver Meets Sender in Q&A 135
12. Test the Verbosity to the Argument: Sharpen Your Critical
Listening Skill 145
Part IV: Getting a Good Message 151
13. Tuning In: First, Do Your Homework 153
14. To Speak and Purpose Not? Set Your Approach 165
15. Bait the Hook Well: Organize Your Material 175
16. Let Us Tell Sad Stories: Develop the Substance 189
Part V: The Medium Supports the Message 207
17. Alas, Poor Yorick: Apply Visual Aids Well 209
18. Silence That Dreadful Bell! Use the Medium Wisely 223
Part VI: Competitive Communication 239
19. Gather Your Team: Once More unto the Breech! 241
20. The Readiness Is All: Prepare Well 253
21. Unveil That Knave! This Is a Competition 263
22. A Hit, a Very Palpable Hit! You Won! 271
23. Done to Death by Slanderous Tongues!
Uh-oh, You Lost 277
Part VII: Continuing Onward 287
24. Speak—It’s Your Cue: Moving Forward 289
Credits 293
Index of Famous Lines 299
Index 301
iv
Acknowledgments
I have relied on many sources in researching this fascinatingsubject:
books, videos, audios, and performances of many plays I have seen
at the San Diego Old Globe Theater, The DelacorteTheaterinNew
York City’s Central Park, and theatersat Stratford,Connecticut;Pur-
due University; and elsewhere. Because the language—words and
punctuation—varies from source to source, I have relied on one pri-
mary style guideline: the tattered, yellowed book I’ve been dipping
in and out of many years, the 1936 edition of The Complete Works
of William Shakespeare (edited by William Addis Wright, Garden
City Books, NY).
Through the many live performances of Shakespeare I’ve seen,
some stand out for incredible power, the sort that keep coming to
mind a decade or two later. These performers provided memorable
evenings and vividness about the power of the characters and words
of Shakespeare: Anthony Zerbe as Iago, Victor Buono (at age 19) as
Falstaff; James Earl Jones as Othello; JacquelineBrooksasCleopatra;
MorrisCarnovskyasShylock;andJonathanMcMurtryasmanychar-
acters.
Also highly valuable to me has been my sounding board of re-
viewers and critics: Leslie Johnson-Leech, Seymour Zeenkov, Jack
Farnan, and Pamela Adams, all Hamlet’s “Wisest friend [who] shall
hear and judge.” Their counsel has been sound and much of it even
incorporated into this book, although they are in no way to blame
foranyperceivedremainingdeficiencies.Thanks,too,toMaryGlenn
and Scott Amerman and the rest of the editing and production team
at McGraw-Hill for their guidance and skill in getting this fromman-
uscript to bound book.
To all of the above, borrowing from Twelfth Night’s Sebastian:
“I can no other answer make but thanks and thanks and ever....”
v
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Part I
The Path to Better
Communication
The Merchantof Venice.2,2
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In Part I you are asked to take a fresh look at how communication
fits into your business and personal worlds. Then you are shown
how to size up how you might rank on a communication scorecard.
And finally you are urged to commit to your own communication
improvement program (and then to enjoy the rewards that follow).
Chapter 1
Why the Bard as Communication Guru?
No man is the lord of any thing,
Though in and of him there be much consisting,
Till he communicate his parts to others.
Ulysses,Troilusand Cressida.3, 3
We strive mightily to enhance our communication ability. As we do
so, we look to various gurus and sources of wisdom for inspiration.
How about you? Have you sat through company training semi-
nars? Attended college extension classes? Picked up books on of-
fice communication or business presentations (and actually read
them)? Been coached, like it or not, by upper managers or outside
consultants? Joined your local Toastmasters Club? Even started
dressing for success? All these efforts for self-improvement try to
absorb and apply the latest hot stuff. If you do any of these, good
for you.
You can also gain much insight into communicating effectively
by heeding the advice of a chap named William Shakespeare, who
achieved lasting fame several centuries back as a writer, not a com-
municationguru.Evenso,theBardofAvonwovemanyobservations
pertinent to communicating into his tales of high intrigue and low
comedy.
3
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