1. Speech analysis “Duty, honor, country” By General Douglas MacArthur Theodore Madrid Madrid-27529 ENGL-207 COTC

2. General Douglas MacArthur Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s Served in both world wars. Lived from 1880 to 1964. Received many notable awards, including the Medal of Honor and two Purple Heart awards. Is considered a controversial and enigmatic figure but is recognized by many as a great military leader, national hero, and model citizen.

3. “Honor, Duty, Country” This is the title of Douglas MacArthur's speech to the Corps of Cadets at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., May 12, 1962, in accepting the Sylvanus Thayer Award. It is as influential and historic a speech as those of Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and J.F.K., and other such renowned speakers. It is rated by AmericanRhetoric.com as the 20 th most influential American speech of the 20 th century. I agree in that this speech was excellent and is rightly considered an American classic. MacArthur’s speaking style was not without flaws but of those there were too few to compromise the value of his speech which was immense.

4. Throughout the entirety of MacArthur’s speech, he speaks very slowly, often taking very long pauses in between every couple of words. This breaks up nearly every sentence and is unflattering. It can at times be an effective tool but using it as an omnipresent feature is not beneficial. Rather, it makes it hard for the listener to focus on what he is saying and maintain interest. MacArthur is also very monotone. This is not as prevalent an issue as the long gaps he takes but it does effect the attractiveness of his speech. Having little voice inflection and diversity in tone causes the speaker to rely on the content of the speech to captivate the audiences minds. This does not suit his speech well, especially when the aforementioned issue regarding rate is already so detrimental. Finally, he places very little stress on words. Stressing certain words has long been an effective tool to make them stand out and draw more importance to the thought being expressed. Without the use of this tool, it is hard for the listener to differentiate between when something critical is being discussed and when the words are less substantial. It also does not help captivate the crowd emotionally, which is an essential part of a successful speech. Weaknesses

5. Improvements to be made While it is duly noted that MacArthur was near the end of his life at the time of his giving this speech and therefore likely struggled albeit his best attempts, it remains true that certain changes could be made for the improvement of the speech. First and foremost, an increase in the rate of speaking would be beneficial. His speech was rather long but a moderately rapid reader could go through the speech much more quickly without blemishing any of it’s positive qualities. Rather, it would enhance the value of the speech and draw the audience in more firmly so as to allow for them to maintain strong attention throughout the speech. If pauses were used less frequently and as tools, they would have a much stronger effect and could thereby be used for the benefit of his speech. MacArthur would also have benefited by using greater inflection of tone and stress on particular words. Just like the use of varying rates of speaking, this would allow him to place special importance on certain words, sentences, and thoughts that he wants to strongly impact the audience. With or without these improvements, MacArthur gave a very excellent speech with great content, organization, rhetorical skill, and other such useful factors.

6. MacArthur’s awareness of his audience - cadets and other members of a prestigious military academy - is apparent in many aspects of his speech. He maintains a very professional, serious tone throughout the speech. This is entirely appropriate for any such important event and creates a serious and dramatic mood. However, this does not come at a loss of connection to the crowd. The general employs a skill in rhetoric and story telling along with a light-hearted joke at the beginning to connect with the crowd. He tells stories in vivid detail which draws the listener in and conveys deep emotion. The most excellent example is found in the following text from the general’s speech.“[…]in memory's eye I could see those staggering columns of the First World War, bending under soggy packs, on many a weary march from dripping dusk to drizzling dawn, slogging ankle-deep through the mire of shell-shocked roads, to form grimly for the attack, blue-lipped, covered with sludge and mud, chilled by the wind and rain, driving home to their objective, and for many, to the judgment seat of God.” (Duty, Honor, Country. Douglas MacArthur). This is just one of several examples from his speech in which he uses rich imagery. In such passages, and throughout the speech, MacArthur speaks eloquently and articulately. This presentation paves the way for the truly inspiring content of his speech to be effectively delivered to an audience so as to motivate them to live in accordance with the values and ethical standards that he speaks of. Strengths in aesthetic appeal

7. The content of MacArthur’s speech makes it just as profound as its aesthetic features. He speaks of a hallowed set of ideals, a commitment to duty, honor, and one’s country. He seeks to move his audience to agree with him in that the fitting life of a person, a soldier especially, is to be guided by this ethical code and to ceaselessly strive to uphold the moral values of which he speaks. The speech was organized thoughtfully and thereby brings the proper points in the proper sequence. He begins with a description of what this moral code is and then acknowledges the arguments against the necessity for such behavior. He then offers a persuasive rebuttal and a moving argument for his proposition and makes a deep, personal connection between all the people and these values. Finally, he ends with a sort of vision for the future, where the soldiers of the U.S. military “stand like a ten-fold beacon in the night”(Duty, Honor, Country. Douglas MacArthur). His closing effectively pulls together all the positive qualities of his speech and the general’s core message. It draws on the captivation of,and connection with, the crowd to deliver a compelling and inspiring conclusion that leaves the listener impassioned and of the opinion that ‘Duty, Honor, Country’ truly is one of the greatest American speeches of the 20 th century. Strengths in content

8. Source cited Source Cited : "Duty, Honor, Country" General Douglas Macarthur. Sylvanus Thayer award acceptance address, May 1962MacArthur Memorial Foundation MacArthur Square Norfolk, Virginia 23510 http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/douglasmacarthurthayeraward.html