The power of antiquity for modern purposes. A rhetorical analysis of a speech by Steve Jobs

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the blend of classic rhetorical techniques with linguistic devices to create an effective speech. To observe this, Steve Jobs’ Commencement Speech, given at Stanford University in 2005, is going to be the text under study. The success of the speech is going to be studied focusing on the relationship between the speaker and his audience. Jobs’ speech is related with the new communication media, which has become a viral video on the web working in different contexts from the original one. Moreover, it can be argued that an apparently unceremonious speech can function as a marketing strategy for the speaker’s company, Apple Inc.