Winston Churchill

Sir Winston Churchill was born on November 30, 1874, in Oxfordshire, England. He came from an aristocratic family, and he later went on to start his career at Royal Military Academy. After completing his education, he became a soldier and war correspondent who traveled to various places like India, Sudan, Afghanistan, and South Africa. 

Churchill began his political career in 1900 and climbed the ranks within the government until 1929 when he was defeated. Over the course of the next eleven years, Churchill spent this time reading, writing, and constructing speeches. In 1940, Churchill became the Prime Minister and held this position until 1955. Some of his most famous speeches were given during the World War ll era, such as "Their Finest Hour" and "Fight on the Beaches." As a rhetorician, Churchill had been studying and formulating his own ideas on rhetoric for most of his life. When he was twenty-three, he wrote "The Scaffolding of Rhetoric." This guideline to rhetoric highlights elements of speech such as the correctness of diction, rhythm, accumulation of the argument, analogies, and extravagant language. Alone, these rhetorical devices cannot stand. From Churchill's perspective, they depend on each other to communicate effectively and create a cohesive argument. This is why the idea of creating scaffolding is relevant because the collective, proper use of these elements of speech creates a foundation for communication. The rhetorician is responsible for incorporating all the rhetorical devices to give power and meaning to their message. 

Churchill also makes a point to state the importance of the nature of the speaker or writer. The delivery of the message cannot be flat and without emotion. The speaker must do justice to the ideas they are presenting by expressing them with passion and sincerity. They must communicate their message in a way that is captivating and draws their audience in. Churchill advocates that the use of emotion is an act of connecting with the audience. 

Sir Winston Churchill has imprinted a lasting legacy not only through his historical and political impacts but also through his contributions to language and literature. Churchill advocated that rhetoric is not only a tool but an art form that transforms words into action.