In five or more sentences: Some people view vocal style as “decoration” for a speech meaning that it only adds to the quality of how a speech sounds. What other purpose(s) does vocal style have on a speech?
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Solution
- To emphasize certain points. A speaker can use changes in pitch, volume, or rate of speech to highlight important information.
Sample Solution
- To emphasize certain points. A speaker can use changes in pitch, volume, or rate of speech to highlight important information.
Purposes that vocal style has on a speech:
- To emphasize certain points. A speaker can use changes in pitch, volume, or rate of speech to highlight important information. For example, a speaker might speak more slowly and deliberately when making a key point, or they might raise their voice to emphasize a call to action.
- To create a sense of urgency or excitement. The tone and volume of a speaker’s voice can be used to create a certain mood or atmosphere. For example, a speaker might use a loud, urgent tone to create a sense of excitement or urgency, or they might use a softer, more subdued tone to create a sense of calm or reflection.
- To build rapport with the audience. The way a speaker speaks can help them to connect with their audience on a personal level. For example, a speaker might use humor or stories to connect with their audience, or they might use a warm and inviting tone of voice to make them feel welcome.
- To persuade the audience to agree with the speaker. The way a speaker speaks can have a significant impact on whether or not their audience agrees with them. For example, a speaker might use logical arguments or emotional appeals to persuade their audience, or they might use a confident and authoritative tone of voice to make their points seem more credible.
- To make the speech more memorable. The way a speaker speaks can help to make their speech more memorable for their audience. For example, a speaker might use vivid language or storytelling to capture their audience’s attention, or they might use a variety of vocal techniques to keep their audience engaged.
In short, vocal style is more than just “decoration” for a speech. It can be used to emphasize certain points, create a sense of urgency or excitement, build rapport with the audience, persuade the audience, and make the speech more memorable.
