King's “I have a dream”; speech: A case study of incorporating orality in rhetorical criticism

Abstract

Printed transcripts of speeches used by critics are often arbitrary. A richer insight into the rhetorical process may be achieved by incorporating orality into criticism. This study of Martin Luther King's “I Have a Dream Speech”; emphasizes the importance of orality, which is a dimension of textual authenticity, that can influence the content, form of a speech transcript, and the act of criticism. Examination of the “Dream”; speech demonstrates, however, that incorporation of orality does not necessarily provide answers to all of the critic's questions.