The rhetorical situation is essentially the context of the argument: who the writer is, who the audience is, and what the topic is. Another element of the rhetorical situation that we'll discuss is the constraints that Reagan had to take into account when preparing this speech. We'll also briefly go over the exigency, or timing and relevancy, of the argument.
Writer:
The speech that we are looking at was written by Ronald Reagan (or at least by his speechwriters). The fact that it's a presidential speech gives it a certain weight that an average speech wouldn't have. The speech was written by professionals, which means that a) the speech is very professionally worded and includes all the necessary thanks to the host country's leaders and b) that the context is taken into account in order for the speech to be as exigent as possible. Reagan was one of four presidents to have visited the Berlin Wall, and he carried the momentum of America's successful diplomatic history with him when he spoke.
Reader/Audience:
There were 45,000 people in attendance the day of the speech, including much of the leadership of West Berlin and West Germany. The speech was also televised, with Soviet leaders watching it in particular.
Topic/Context and Exigency/Kairos:
The speech was given at a time when the Soviet Union was approaching its demise, Germany had been physically divided by the Wall since 1961, and the United States was firmly established as a global superpower. Reagan's main goal was to convince his audience that Western democracy was a better alternative to communism, and that, while the Western world represented freedom, the Berlin Wall symbolized oppression and all that was wrong with Soviet Russia. He made this speech shortly after a G-7 summit, around the climax of the cold war. Ronald Reagan addresses many of the most pertinent issues of the time: the Berlin Wall; Communism; and the nuclear arms race.
Constraints:
One of the constraints Reagan faced was that he was giving a speech, so it could only be limited to a certain length and he had to make sure that the audience was staying engaged. Another limitation was the fact that he was speaking in West Germany, and had East Germans and Soviets listening in. His speech included some risky statements, but he still had to be respectful of his hosts and pay homage to them and their city. A third constraint was that Reagan had to have professional wording and delivery in order to uphold his reputation as being a powerful speaker and President.
The speech that we are looking at was written by Ronald Reagan (or at least by his speechwriters). The fact that it's a presidential speech gives it a certain weight that an average speech wouldn't have. The speech was written by professionals, which means that a) the speech is very professionally worded and includes all the necessary thanks to the host country's leaders and b) that the context is taken into account in order for the speech to be as exigent as possible. Reagan was one of four presidents to have visited the Berlin Wall, and he carried the momentum of America's successful diplomatic history with him when he spoke.
Reader/Audience:
There were 45,000 people in attendance the day of the speech, including much of the leadership of West Berlin and West Germany. The speech was also televised, with Soviet leaders watching it in particular.
Topic/Context and Exigency/Kairos:
The speech was given at a time when the Soviet Union was approaching its demise, Germany had been physically divided by the Wall since 1961, and the United States was firmly established as a global superpower. Reagan's main goal was to convince his audience that Western democracy was a better alternative to communism, and that, while the Western world represented freedom, the Berlin Wall symbolized oppression and all that was wrong with Soviet Russia. He made this speech shortly after a G-7 summit, around the climax of the cold war. Ronald Reagan addresses many of the most pertinent issues of the time: the Berlin Wall; Communism; and the nuclear arms race.
Constraints:
One of the constraints Reagan faced was that he was giving a speech, so it could only be limited to a certain length and he had to make sure that the audience was staying engaged. Another limitation was the fact that he was speaking in West Germany, and had East Germans and Soviets listening in. His speech included some risky statements, but he still had to be respectful of his hosts and pay homage to them and their city. A third constraint was that Reagan had to have professional wording and delivery in order to uphold his reputation as being a powerful speaker and President.