Views of the art of public speaking. Why do I have a fear of public speaking?

The Five steps of Canons Rhetoric are:

i) Invention

Invention refers to coming up with an idea in order to make your speech interesting. It is basically a brainstorming period. 

For instance, before the trial, an attorney general would invent ways on how she can combat the charges against her client.

ii) Arrangement

Once you have invented the idea, the next step is to arrange that data in an organized manner.

Taking the same example, the attorney general in this stage would decide the order in which she would address the charges against her client.

iii) Style

In this stage, you try to make choices that would help you to create an impact, so as to persuade your audience. This would include your tone of voice, word choice, etc.

Example- In this stage, the attorney general would come up with catchy lines or maybe facts that would help her to address the charges effectively. 

iv) Memory 

Memory here refers to the content you know about your topic. The more you research the more you will know about it and gain in-depth knowledge regarding the same.

Example- The attorney general would try to memorize the key points of her argument, so as to present them effectively in front of the jury. 

v) Delivery

Delivery refers to the way you actually present your information. It involves your body language, tone of voice, eye contact, and much more.

In this case, the attorney general might maintain direct eye contact with each juror or use hand gestures while delivering her argument.

This is how the Classical Period marked the foundation of public speaking techniques that are practiced till today.

3) The Medieval Period (400 CE  -1400 CE)

In contrast to the development and modifications that took place during the Classical period, the Medieval age was considered to be a dark phase. 

However, St. Augustine, a Christian clergyman, and a renowned rhetorician continued to develop ideas and considered the study of persuasion that had originated during the Classical Period.

4) The Renaissance (1400 CE- 1600 CE)

The Renaissance period saw a rise of new intellectuals and rhetoricians who emphasized more on the style of public speaking. 

Petrus Ramus challenged the theories of the great scholars from the Classical Period and focused on logic rather than rhetoric. According to him, logic falls under two parts- invention and judgment.

He also challenged much of what the great scholars thought about ethics, morals, and the way they tied it up to communications.

According to Francis Bacon, morality and reasoning should be an essential part of any oration.

5) The Enlightenment (1600 CE – 1800 CE)

The Enlightenment Period was considered to be a bridge between the past and the present. 

In the presence of Neoclassicism, the classical approach of rhetoric was applied and practiced as per the situations present at that time.

George Campbell, a Scottish minister, and educator used scientific and moral reasoning to understand how persuasion in speech works, meaning how people use speech to persuade others.

It was in this period where the elocutionary approach was developed that mainly focused on the delivery aspect of public speaking, namely- tone of voice, gestures, body language, facial expressions, and pronunciations.

New political rhetoric was developed which was highly inspired by ancient Greeks and Romans as well as from the Five Canons of Rhetoric by Cicero. 

6) New School (from 1900s till today)

The New School considered public speaking as a separate field of study. Communication departments have professors or instructors to teach about classical and modern rhetoric.  For instance, Toastmasters is one such training organization that aims at teaching its members public speaking skills.

In the 21st century, due to technological advancements, different forms of public speaking have come into existence.