‘As Shakespeare so Memorably Said…’: Quotation, Rhetoric, and the Performance of Politics

Judi Atkins, A. Finlayson

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    30 Citations (Scopus)
    129 Downloads (Pure)

    Abstract

    This article examines the use of quotation in British political rhetoric since 1945. It argues that quotations are not only a source of authority, but a way of claiming authorisation. The article also shows how, through quotations, party leaders try to establish connections between themselves and the common cultural resources of their audience, and how they attempt to show fidelity to a tradition even as they try to redirect it. The conclusion is that rhetorical analysis exposes the symbolic, ritualised aspect of contemporary political and ideological practices, the understanding of which requires the integration of rhetorical and performance theories.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)164-181
    JournalPolitical Studies
    Volume64
    Issue number1
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 11 Dec 2015

    Bibliographical note

    The final, definitive version of this paper has been published in Political Studies, 64/1, 12/2011 published by SAGE Publishing, All rights reserved.

    Keywords

    • British political speech
    • rhetoric
    • quotation
    • performance
    • leadership

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