the greatest speech ever written

What Was the Greatest Speech, Historical or Fictional, Ever Given?

From the New Testament to Animal House

Ben Stein, actor and former speechwriter for Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford

The “To Be or Not to Be” speech from Hamlet boils down the essentials of life to a few magnificently poetic paragraphs.

Harold Bloom, humanities professor, Yale University

The seventh and last of Hamlet’s soliloquies , as he watches Fortinbras’s army march by him in the snow. The darkness of his insight is absolute.

Ted Widmer, former speechwriter for President Bill Clinton

Abraham Lincoln’s second inaugural came at a time for self-glorification. But instead of chest-thumping, it offered a profound modesty. Whenever the air is thick with political smugness, it bears rereading.

Anthony Weiner, former U.S. congressman from New York

FDR’s “Four Freedoms” speech .

Camille Paglia, author, Glittering Images: A Journey Through Art From Egypt to Star Wars

Pericles’ Funeral Oration , as reconstructed by Thucydides, is a celebration of Athenian freedom and justice—plus, it may have been written by Pericles’ mistress.

Mark Salter, former speechwriter for Senator John McCain

The Sermon on the Mount , for defining humility. Close runners-up are William Faulkner’s Nobel Prize acceptance speech, for its confident humility, and Lincoln’s second inaugural, for explaining the social necessity of humility.

Pat Buchanan, political analyst

The Sermon on the Mount, which includes the Beatitudes, the Lord's Prayer, and the divine instructions on how men ought to live, if they wish eternal life.

Representative John Lewis (D-Georgia)

If humankind would only live by the words of Jesus in the Beatitudes , the world would finally be at peace with itself. That great speech is from another time, but its words ring true from generation to generation.

Robert Schlesinger, author, White House Ghosts: Presidents and Their Speechwriters

For sheer reach and influence, it’s hard to argue against Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. It’s perhaps the central teaching of one of the world’s great religions, still studied and recounted not just in academia and religious institutions but by lay people all around the world.

James Carville, former campaign manager for President Bill Clinton

Although it does not have the same cache as the Sermon on the Mount, the Sermon on the Plain is a shorter and more cogent speech. Jesus was talking to people at his same level, rather than to people down the mountain.

Herman Edwards, football analyst, former NFL player and coach

I can remember watching Martin Luther King’s “ I Have a Dream ” speech on television when I was 9 years old. King educated and inspired not just the people who were at the March on Washington, but America in general.

Melinda Gates, co-chair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution” combines the beauty and power we associate with King’s oratory and a visionary argument about technology and morality.

Jim Harbaugh, head coach, San Francisco 49ers

For speeches of leadership and valor, there are none better than Winston Churchill’s speech before the House of Commons on June 4, 1940 —“We shall never surrender!”—or Shakespeare’s Saint Crispin’s Day speech , delivered by Henry V before the Battle of Agincourt: “We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; for he today that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother.”

Mary Beard, classics professor, University of Cambridge

Cicero’s first speech against his political rival Catiline , in 63  B.C. , has been a model for orators and protesters ever since. In fact, its first words—“How long will you abuse our patience, Catiline?”—were seen on opposition banners in Hungary less than two years ago.

Chris Anderson, TED curator

The best talk ever given at TED, judging by the length of the standing ovation, was the human-rights lawyer Bryan Stevenson’s “We Need to Talk About an Injustice.” In the 10 minutes after Stevenson finished, audience members committed $1 million to his advocacy organization by show of hands.

Steve Duck, professor of rhetoric, University of Iowa

For its effect at the time and its ability to speak to us today about leadership and bravery, the greatest speech has to be the one given by Queen Elizabeth I at Tilbury Docks in 1588 as she faced the Spanish armada and stirred her troops to England’s defense: “I know I have the body of a weak, feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king.”

Colin Quinn, comedian and writer

Karl Malden’s speech in On the Waterfront , because his character is based on a real priest from the Chelsea waterfront who chain-smoked and tried to help fight the mob. When Malden gives his speech, it's over a dead body in the hold of a ship, with the mob henchmen throwing vegetables and cans at him.

Matthew Scully, former speechwriter for President George W. Bush

Even two generations after John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address , a collaboration between him and Theodore Sorensen, not a line seems dated or stilted. From “man holds in his mortal hands” to “knowing that here on earth God’s work must truly be our own,” it is a work of perfection.

Gabby Giffords, former U.S. congresswoman from Arizona

As the spouse of a former NASA shuttle commander, I’m inspired by Kennedy’s speech at Rice University in 1962. We choose to go to the moon, he said, not because it is easy, but because it is hard. He touched on what makes America so great: we dream big.

General Stanley McChrystal, former commander of American forces in Afghanistan

Great speeches can inspire nations, armies, and teams to win against the odds and to take action when things seem hopeless. In that tradition, an entire generation can recite the simple message delivered by a slovenly fraternity brother: “What? Over? Did you say over ? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!” — Bluto, Animal House

This is an expanded version of October 2013’s Big Question . Readers have been sharing their answers online—here are some of our favorites.

From Twitter:

@MerrittJennifer : Gettysburg Address. Still gives me chills. Or Jack Nicholson's "You can't handle the truth..." - A Few Good Men

@philsmithwrites : Margaret Chase Smith's denunciation of Joseph McCarthy at height of his popularity.

@shakyside : Mr. Rogers' appearance before Congress is up there for sure.

@exentricone : Charlie Chaplin final speech in The Great Dictator

@jenniebrand : "Your Father's Watch", Christopher Walken, Pulp Fiction

@EeeVeeGross : Liam Neeson's threat over the phone to the Albanians that just kidnapped his daughter and her friend

From Facebook:

Thomas Izaguirre : I want to put in a word for speeches of infamy, which by eloquently stating the worst of human impulses have shown more mirror-like honesty than nobler orations. We deny and ignore them at our peril, as history shows. In that regard, there is the heinous "Cornerstone Speech" delivered by the Vice President of the Confederacy. Its candor and thoroughness in exalting and justifying racism on religious, political, ethical, and scientific grounds remains a stain on the nation and underscores the ultimate moral decay the dissent of the seceding states tried to obscure. It is the opposite of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address in every possible way.

Felipe Enrique : Julius Caesar, to his troops just north of the Rubicon River in northern Italy. After years campaigning in Gaul and Germania, he had to convince his war weary troops that they could no longer return home and rest or retire but they would have to fight to preserve what they believed in and that the enemies of Rome lie within. Once they crossed the Rubicon they would be considered enemies of the state and only victory in a civil war would ensure their freedom. "Alea iacta est" - the die is cast, one of so many lasting impressions from the great Caesar.

History’s Greatest Speakers and Their Greatest Speeches

Speakers throughout history have used their influence and public appeal along with some of their greatest speeches to inspire and unite people during times of struggle. It requires a unique combination of intellect and charisma to captivate large audiences. The best speakers have met moments of great adversity with words both vigorous and poignant, giving voice to the challenges of their time.

In my opinion, a great speaker is not one who simply entertains, but one who inspires individuals, despite their seemingly disparate interests, to act in a unified manner towards a worthy goal. There are several people in our present day who possess this innate ability. Undoubtedly, their impact on history will be determined in the future.

For now, I have chosen just a few speakers who have appeared in lists time and time again of the best speakers throughout history. This is not an exhaustive list by any means, and my methodology was simply to include individuals who during times of great strife, chose to inspire people with their words, leading people to some sense of hope and resolve.

As always, I encourage you to engage in this discussion in our comments section. Who are some of your favorite speakers from the past or present? Let us know.

1.  Abraham Lincoln

[VIDEO] Abraham Lincoln Mini Bio

Despite what you’ve heard, Abraham Lincoln was not a  vampire hunter  at any point in history. However, President Abraham Lincoln, the nation’s 16th president, was one of the greatest speakers America had ever seen.

The Civil War was a time of great divisions, and at a moment where the fate of the country was at stake, Abraham Lincoln emerged as a leader capable of bringing his nation’s citizens back together. On November 19, 1863, Abraham Lincoln gave his most famous speech and what is perhaps one of the greatest speeches ever written, “ The Gettysburg Address .” According to the  Lincoln Memorial’s website , the speech lasted only two minutes, but its impact continues to carry on.

Never underestimate the power of a few well chosen words. Enjoy more historical facts about this famous speech at the  Lincoln Memorial Interactive Website . Including videos, pictures, and general information about visiting the historical site.

2.  Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

[VIDEO] MLK Mini Bio

Another great speaker and leader, Martin Luther King Jr. brought together people of all races in America, in many ways carrying on Abraham Lincoln’s vision for an America where, “all men were created equal,” and should be treated as equals. Martin Luther King Jr. was a man of tremendous conviction. He was willing to risk being imprisoned, assaulted, and ultimately gave his life for the cause of Civil Rights.

Martin Luther King Jr. spent his entire life dedicated to liberating the oppressed in America and seeking an end to racial segregation, a circumstance he knew all to well from his childhood growing up in Atlanta, Georgia. He led the famous Montgomery Bus Boycotts, was a proponent of nonviolent social change, and delivered his most famous speech, “ I Have a Dream ,” to over 200,000 people.

The legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. lives on. His teachings continue to be shared with the world through his surviving family members, and through the work they do via  The King Center  based in Atlanta, Georgia.

3.  John F. Kennedy

[VIDEO] JFK Mini Bio

John F. Kennedy was the nation’s 35th president. According to the  White House Official Website , he was a figure of many firsts. He was the first Roman Catholic President, and sadly “Kennedy was the youngest man to be elected president; he was the youngest to die.” JFK most famously delivered the line, “Ask not what your country can do for you–ask what you can do for your country.” His words mobilized America’s people at a time of great uncertainty.

JFK’s gifts as an orator were well known, and his ability to unite people from all walks of life was an astounding accomplishment. One can only wonder what he might have achieved had he lived longer. His assassination on November 22nd, 1963 is a moment few who were living during the time will forget. Much like the attacks on Pearl Harbor and the attacks of September 11th, his tragic death marks a critical point in American history.

4.  Dwight D. Eisenhower

[VIDEO] Dwight D. Eisenhower Mini Bio

As a general he emerged victorious from World War II, and his tenure as president was one of many other victories. Eisenhower’s most famous speech seemed to be not only an address, but a warning. As a military man, Eisenhower knew all too well what war meant. He knew that its costs were great, and that its existence would not quickly fade away.

His speech warning of the “Military Industrial Complex,” is among my favorite speeches of all time. It’s part premonition and part world-weary wisdom from a man who’d seen the consequences of war up close and personal. Much of what he said can be seen in our current foreign affairs, and it would be interesting to know what he might think of today’s political climate.

5.  Winston Churchill

[VIDEO] Winston Churchill

[quote] You ask what is our aim? I can answer in one word: Victory. Victory at all costs. Victory in spite of all terror. Victory however long and hard the road may be. For without victory there is no survival.”[/quote]Our final speaker, Winston Churchill, was a man of fiery proclamations and great determination. Winston Churchill was a British Politician and former Prime Minister, most well known for his leadership in the UK during World War II. His most famous speeches are his, “ Iron Curtain ,” and “ Their Finest Hour ,” to the House of Commons. A summary of his  most famous quotations are available at the Churchill Centre Website , and many of his other speeches are located there as well.

Great speakers have the ability to bring people together when circumstances seem to be pulling them apart. As time goes on, many great speakers will continue to emerge, and if they choose their words well, we’ll continue to remember them for generations to come.

What do you think Studio 602ers? What are some of the greatest speakers and greatest speeches of all time? Sound off in the comments below!

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Victor – A very nice post. Great selections. I have long been an admirer of Churchill’s oratory skills as well as been a student of his leadership skills. I agree with you that those who stand up to incredible challenge at times of great strife and provide both moral, principaled and resolute leadership have given some of the best speaches of all time.

How can you possibly leave out Patrick Henry (“Liberty or death”), Socrates, and Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount?

Interesting selection, though based on your heading, I find your selection biased.

What about Cicero’s numerous speeches, such as In Catilinam? There is a reason this speech’s first words for years was used by typographers as a test page. If ever there was a teacher of rhetorics, it was Cicero. In ‘Verdens litterturhistorie’ (History of the Literature of the World), vol. 1, he is unsurprisingly presented as ‘Cicero, teacher of Europe’.

Looking forward to your reply.

Not that the subject matter of his speeches were positive, but as far as raw delivery skills Hitler was in the top five best speakers of all time

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The first amendment, looking at 10 great speeches in american history.

August 28, 2017 | by NCC Staff

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech certainly ranks highly in the pantheon of public speaking. Here is a look at the Dream speech and other addresses that moved people – and history.

King’s “Dream” speech from August 28, 1963 topped the list, followed by John F. Kennedy’s 1961 inaugural address and Franklin Roosevelt’s first inaugural address in 1933. In fact, three of King’s speeches were included in the top 50 speeches listed by the experts.

The eclectic list included public speeches from Barbara Jordan, Richard Nixon, Malcom X and Ronald Reagan in the top 10 of the rankings.

Link : Read The List

Public speaking has played an important role in our country’s story. Here is a quick look at some of the landmark speeches that often pop up in the discussion about public rhetoric.

1. Patrick Henry. “ Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death .” In March 1775, Henry spoke to a Virginia convention considering a breakaway from British rule. “The war is actually begun. The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms,” said Henry, who spoke without notes. “I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!”

2. George Washington’s first inaugural address . In 1789, the First President addressed the First Congress after his inauguration, setting the precedent for all inaugural speeches to follow. Washington enforced the need for the Constitution, concluding that “Parent of the Human Race  … has been pleased to favor the American people with opportunities for deliberating in perfect tranquillity, and dispositions for deciding with unparalleled unanimity on a form of government for the security of their union and the advancement of their happiness.”

3. Frederick Douglass. “ The Hypocrisy Of American Slavery .” In 1852, Douglass was invited to speak at a public Fourth of July celebration in Rochester, N.Y. Instead of talking about the celebration, Douglass addressed the issue that was dividing the nation. “I will, in the name of humanity, which is outraged, in the name of liberty, which is fettered, in the name of the Constitution and the Bible, which are disregarded and trampled upon, dare to call in question and to denounce, with all the emphasis I can command, everything that serves to perpetuate slavery,” he said.

4. Abraham Lincoln. “ The Gettysburg Address .” The best known of Lincoln’s speeches was one of his shortest. Lincoln was asked to make a few remarks in November 1863 after featured speaker Edward Everett spoke for about two hours. “Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, upon this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal,” Lincoln said in his opening paragraph. He spoke for two minutes.

5. William Jennings Bryan. “ Cross of Gold Speech .” A lesser-known contender for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1896, Bryan created a sensation with his speech that condemned the gold standard and held the promise of debt relief for farmers. “We shall answer their demands for a gold standard by saying to them, you shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns. You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold,” Bryan said with his arms spread in a crucifix-like position.

6. FDR’s first inaugural address . In 1933, the new President faced a nation in the grips of a deep economic recession. “First of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself -- nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance,” Roosevelt said as he opened his powerful speech. The inaugural set the agenda for FDR’s 12 years in office.

7. Richard Nixon’s Checkers speech . Facing controversy as a vice presidential candidate, Nixon showed how television could be used as a powerful communications tool. In a stroke of political genius, Nixon spoke to the nation about his family finances, and then said the only gift he wouldn’t return was Checkers, the family dog.

8. JFK’s first inaugural address . The well-written 1961 speech is considered one of the best inaugural speeches ever. Rhetoric expert Dr. Max Atkinson told the BBC in 2011 what made the Kennedy speech special. “Tt was the first inaugural address by a U.S. president to follow the first rule of speech-preparation: analyze your audience - or, to be more precise at a time when mass access to television was in its infancy, analyze your audiences.”

9. Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream” speech . King’s speech at the Lincoln Memorial in August 1963, in front of 250,000 people, is also one of the most-analyzed speeches in modern history. But King hadn’t included the sequence about the “Dream” in his prepared remarks. Singer Mahalia Jackson yelled for King to speak about “the Dream,” and King improvised based on remarks he had made in earlier speeches.

10. Ronald Reagan in Berlin . President Reagan appeared at the 750 th birthday celebration for Berlin in 1987, speaking about 100 yards away from the Berlin Wall. Reagan first cited President Kennedy’s famous 1963 speech in Berlin, and then asked, “General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” A Reagan speech writer later said the State Department didn’t want Reagan to use the famous line, but Reagan decided to do it anyway.

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The History Hit Miscellany of Facts, Figures and Fascinating Finds

• America 1765 - 1865

Why Was the Gettysburg Address so Iconic? The Speech and Meaning in Context

James Carson

19 nov 2018.

President Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address was just over 250 words long. It followed a two hour speech by Edward Everett at the dedication of a soldier’s cemetery on 19 November 1863 at the site of the bloodiest battle in American history, during a war that cost more American lives than all other wars combined.

It is considered one of the greatest political speeches of all time, explaining America’s critical challenges in their historical context succinctly while paying tribute to the men who had died in the face of those challenges. Here we review its meaning in context:

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

87 years prior, the America had overthrown British colonial rule and a new constitution had been written. It was a radical democracy without a monarchical legacy. ‘All men are created equal’ refers to slavery – a key cause of the American Civil War .

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.

Abraham Lincoln was elected President in 1860. He was the first US President to have won on purely northern electoral college votes.

President Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated on 4 March 1861 – by which time several southern states had already left the Union.

The southern states saw his election as a threat to their way of life – particularly in regard to the keeping of slaves. On 20 December 1860 South Carolina seceded from the Union. 10 other states followed, claiming they were creating a new nation – the Confederate States of America. Lincoln sought to reunify the country through military means – he did not declare war because of slavery specifically. 

We are met on a great battle-field of that war.

By 1863 the American Civil War had become a huge and costly struggle, with appalling casualties. Gettysburg was the biggest battle of the war and had occurred four months prior.  

We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

Lincoln was attending the dedication of a soldier’s cemetery. There were no battlefield cemeteries in America at this time, so it’s dedication was unique.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract.

This claims that the struggle was beyond the power of politics – that it had to be fought over.

The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced.

Gettysburg was a turning point in the Civil War. Previously the Union, despite a huge economic advantage, had been a recurring failure on the battlefield (and had regularly failed to make important strategic moves). At Gettysburg, the Union had finally gained a strategic victory.

Lincoln’s claims that ‘ the world will little note, nor long remember what we say here’ are incredibly humble; people regularly learn the Gettysburg address by heart.

It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—

The men who died at Gettysburg made the ultimate sacrifice to the cause of liberty and freedom, but it was for the living to now continue that cause.

that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

One of the greatest conclusions in political history. Lincoln sums up that the struggle for unification of the country and political freedom must be continued. That is does so because the country is aiming for the very ideal of political democracy, and that this ideal must never disappear.

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The greatest 250-word speech ever written..

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brough forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.  

At just under 250 words, Lincoln's 'Gettysburg Address' packs more greatness in two minutes than any other speech.  Why is it so powerful?

The phrasing is biblical, and elegiac, as befits the dedication of a battlefield to the fallen.  The cause was great, and the suffering enormous.  Lincoln captures the sense that we all have, before so much death and destruction, of feeling inadequate to fully comprehend and honor what happened. 

But what made the speech truly great was that the President took his audience on a journey, from the founding of the nation, to the onset of civil war, to the uncertain future they all faced.  The point of his speech was not solely to mourn the fallen, but also to remind the living that there was a great war still to win and a cause to support.  This great speech looks to the future.   

It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.  

And buried in the biblical phrasing there's a further device that works unconsciously on the audience, and the reader, to weave some incantatory magic.  I've discussed this speech many times with students, with clients, and with colleagues, and I always ask them what simple little word is repeated most unusually in the speech.  No one ever spots it.  Even Gary Wills, in his otherwise brilliant book on the speech, Lincoln at Gettysburg , doesn't spot it. 

When they look, people notice that the word 'we' is repeated 10 times.  But that's not unusual, or surprising, given that Lincoln was trying to rally the nation.  The speech was all about 'we'.  No, what is unusual is the repetition of the word 'here'.  … as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives….the brave men, living and dead, who struggled here….the world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.  It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here….It is rather for us to be here dedicated….that we here highly resolve….

Eight times in 250 words — two minutes — Lincoln invokes the place — the hallowed ground of Gettysburg — by repeating the word 'here'.  As a result, he weaves some kind of spell on listeners, then and afterward, that is not consciously noticed, but unconsciously seems to have a powerful effect. 

Repetition is an essential aspect of great public speaking.  The trick is knowing what and how to repeat.  Take a lesson from Lincoln.  Sometimes its the little words that have the most power. 

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Celebrating the 400th Anniversary of Shakespeare's First Folio

Making Shakespeare: The First Folio Key Art

William Shakespeare died at 52 in Stratford-upon-Avon on April 1616 and was buried two days later. His career spanned merely 28 years (give or take), and of his writings, 19 plays had been published in various states of completion during his life. Considering that today, he is credited with having written twice that many scripts and over 150 sonnets and poems, that was barely a third of his output preserved when he died. The next seven years were a struggle to collect all of Shakespeare's works in one place and put them together in a single volume. Three years after Shakespeare's death, a preliminary copy with several false title pages and dates came out, a scandal known as the "False Folio" affair. Steven Knight and Sarah Lancashire are currently dramatizing all of this in a new TV limited series due out in 2024 . 

However, seven years after the playwright passed, on November 8, 1623, Mr. William Shakespeare's Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies , now referred to as the "First Folio" of William Shakespeare's plays in modern scholarship, was registered. It is considered one of the most influential books of literature ever published, alongside Dante 's Divine Comedy and Geoffrey Chaucer 's The Canterbury Tales . It is the most influential book of plays published, and upon reaching its 400th birthday, a pillar of the United Kingdom's main export: Culture.

Shakespeare only wrote plays for three decades, but his stories have entertained and influenced audiences worldwide for four centuries. Here are some of his best writings, read by the best actors the U.K. has to offer.

Judi Dench, 'Sonnet 29'

No one knows when Shakespeare wrote most of his sonnets; it is assumed they were written privately, never meant for publishing, but one numbered so low was probably early on. They're also truly beautiful stuff, as Dame Judi Dench reminded everyone recently on The Graham Norton Show .

David Tennant as Hamlet in 'Hamlet'

No one entirely agrees when Hamlet was written, but it is accepted as one of Shakespeare's earliest works. (There's a whole Ur-Hamlet theory if you're really into tumbling down a rabbit hole.) The "To Be or Not To Be" speech is The Shakespeare Speech; there's no avoiding it, ignoring i t, or skipping it, so you might as well have David Tennant do it. This is from the 2009 BBC version where he starred with Patrick Stewart , by the way, which is worth tracking down just for that.

Kenneth Branagh as Henry V in 'Henry V'

There was a time when Kenneth Branagh was not a man who rated himself over-highly and really was the hottest actor out of the U.K., the kind who could turn a Shakespeare film into a box office hit. His 1989 war film Henry V (which he starred in alongside then-wife Emma Thompson and a host of British A-listers) was the start of a slew of Shakespeare plays he directed starring himself and Thompson, and the best of the lot by miles and miles. 

Ashley Thomas as Shylock in 'The Merchant of Venice'

The Merchant of Venice is one of Shakespeare's early works from the 1590s that sits undated; it's also one that's pretty controversial since it's about anti-semitism while also being pretty anti-semitic. The updated BBC take on this Shylock speech as part of its updating Shakespeare for Gen Z is an eye opener, though as celebrity Ashley Thomas turns the famous Shylock speech into something that any minority living in the U.K. can relate to.

Gwendoline Christie as Titania in 'A Midsummer's Night Dream'

A Midsummer's Night Dream was written in 1595, and is probably the most famous of all of Shakespeare's comedies. It's sort of his peak mistaken identity everyone-sleeps-with-everyone-fairies-and-elves-and-magic-oh-my silliness. Plus it's got a play within a play! What more could you ask for?

Patrick Stuart as John of Gaunt in 'Richard II'

Everything about The Hollow Crown and The Hollow Crown: Wars of the Roses cycle from the BBC is just chefs kiss, but none quite so much as Richard II , with Ben Whishaw in the title role. Sadly, his "This Sceptred Isle" speech is not on YouTube, but his scene wit h Patrick Stuart as John of Gaunt is, and it's just as remarkable, a moment of British Shakespeare royalty passing the torch.

Zawe Ashton as Jacques in 'As You Like It'

Shakespeare's most famous soliloquy begins, "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players." The line is actually from As You Like It , which was estimated to have been first written in 1599 or 1600. Technically classified as a comedy, it really is a dramedy before the term was invented, and it's one of those that has no recorded performances in Shakespeare's lifetime and literally only exists because it was found and published in the First Folio.

Ian McKellen as Richard III in 'Richard III'

Shakespeare's entire history cycle of plays was written in the 1590s, spanning from Henry IV Part 1 through the rarely done Edward III . The most popular ones are Henry V and Richard III , which have standalone films outside The Hollow Crown cycle. But none were quite as popular as Ian McKellen 's Nazi take on Richard III , which was released in 1995, and cemented him in the American mind as one of the leading Shakespearean actors of the day prior to The Lord of the Rings .

Damian Lewis as Antony in 'Julius Caesar'

Julius Caesar is technically a tragedy, not a history play, written in 1599 but not published until the First Folio. Anthony's speech at Caesar's burial is one of the playwright's most famous monologues, along with Caesar's final line, "Et tu, Brute?" 

Ashley Waters as Romeo in 'Romeo & Juliet'

Romeo & Juliet is one of Shakespeare's most famous tragedies, the star-crossed lovers that will never die. It's also kind of hard to make believable for modern audiences, as it really does require one to get into the mindset of the modern teenager. However, the street gang setting o f West Side Story is one of the most successful remakes, which is why this BBC reset of the original with Ashley Walters as Romeo as a lovestruck hoodie works so well.

Joanna Lumley as Viola in 'Twelfth Night'

Of all Shakespeare's comedies, Twelfth Night wins the award for the most crossed-dressed, and if it were written today, it would probably lose points for massive amounts of queer-baiting without delivering. However, it also has some of the best and funniest speeches as people realize the blindingly obvious has happened and have to act totally surprised about it. Now that's comedy.

Riz Ahmed as Edmund in 'King Lear'

King Lear is technically billed under the tragedy banner rather than a history play, and was first performed for King James I in 1606. Though the title role is the one that gets all the attention, Riz Ahmed's performance as the oft-overlooked villain of the story, Edmund, is really worth a watch.

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Ani Bundel has been blogging professionally since 2010. A DC native, Hufflepuff, and Keyboard Khaleesi, she spends all her non-writing time taking pictures of her cats. Regular bylines also found on MSNBC, Paste, Primetimer, and others. 

A Woman's Place Is In Your Face. Cat Approved. Find her on BlueSky and other social media of your choice: @anibundel.bsky.social

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• The Merchant of Venice
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The 21 greatest graduation speeches of the last 60 years

By german lopez on may 11, 2016.

Graduation speeches are the last opportunity for a high school or college to educate its students. It's unsurprising, then, that these institutions often pull in some of the world's most powerful people to leave an equally powerful impression on their students. Here are the best of those speeches and some of the sections that resonate the most.

David Foster Wallace at Kenyon College, 2005

Jamie Sullivan

“There are these two young fish swimming along and they happen to meet an older fish swimming the other way, who nods at them and says, 'Morning, boys. How's the water?' And the two young fish swim on for a bit, and then eventually one of them looks over at the other and goes, 'What the hell is water?' This is a standard requirement of US commencement speeches: the deployment of didactic little parable-ish stories. The story thing turns out to be one of the better, less bulshitty conventions of the genre, but if you're worried that I plan to present myself here as the wise, older fish explaining what water is to you younger fish, please don't be. I am not the wise old fish.”

Steve Jobs at Stanford University, 2005

Stanford University

“No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because death is very likely the single best invention of life. It’s life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it’s quite true. Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

Ellen Degeneres at Tulane University, 2009

Tulane University

“I know that a lot of you are concerned about your future, but there’s no need to worry. The economy is booming, the job market is wide open, the planet is just fine. It’s gonna be great. You’ve already survived a hurricane. What else can happen to you? And as I mentioned before, some of the most devastating things that happen to you will teach you the most. And now you know the right questions to ask for your first job interview — like, ‘Is it above sea level?’ So to conclude my conclusion that I’ve previously concluded in the common cement speech, I guess what I’m trying to say is life is like one big Mardi Gras. But instead of showing your boobs, show people your brain. And if they like what they see, you’ll have more beads than you know what to do with. And you’ll be drunk most of the time.”

Conan O'Brien at Dartmouth College, 2011

“Way back in the 1940s there was a very, very funny man named Jack Benny. He was a giant star and easily one of the greatest comedians of his generation. And a much younger man named Johnny Carson wanted very much to be Jack Benny. In some ways he was, but in many ways he wasn’t. He emulated Jack Benny, but his own quirks and mannerisms, along with a changing medium, pulled him in a different direction. And yet his failure to completely become his hero made him the funniest person of his generation. David Letterman wanted to be Johnny Carson, and was not, and as a result my generation of comedians wanted to be David Letterman. And none of us are — my peers and I have all missed that mark in a thousand different ways. But the point is this: it is our failure to become our perceived ideal that ultimately defines us and makes us unique. It’s not easy, but if you accept your misfortune and handle it right, your perceived failure can be a catalyst for profound reinvention.”

Carol Bartz at University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2012

University of Wisconsin-Madison

“Accept failure and learn from it. Failure is part of life, it’s part of every career, and you have to know how to take advantage of it. The single greatest strength that this country has via Silicon Valley is that failure is seen as a sign of experience. Failure is part of work, it’s part of life. People are willing to take risks on the way to innovation. One of my fondest sayings is fail, fast, forward. Recognize you’ve failed, try to do it fast, learn from it, build on it, and move forward. Embrace failure, have it be part of your persona. You’re going to have long careers, as I’ve already told you, you’re going to have many failures — personal, business, professional. I’ve had my share. But just use this as a building block to your next success.”

President John F. Kennedy at American University, 1963

“Genuine peace must be the product of many nations, the sum of many acts. It must be dynamic, not static, changing to meet the challenge of each new generation. For peace is a process — a way of solving problems. With such a peace, there will still be quarrels and conflicting interests, as there are within families and nations. World peace, like community peace, does not require that each man love his neighbor — it requires only that they live together in mutual tolerance, submitting their disputes to a just and peaceful settlement.”

David McCullough Jr. at Wellesley High School, 2012

Wellesley High School

“Like accolades ought to be, the fulfilled life is a consequence — a gratifying byproduct. It’s what happens when you’re thinking about more important things. Climb the mountain not to plant your flag but to embrace the challenge, enjoy the air, and behold the view. Climb it so you can see the world, not so the world can see you. Go to Paris to be in Paris, not to cross it off your list and congratulate yourself for being worldly. Exercise free will and creative independent thought not for the satisfactions they will bring you but for the good they will do others — the rest of the 6.8 billion and those who will follow them. And then you too will discover the great and curious truth of the human experience is that selflessness is the best thing you can do for yourself. The sweetest joys of life, then, come only with the recognition that you’re not special, because everyone is.”

Stephen Colbert at Northwestern University, 2011

Joshua Sherman

“You have been told to follow your dreams, but what if it’s a stupid dream? For instance, Stephen Colbert of 25 years ago lived at 2015 North Ridge with two men and three women in what I now know was a brothel. He dreamed of living alone — well, alone with his beard in a large, barren loft apartment, lots of blonde wood, wearing a kimono, with a futon on the floor and a Samovar of tea constantly bubbling in the background, doing Shakespeare in the street for homeless people. Today, I am a beardless, suburban dad who lives in a house, wears no iron khakis, and makes Anthony Weiner jokes for a living. And I love it, because thankfully dreams can change. If we’d all stuck with our first dream, the world would be overrun with cowboys and princesses. So whatever your dream is right now, if you don’t achieve it, you haven’t failed, and you’re not some loser. But just as importantly — and this is the part I may not get right and you may not listen to — if you do get your dream, you are not a winner.”

Sheryl Sandberg at Harvard Business School, 2012

Harvard Business School

“I sat down with Eric Schmidt, who had just become the CEO [of Google], and I showed him the spreadsheet and I said, this job meets none of my criteria. He put his hand on my sheet and he looked at me and said, ‘Don’t be an idiot.’ Excellent career advice. And then he said, ‘Get on a rocketship. When companies are growing quickly and having a lot of impact, careers take care of themselves. And when companies aren’t growing quickly or their missions don’t matter as much, that’s when stagnation and politics come in. If you’re offered a seat on a rocketship, don’t ask what seat. Just get on.’”

Michael Lewis at Princeton University, 2012

Princeton University

“In a general sort of way you’ve been appointed leader of the group. Your appointment may not be entirely arbitrary. But you must sense right now its arbitrary aspect: you are the lucky few. Lucky in your parents, lucky in your country, lucky that a place like Princeton exists that can take in lucky people, introduce them to other lucky people, and increase their chances of becoming even luckier. Lucky that you live in the richest society the world has ever seen, in a time when no one actually expects you to sacrifice your interest to anything. All of you have been faced with the extra cookie. All of you will be faced with many more of them. In time you will find it easy to assume that you deserve the extra cookie. For all I know, you may deserve the extra cookie. But you will be happier, and you will be better off, if you at least pretend that you don't.”

Jon Stewart at the College of William & Mary, 2004

College of William & Mary

“Lets talk about the real world for a moment. ... I don’t really know to put this, so I’ll be blunt: we broke it. Please don’t be mad. I know we were supposed to bequeath to the next generation a world better than the one we were handed. So, sorry. I don’t know if you’ve been following the news lately, but it just kinda got away from us. Somewhere between the gold rush of easy internet profits and an arrogant sense of endless empire, we heard kind of a pinging noise, and then the damn thing just died on us. So I apologize. But here’s the good news: you fix this thing, you’re the next greatest generation, people.”

Oprah Winfrey at Spelman College, 2012

Spelman College

“You must have some kind of vision for your life, even if you don’t know the plan. You have to have a direction in which you choose to go. I never was the kind of woman who liked to get in a car and just go for a ride. I had a boyfriend that would say, ‘Let’s just go for a ride.’ I want to know where are we going. Do we have a destination? Is there a plan? Are we just riding? What I’ve learned is that’s a great metaphor for life. You want to be in the driver’s seat of your own life, because if you’re not, life will drive you.”

Neil Gaiman at the University of the Arts, 2012

Lennie Alzate

“The moment that you feel that, just possibly, you’re walking down the street naked, exposing too much of your heart and your mind and what exists on the inside, showing too much of yourself, that’s the moment you may be starting to get it right. The things I’ve done that worked the best were the things I was the least certain about, the stories where I was sure they would either work or more likely be the kinds of embarrassing failures that people would gather together and discuss until the end of time. They always had that in common. Looking back at them, people explain why they were inevitable successes. And while I was doing them, I had no idea. I still don’t. And where would be the fun in making something you knew was going to work? And sometimes the things I did really didn’t work. There are stories of mine that have never been reprinted. Some of them never even left the house. But I learned as much from them as I did from the things that worked.”

George Saunders at Syracuse University's College of Arts and Sciences, 2013

Syracuse University's College of Arts and Sciences

“Seek out the most efficacious anti-selfishness medicines energetically for the rest of your life. And do all the other things of course, the ambitious things: travel, get rich, get famous, innovate, lead, fall in love, make and lose fortunes, swim naked in a wild jungle river — after first testing it for monkey poop. But as you do, to the extent that you can, err in the direction of kindness. Do those things that incline you toward the big questions, and avoid the things that would reduce you and make you trivial. That luminous part of you that exists beyond personality — your soul, if you will — is as bright and shining as any that has ever been. Bright as Shakespeare’s, bright as Gandhi’s, bright as Mother Teresa’s. Clear away everything that keeps you separate from this secret luminous place. Believe it exists, come to know it better, nurture it, share its fruits tirelessly.”

Nora Ephron at Wellesley College, 1996

Wellesley College

“So what are you going to do? This is the season when a clutch of successful women who have it all get up and give speeches to women like you and say, ‘To be perfectly honest, you can’t have it all.’ Well, maybe young women don’t wonder whether they can have it all any longer, but in case any of you are wondering, of course you can have it all. What are you going to do? Everything is my guess. It will be a little messy, but embrace the mess. It will be complicated, but rejoice in the complications. It will not be anything like what you think it’s going to be like, but surprises are good for you. And don't be frightened. You can always change your mind. I know. I've had four careers and three husbands. And this is something else I want to tell you, one of the hundreds of things I didn’t know when I was sitting here so many years ago: you are not going to be you, fixed and immutable you, forever.”

Aaron Sorkin at Syracuse University, 2012

Syracuse University

“Decisions are made by those who show up. Don't ever forget that you're a citizen of this world. Don't ever forget that you’re a citizen of this world, and there are things you can do to lift the human spirit, things that are easy, things that are free, things that you can do every day: civility, respect, kindness, character. You’re too good for schadenfreude, you’re too good for gossip and snark, you’re too good for intolerance — and since you're walking into the middle of a presidential election, it’s worth mentioning that you’re too good to think people who disagree with you are your enemy. … Don’t ever forget that a small group of thoughtful people can change the world. It’s the only thing that ever has.”

Barbara Kingsolver at DePauw University, 1994

DePauw University

“It’s not up to you to save the world. That’s the job of every living person who likes the idea of a future. But I’m going to go out on a limb here and give you one little piece of advice, and that is, like the idea of a future. Believe you have it in you to make the world look better rather than worse seven generations from now. Figure out what that could look like. And then if you’re lucky, you’ll find a way to live inside that hope, running down its hallways, touching the walls on both sides.”

Jane Lynch at Smith College, 2012

Smith College

“My counsel to you, women of Smith College: let life surprise you. Don’t have a plan. Plans are for wusses. If my life went according to my plan, I would never ever have the life I have today. Now, you are obviously good planners, or you wouldn’t be here. So stop it! Stop it now! Don’t deprive yourself of the exciting journey your life can be when you relinquish the need to have goals and a blueprint.”

Bill Gates at Harvard University, 2007

Harvard University

“In line with the promise of this age, I want to exhort each of the graduates here to take on an issue — a complex problem, a deep inequity, and become a specialist on it. If you make it the focus of your career, that would be phenomenal. But you don’t have to do that to make an impact. For a few hours every week, you can use the growing power of the internet to get informed, find others with the same interests, see the barriers, and find ways to cut through them. Don’t let complexity stop you. Be activists. Take on big inequities. I feel sure it will be one of the great experiences of your lives.”

Eugene Mirman at Lexington High School, 2009

Eugene Mirman

“What’s the worst grade you’ve ever gotten? A D? An F? When I was in eighth grade in Diamond Middle School on a homework assignment — this is true — I once got a -8. Sadly very true. I did my assignment worse than not doing it. But did I let getting a grade lower than the lowest possible grade stop me? No. I was put into resource room in special education, and I turned my F into a D. So you see sometimes you can fail, then barely pass, and then become a comedian.”

Michelle Obama at Spelman College, 2011

“Some of you may have grown up like me, in neighborhoods where few had the chance to go to college, where being teased for doing well in school was a fact of life, where well-meaning but misguided folks questioned whether a girl with my background could get into a school like Princeton. Sometimes I’d save them the trouble and raised the questions myself, in my own head, lying awake at night, doubting whether I had what it took to succeed. And the truth is that there will always be folks out there who make assumptions about others. There will always be folks who try to raise themselves up by cutting other people down. That happens to everyone, including me, throughout their lives. But when that happens to you all, here’s what I want you to do: I want you to just stop a minute, take a deep breath — because it’s going to need to be deep — and I want you to think about all those women who came before you.”

• The formula for a good life after college
• Girls have gotten better grades than boys for 100 years
• The job market for 2014 grads: still awful
• Editor Eleanor Barkhorn
• Designer: Uy Tieu
• Developer Yuri Victor
• Special Thanks Chao Li

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The Greatest Speech, Ever Paperback – January 7, 2015

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• Print length 480 pages
• Language English
• Publisher History Publishing Company LLC
• Publication date January 7, 2015
• Dimensions 6 x 1.3 x 8.9 inches
• ISBN-10 1933909927
• ISBN-13 978-1933909929
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• Publisher ‏ : ‎ History Publishing Company LLC; Updated edition (January 7, 2015)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 480 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1933909927
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1933909929
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.48 pounds
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.3 x 8.9 inches
• #579 in Literary Speeches
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