Urbanity is Rhetorical Style in Oratory
An effective orator must exhibit what Aristotle called "urbanity" in speech.
Aristotle considered urbanity (or civility) as a crucial aspect of effective oratory. Urbanity is the ability to communicate with ease, elegance, eloquence, and refinement in speech. It involves a combination of factors, including:
Cultural sensitivity: An orator with urbanity is well-versed in the cultural context of the audience, crafting the message and the language used so as to resonate with the listener.
Sophistication: Urbanity demands a level of sophistication in language, tone, and delivery, which helps to establish credibility and authority.
Politic: An orator with urbanity is courteous, respectful, and considerate of the entire audience’s feelings and opinions.
Rhetorical style: Urbanity requires a mastery of rhetorical devices such as metaphors, allusions, and anecdotes, to engage and persuade the audience.
By exhibiting urbanity in speech, an orator can:
Build trust and rapport with the audience;
Establish credibility and authority;
Communicate complex ideas with clarity and precision;
Engage and persuade the audience by “making it look easy;”
Demonstrate an understanding of the audience's concerns and sympathies;
Thus, urbanity is the key to effective public speaking, as it enables the orator to connect with the audience, to convey a message with clarity and persuasiveness, and leave a lasting impression.
It goes without saying that everything said by the orator is true -that the orator's honor is unimpeachable. The orator's speech is elevated, thereby, to a level of pure contemplation -about which nothing more can be, or needs to be said. The orator thus represents the Ideal—the paragon of virtue—as if he were a statue upon a pedestal.