‘As Shakespeare so memorably said…’: Quotation, rhetoric, and the performance of politics

Atkins, Judi and Finlayson, Alan (2016) ‘As Shakespeare so memorably said…’: Quotation, rhetoric, and the performance of politics. Political Studies, 64 (1). pp. 164-181. ISSN 0032-3217

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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.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	british political speech,rhetoric,quotation ,performance ,leadership
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Arts and Humanities > School of Politics, Philosophy, Language and Communication Studies (former - to 2024)
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Arts and Humanities > Research Groups > Policy & Politics Faculty of Arts and Humanities > Research Groups > Political, Social and International Studies Faculty of Arts and Humanities > Research Groups > Cultural Politics, Communications & Media
Depositing User:	Pure Connector
Date Deposited:	26 Mar 2015 15:54
Last Modified:	28 Mar 2025 06:31
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/52787
DOI:	10.1111/1467-9248.12156

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