Chapter 4Gestures
Though the peoples and nations of the earth speak a multitude of tongues, they share in common the universal language of the hands.
— Quintilian1
To the ancients, gestures were as natural a function as breathing itself. They had meaning, there were rules, they were marked in written text and they were well understood by all and sundry. They took up a major proportion of the discussion on delivery within the five canons of rhetoric (covered in Chapter 1), sharing the role with voice and body. Delivery was the most important canon of rhetoric; with gestures holding a critical role in delivery, their importance is clear.
What went wrong? Why, today, are gestures abhorred? And why do we have such black and white thinking that has led to many people being told they over-gesture — the solution for which is to stand with the hands frozen to the side?
There is a fear around gestures today. Conventional wisdom tells us they are distracting, overwhelming and unprofessional. But research — both ancient and modern — reveals otherwise. And with understanding we can claw back skills clearly outlined by the ancients and revered until the last century, but lost.
In this chapter, we look at the perspectives of the past and present to find ways we can utilise gestures to improve gravitas. Developing these skills will be beneficial for the people around you and help you to build confidence and influence when speaking.
Gestures in Ancient Greece and Rome
Demosthenes was said ...
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