the king's speech rhetorical analysis

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The King’s Speech

Inciting Event:  Watching Bertie, the Duke of York, go through another ineffective and humiliating “treatment” for his stammer with another respected doctor. Bertie’s wife Elizabeth gets the name of Lionel Logue, a speech therapist, and visits him to see if he can help her husband.

First Plot Point:  After a disastrous first meeting with Lionel Logue, and another stressful and humiliating meeting with his father, King George V, whom everyone loves, Bertie listens to a recording Lionel made of him (Bertie) reading Hamlet perfectly, with no stammering. Bertie realizes it’s possible. He can’t not try.

First Pinch Point:  Even before the death of their father the king, it’s apparent Bertie’s older brother David, the Prince of Wales, is going to make a very unsuitable king. After David is crowned King Edward VI, Lionel suggests Bertie would be a much better king. This is basically treason and Bertie says so, but Lionel pushes his point. He and Bertie argue, and Bertie breaks off their sessions.

Midpoint:  David abdicates and the thing Bertie has been dreading happens: He must become king, which means not just speaking in public, but being an inspiring leader, something he never dreamed he was capable of doing. But now he must.

Second Pinch Point:  Bertie calls in Lionel to help him get through the coronation. During the rehearsal, Bertie is informed Lionel is not an actual doctor. He’s embarrassed for training with someone who isn’t “qualified.”

Third Plot Point:  Lionel explains how he got into speech therapy and in the process shows Bertie that results are more important than “letters behind a name.” Bertie now has full confidence in Lionel, to the point that now he’s standing up to the people who had always intimidated him to defend Lionel. He’s embracing the role of king.

Climax:  With guidance from Lionel, Bertie gives the speech of his life, explaining to the country why they are going to war again so soon after the horrible experience of the Great War. This speech will define him as a king capable of leading his nation through its worst crisis. By the end of the speech, he believes it himself.

Climactic Moment:  After the speech, Bertie thanks Lionel, calling him “Lionel” for the first time, instead of “Dr. Logue.” For the first time, instead of calling him “Bertie,” Lionel calls him “Your Majesty.”

Resolution:  It’s very quick. Bertie goes out on the balcony with his family and we can see now that he’s fully embraced the role and responsibility of being king.

Notes:  Besides being well structured, this movie is a great example of how to introduce the tension right away, then keep raising it gradually by constantly upping the stakes through the course of the story. At the beginning of the movie, Bertie–and the viewers–don’t know that by the end he’ll be looking at the same goal, of successfully making a speech, but by then the stakes will be so much higher.

(Submitted by Marnie Werner.)

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Humphrey Fellows at Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication – ASU

Exploring the world through servant leadership

Leadership Roles in The King’s Speech

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Named “Best Picture” by the Academy Awards, The King’s Speech tells the story of the man who became King George VI — the father of Queen Elizabeth II. After the death of their father, the eldest brother ascends the throne as Edward VIII; yet he chooses to abdicate his title less than a year later. Torn between a fear of public speaking and a sense of obligation to lead his people, George (‘Bertie’) reluctantly assumes the title of King of the United Kingdom.

Plagued by a dreaded stammer and considered unfit to be king, Bertie knows that the technology changes of the age will require him to make live national announcements via radio. After some crafty persuasion from his wife, he engages the help of an unorthodox speech therapist named Lionel Logue. Through a set of unusual vocal techniques, and as a result of an unlikely friendship, Bertie is able to find his voice and boldly lead the country through war.

Our group (Alma, Ilona, Fatima, Hannah, and Rachael) watched this film to analyze the types of leadership roles it portrays. We found this movie especially interesting because the story is true: King George stepped up into his lead his country during the historically turbulent time at the outset of World War I, despite the extreme obstacles he faced. Here, we include a brief analysis of the differing leadership styles of four major characters in The King’s Speech .

1.     King George VI of England: A Reluctant Leader

While not entirely unwilling to take upon his role as King of England, King George VI was not entirely excited about suddenly being thrust into the position. He took the role more out of duty than desire. His older brother chose to abdicate the throne after just a short time, in order to marry the woman he loved, who had previously been married (the monarch was not allowed to wed a divorcée). However, King George VI had a sense of duty to England, instilled by years of study and time serving in the Royal Navy.

His stutter was his greatest shame, and having to speak publicly was a cause of intense anxiety.  He knew when he accepted his role as King that he would be required to make speeches both live and via radio: a task that he did not look forward to performing. While throughout the movie, the King is characterized by reluctance—reluctance to work on his stutter, reluctance to discuss his childhood, reluctance to reign the Kingdom—he pulls through for his country in the end.

King George VI’s ability to properly deliver a live speech, under the pressure of having it broadcast all around the world, proved his true strength as a leader. To be able to verbally reach out to his people in every home at the beginning a second world war, with the whole country aware of his speech impediment, was a great inspiration for his countrymen.

     2.    Queen Elisabeth: An Inspiring leader

Queen Elizabeth (the Queen Mother) demonstrated her leadership through guidance. She inspired and motivated King George VI all his life time to high performance. While she did not originally want to be the wife of King, when the time came she assumed all of the responsibilities of a queen consort with dignity and grace.

Queen Elizabeth was in fact the one to seek out Lionel Logue’s help, when training from numerous other top speech therapists had failed. She encouraged her husband to see him, and to stick out the exercises even when his frustrations overwhelmed him. She balanced being a supportive wife with being a mother to their two daughters: one of which would grow up to be the queen who still rules today. When the King doubted himself, she was always right behind him nudging him forward. Without her form of inspiring leadership, history could have turned out very differently.

    3 .   King George V, Father of the King: An Authoritarian Leader

Albert’s father, King George V, is shown less in the film, but his influence still plays a huge role in the events surrounding the royal family. In one of their sessions, Lionel diagnoses that his strictness and authoritarian behavior towards Albert from childhood turns out to be the main reason he developed his stammering.

His father wanted to see him perfect and groomed for the throne, but never encouraged him with positive reinforcement.  His disappointment in Albert’s speech disability does nothing to help him overcome it. His expectations were always set extremely high, and his communication style was always top-down within the hierarchy. He may have had good intentions, but his methods of leadership proved to be ineffective in the skewed transitions of power that occurred after his rule of the United Kingdom.

 4 .    Lionel Logue, Australian Speech Therapist: A Servant Leader

Lionel Logue is an Australian speech therapist working in London who is hired by Albert’s wife in hopes that his unusual methods will help the Duke of York overcome his stammer. During their first session, Logue breaches royal etiquette and insists on calling his patient “Bertie,” a name used only by members of the royal family. This is an example of how Logue makes their relationship that of equals. When Albert decides Logue’s methods and manner are unsuitable, the Australian bets a shilling that Albert can recite Hamlet’s “To be, or not to be” soliloquy without trouble while listening to loud music on headphones. Logue records his performance on a gramophone record; convinced he has stammered throughout, Albert leaves in a huff without listening to the recording, declaring his condition “hopeless” and dismissing Logue. Logue offers him the recording as a keepsake.

When Albert eventually listens to the record, he discovers out that he did not stammer at all when the loud music drowned out the sound of his own voice. Logue’s patience to let Albert discover this for himself was a wise move, one that convinced Albert to go back to him and continue the treatment. Throughout their sessions, Albert gets offended with his therapist on multiple occasions, but Logue always handles his outbursts intelligently. He treats the Duke just like any other patients, so much he didn’t even divulge it to his wife and sons.

His compassion and respect for Albert is evident throughout the film, which culminates in his first major announcement to the world on live airwaves — and Albert’s trust in his therapist is likewise evident. Logue is the only one to accompany him into the broadcasting studio, where he tells him right before the red light goes on, “Just read the speech like you’re saying it only to me.”

Logue’s character demonstrates all of the servant leadership qualities. He is a loyal leader who places Albert’s needs before his own benefits. He does not demand recognition or brag about his accomplishments; instead, he finds success in the success of his subject. From rolling the Duke around on the floor, to encouraging him to swear when he felt stuck on a word, Logue’s unorthodox leadership techniques eventually helped Albert to assert his power and find his own voice.

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One comment on “leadership roles in the king’s speech”.

I could write for hours about this film. I only just heard about it last night at a New Year’s Eve party. Saw it today. To use the vernacular, OMG. Director Tom Hooper has a masterpiece on his hands. Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Derek Jacobi, and Timothy Spall as Winston Churchill, all turn in excellent performances. Not to forget Guy Pearce as King Edward who abdicated his throne for an American divorcée. David Seidler’s script is brilliant. The story is laid out cleverly. The pace and rhythm are PERFECT.

I think this is one of the best films ever made. It will tear at your guts. And that is where Collin Firth comes in. Mr. Firth gives one of the most poignant and affective performances ever by a male movie star. Where, inside himself, an actor goes for a performance like this, is beyond my comprehension.

In the movie, “A Single Man”, Colin Firth served notice that he was an actor of depth and subtlety, the surface of which he had only just begun to scratch. Now, he’s more than scratched that surface. He’s gouged a chasm through it. He plays the tormented, soon to be King of England, George VI, and does so in a way that very early in the movie buries his hooks in you and doesn’t let go. I can not ever recall, while watching a film, having to choke back tears for over an hour and a half. The suffering portrayed by Firth as George VI is subtle at times. In your face at others. But painfully present always. When Firth bellows, “I am a King” I nearly lost it in a very quiet, and stunned, theater. If you’ve already seen this film you know what this refers to.

As an American I find the concept of a monarchy bewildering. Why is one person more privileged than another just because of the womb he or she sprang from? That being said, I do find the stories of those trapped in this anachronistic time warp fascinating at times. This would be one of those times. This film is the intersection of great personal pain, international upheaval, and a family that is ceremoniously dysfunctional to it’s core.

Above this chaos, confusion, and unrest, rises a weak shell of a man to greatness. Colin Firth is the vessel for that transformation and if he doesn’t win an Oscar for this performance it will tarnish the Academy forever in my humble opinion. This is the kind of performance, and film overall, that you leave thinking to yourself that you’ve just seen the greatest movie ever. Maybe later you’ll see another brilliant film and think that “this one” is the best ever, but for now “The King’s Speech” has no equal.

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Pioneering the Future of AI-Enhanced Storytelling

The King's Speech

A tale of friendship, transformation, and royalty's quest for equality

An uplifting and warm-hearted character study that owes as much of its delight to a charming performance by Geoffrey Rush as it does to a structure built upon depicting a Change Main Character who grows out of seemingly insurmountable odds ( Stop/Good ) to overcome his personal issues. Appearances are at the heart of issues within The King’s Speech , and the Duke of York (Colin Firth as Protagonist ) does his best to keep up the show by being the King his subjects so desperately need ([Story Goal of Being ). Bertie’s change develops as a consequence of his relationship with Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush), a speech therapist from the other side of the tracks who demands the two be treated as equals ( Obstacle Character Domain of Universe ). This unique perspective works wonders on the Duke’s personal issues of feeling less-than-equal in matters of royalty ( Main Character Domain of Mind ). Together, the two develop an unlikely friendship as they work to overcome Bertie's speech impediment ( Relationship Story Domain of Physics & Relationship Story Problem of Test ).

Decisions both bad and good (bad on the part of the Duke’s brother David (Guy Pearce) and good on the part of our Hero to continue services with Lionel) propel this film to its Triumphant ending ( Story Driver of Decision , and Story Outcome of Success ). While not overly complex, the film delivers a meaningful example of what can happen when one brings themselves into alignment ([Main Character Solution of Deviation by focusing on doing, rather than worrying endlessly upon the end results ( Obstacle Character Problem of Process ).

Oh, and a brilliant use of Beethoven’s 7th Symphony.

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