Susan, one of the town council members, watched the reaction of the public to the speakers. The audience sat with their arms crossed or checked their phones. Susan leaned over to her colleague and whispered, “He owes half of this audience money from his last project. I don’t care how convincing he is; no one will listen to him. I will give him credit though; his speech is very well developed and incredibly persuasive."

Susan’s reaction to the speaker reflects a specific perspective from the Classical period of Greek and Roman scholars and orators who began the formal study of public speaking.

Select the historical figure who is credited for creating the five step process of developing a persuasive speech, a process that is still used today.


A. Plato


B. Cicero


C. Aristotle


D. Socrates