Analysis

The topic of Theresa May’s Brexit speech of 17 January 2017 is how Britain is planning to get the best possible deal with the EU in the coming Brexit negotiations. This is the first time the speaker, Prime Minister May of the Conservative Party, publicly outlines the Government plan in detail.

Other interesting facts about the circumstances of the speech are that May had held the position as Prime Minister for only six months at the time and that it was made against a background of Britain having voted to withdraw from the European Union in the national referendum of 23 June 2016.

Because she is addressing numerous target groups, or audiences, simultaneously, her speech includes a fair amount of hidden argumentation. Brexit is a sensitive topic to many in the UK as well as in the EU, and there are certain things May needs to put indirectly to avoid causing offence. As the topic was of interest to millions of people, the speech was widely broadcast.

The speech is well-structured, and May’s language is clear with carefully chosen  rhetorical devices such as anaphora, alliteration and the three forms of appeal. Generally, her language and structure support her intention with the speech which is to inform people about the British Government’s Brexit plans. Another intention is to persuade people that she will be a strong, competent leader in the challenging times ahead.

Mere hjælp

[ProductEmbed type=1 id= 1694]Har du brug for mere hjælp til analyse af taler, kan du læse vores generelle guide til analyse af taler på engelsk.[/ProductEmbed]