Purpose: Special occasion or ceremonial speeches are among the most common speeches that a
person will give. Many of you will deliver a eulogy or a formal toast at some point, and this
speech assignment allows you the opportunity to sharpen those skills.
Assignment: You will develop and deliver a wedding toast for a FICTIONAL CHARACTER.
The character must already exist; you cannot create a character for this assignment. You will (1)
tell the audience about this character, (2) note any key circumstances surrounding the
relationship or the wedding, (3) compose a tribute using anecdotes for the character, emphasizing
their good traits while playfully acknowledging their bad. If you want to tell stories about your
own relationship with the character, you may either choose to insert yourself into the existing
fictional narratives about the character or you may invent new narratives shared between you and
your chosen character. Your speech should still be clearly organized, with an introduction, body,
and conclusion. You should feel free to be creative and include humor where appropriate.
1. Upload an outline to Courses in PDF form by 11:59 PM on December 8.
2. 4-5 minutes in length, with 30 seconds grace on either extreme.
3. Upload video of the speech, preferably .MP4 or .MOV files, by 11:59 PM on Dec. 8.
Basic Content & Structure Expectations:
1. Introduction
a. Attention-getter
b. Thematic Statement
2. Body
a. Include important details of the character’s life.
b. Use Narrative.
c. Emphasize good character traits. Feel free to acknowledge (perhaps playfully)
negative traits.
3. Conclusion
a. Review
b. Closure