Dramatism

Persuasion, symbols and signs have been integral parts of human advancement. Take for example our history and all of the leaders it includes. Each one of those leaders had an impact on our future, and they would not have been successful without persuasion and the use of signs and symbols. Each of those leaders used lenses to further examine their audience, and persuade them using identification.

One leader in particular comes to mind in this theory to me. Not really a pleasant thought, but Adolph Hitler exercised dramatisim to no end. Especially when examining the dramatisic pentad, he certainly knew what he was doing.

To break it down into the five pieces, the unification of Germany could very well be the purpose. Hitler wanted nothing more than to join together a group of people who all thought alike and all shared the same values and beliefs. The scene in this instance would be post WWI Germany. Hitler knew this was a vulnerable and terrifying time, so he played his cards right by embracing the environment he was surrounded by. He used a lot of conferencing, or mass gatherings to join his people and make announcements. All of these huge gatherings that would last hours on end certainly make up his agency. As I mentioned earlier, these leaders persuaded people. In this dramatistic pentad, propaganda serves as the act. Propaganda was happening everywhere, from posters to symbols on flags. Lastly, the most obvious of the five pieces is the agent, which would be Hitler himself. He was doing the act and doing it very well with a lot of support.

As outlined in this theory, if you cannot connect with your audience, you cannot persuade them. Hitler gave Germany a sense of belonging, of “oneness” and greatness. It went deeper than identification; it was almost the epitome of persuasion for such an awful purpose.