9.2 Colonel Tim Collins to 1st Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment in Iraq 2003 Flashcards
1
Q
Genre
A
transcript of speech
2
Q
Audience
A
- Royal Irish Regiment
- military both pre and post personnel
- general public
3
Q
Purpose
A
- to stir soldiers before the battle
- commend them to act with restraint and dignity in a foreign land
4
Q
Voice
A
- authoritative
- ironic
- tough
- empathetic
- honest
- reliable
5
Q
“Show respect for them.”
A
- imperative
- direct order: they must remember this isn’t their country
- respect the enemy
6
Q
“It is the site of the Garden of Eden, of the Great Flood and the birthplace of Abraham.”
A
- Biblical references
- talking to Irish regiment so likely to be religious
- geographic and religious importance: holy battle ground
7
Q
“We will put them in their sleeping bags and send them back.”
A
- euphemism: softens and desensitises soldiers
- honest and reliable
- reference to home nation and loved ones
8
Q
“The enemy should be in no doubt that we are his nemesis and that we are bringing about his rightful destruction”
A
- hostile
- takes the voice of a preacher: justified by God
- certainty of hatred: inescapable agent of downfall
- strong and emotive
9
Q
“Stains on their souls and they are stoking the fires of hell Saddam”
A
- metaphor
- name connotes personal war
- religious imagery: befits righteous tone
- link to good and evil
10
Q
“I can assure you they live with the mark of Cain upon them.”
A
- metaphor
- scars of war follow your forever: tarnished with brush of killing
11
Q
“If we survive the first strike we will survive the attack.”
A
- ‘if’ suggests doubt, being realistic
- verb focuses on survival
- aggression and surprise
12
Q
“Our business now is North.”
A
- collective pronoun: unity
- makes it seem like an obligation/job
- declarative
13
Q
Context
A
- Collins didn’t know it was being written down
- Iraq War 2003-2011: controversial war
- Speech was made the day before troops went in
