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Abstract
This thesis is an investigation of select elocution manuals of mid-eighteenth century England to determine if they contain any information on the speaking style and voice of the actor David Garrick. It contends that Garrick served as the model for the elocutionists' descriptions of natural and unaffected speech, and that their works might, therefore, be used as primary sources for the description and reconstruction of Garrick's vocal style. The elocutionists chosen for analysis are Thomas Sheridan, John Walker, and Joshua Steele, all central figures in the new science who had associations with Garrick. The introduction traces the roots of the elocution movement. Chapter one investigates contemporary assessments of Garrick's voice and shows the difficulty of trying to piece together a complete picture from the scant and often contradictory information available. Chapter two introduces the elocutionists and their works, and shows that Garrick was their model of proper speech. Chapter three analyses the manuals of elocution for new and supporting information which they may contain on Garrick's speaking style. A brief conclusion confirms that in an age before electronic recording was available, the elocutionists' works are sources for detailed information on eighteenth-century stage speech.
