The Vicissitudes of Fate

The opening part of the scene, the Youtube video, sets the stage for V’s long soliloquy. By showing his prowess, the audience attributes his skills to his ethos. The fight scene serves to draw the audience in, as a soliloquy typically doesn’t gather too much attention. Not only is this a clever line but also it serves to tell the audience that V will not be taking off his mask throughout the movie.

Evey: Who are you?
V. : Who? Who is but the form following the function of what and what I am is a man in a mask.
Evey: Well I can see that.
V. : Of course you can, I’m not questioning your powers of observation, I’m merely remarking upon the paradox of asking a m asked man who he is.
Evey: Oh, right.

This is one of the most witty lines I have ever heard. It causes Evey to stop and think, while the audience chuckles at the quick witted remark by V.

This sets up for his incredible speech:

“But on this most auspicious of nights, permit me then, in lieu of the more commonplace soubriquet, to suggest the character of this dramatis persona. Voila! In view humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the “vox populi” now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a bygone vexation stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin, van guarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition.
The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous.
Verily this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that it’s my very good honour to meet you and you may call me V.”

Aside from the incredible amount of words beginning with the letter v, V does commit some rhetorical strategies. He starts off by telling a story to the terrified girl. Jon Stewart did the same thing at Bruce Springsteen’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony that served to captivate his audience. This powerful tool pulls the audience in and makes them feel comfortable, as if the orator chooses to speak directly to them.
More than anything I found this speech engaging and spectacular. It is amazing at how the authors were able to make the speech full of “v” words. More than anything V gets his point across quickly and with such poise that it inflates his ethos, among characters and audience members alike.

More importantly: What did you think of the clip? Did you find any other rhetorical strategies V used?