It can be said that in Plato’s “Phaedrus” and in Goody and Watt’s “Consequences of Literacy” both analyze the effects of oral traditions and the written word. Whether the oral word is any less significant than the written word is discussed by both works and both construe that rhetoric plays an important role. However, Goody and Watts emphasize the integrity of the written word and claim that writing provides a sense of authority and supremacy. Plato, on the contrary, believed that oral communication carries much more credibility. He pointed out that the advantage of the spoken word is that it can be directed to the actual audience at the actual time. Therefore, the information will be most relevant to the audience and they have the opportunity to respond with feedback; thus facilitating communication.
