ABSTRACT
We have all heard the expression, sometimes even in schools: ‘Now, say sorry like you mean it.’ The child then has to have another go at saying sorry, with the proper vocal intonation and accompanying facial expressions, etc. The way we use our voices often gives away the true meaning of what we want to say. The character Desdemona in Shakespeare's Othello gives us a good idea of this: ‘I understand a fury in your words, but not the words’ (Act IV, Scene II). Long before Shakespeare, the human race was intrigued by the possible uses of the voice. For example, the Romans were fascinated by oratory and the use of voice. Cicero (1942/c.55 bce, Section 216) once wrote ‘for nature has assigned to every emotion a particular look and tone of voice and bearing of its own’.
