The Winged Chariot and the Iron Cages

Tradition also dictates that the presentation is not a lecture. It is an oration and perhaps this is as well. In July 2005, in the Guardian, David Hare mused on the word “lecture”. He wondered when it acquired its negative connotations. He recalled a review of one of his plays: “it was more like a lecture than a play”’ lectures may be remembered for long windedness, boredom and scolding. Perhaps the Staff of the Hospital has felt that calling it an oration provides some insurance against tedium, even promises something grander or uplifting.