Public Speaking and the Drama Triangle

Public speaking is not just about delivering words to an audience; it is also about managing the internal dialogue and roles we unconsciously adopt. Stephen Karpman’s Drama Triangle—comprising Victim, Persecutor, and Rescuer—offers a powerful lens for understanding the psychological traps that can undermine our performance as speakers. While originally designed to describe interpersonal dynamics, the model maps directly onto the struggles many speakers face both in preparation and on stage.

The Speaker as Victim.Many speakers step into a Victim role before they even reach the podium. Thoughts like “I’m terrible at this,” “They’re all judging me,” or “I’ll forget my lines” dominate. The Victim mindset frames public speaking as something being done to us, rather than an opportunity we choose. From this perspective, nerves appear insurmountable, the audience becomes hostile, and mistakes feel fatal. When caught here, a speaker minimises eye contact, rushes through content, and avoids pausing—all behaviours that reinforce the sense of helplessness.

The Speaker as Persecutor.If not collapsed into Victimhood, many speakers swing into self-attack. The Persecutor voice appears during rehearsal or immediately after the talk: “That was awful,” “You made a fool of yourself,” or “Why can’t you be confident like others?” Harsh self-criticism poses as discipline but usually destroys confidence. Some speakers externalise the Persecutor by resenting the audience—“They were cold,” “They didn’t get it”—which distances them further. In both cases, blame dominates, growth stalls, and anxiety deepens for next time.

The Speaker as Rescuer.The Rescuer role in public speaking is subtler but equally limiting. It manifests as over-preparing, memorising every line, or endlessly tweaking slides to “save” oneself from imperfection. Alternatively, it can appear mid-speech, when a speaker apologises excessively, cracks filler jokes, or rushes through material in a misguided attempt to ease the discomfort of the audience. While motivated by care, the Rescuer actually denies both speaker and audience the chance to experience authentic communication.

The Cycle in Action.These roles often loop in sequence. A speaker feels nervous (Victim), attacks themselves internally (Persecutor), tries to escape discomfort through apology or distraction (Rescuer), then lands back in Victim. The performance feels draining, reinforcing the belief that public speaking is inherently traumatic.

Breaking the Triangle.The first step is awareness: noticing which role is active in a given moment. Once recognised, each role can be reframed into a healthier stance:

• Instead of Victim, step into the Creator role: “What do I want the audience to take away? What action can I take now to connect?”

• Instead of Persecutor, become the Challenger: “What specific skill can I stretch today—slowing my pace, making eye contact?” The Challenger pushes growth without cruelty.

• Instead of Rescuer, shift into Coach: “It’s natural to be nervous; here’s how I can support myself—breathe, pause, trust the material.”

  
  

This transformation, adapted from the Empowerment Triangle, empowers speakers to balance self-compassion with accountability.

Public speaking exposes us to vulnerability, making the Drama Triangle an almost inevitable inner trap. By recognising when we cast ourselves as Victim, Persecutor, or Rescuer, we can interrupt the cycle and choose Creator, Challenger, or Coach instead. This reframing not only improves performance but also builds resilience and joy in speaking. The Drama Triangle, then, becomes a practical tool for self-mastery on stage, helping us shift from survival mode to authentic leadership before an audience.