Sound audibility requires the speaker to stand off-center in a circular congregation

Evidence

The congregation being placed in a circle, the situation, therefore, of the chaplain should be, not in the centre of that circle, but as near as may be to that part which is behind him, and, consequently, at the greatest distance from that part of it to which he turns his face. — Jeremy Bentham, The Panopticon Writings, 282

Categorization

• XREF: This practical acoustics note echoes how Bentham’s whole architecture is driven by physics of sight and sound — connects to the core telescreen/panopticon reading where visibility geometry overrides comfort.