RhetoricRhetoric

"He who does not study rhetoric will "He who does not study rhetoric will be a victim of it"be a victim of it"

found on a Greek wall from the 6th found on a Greek wall from the 6th Century B.C.Century B.C.

What is it? What is it? The use of language to persuade an The use of language to persuade an

audience to a certain point of viewaudience to a certain point of view Ethos- Ethical appealEthos- Ethical appeal Logos- Logical appealLogos- Logical appeal Pathos- Emotional appealPathos- Emotional appeal

EthosEthos EthicalEthical The credibility of the authorThe credibility of the author

Personal experience with the subjectPersonal experience with the subject Educational experienceEducational experience Professional approach to the subjectProfessional approach to the subject Character as displayed in the speechCharacter as displayed in the speech

Sarcasm, cynicism, intelligence, wisdom, Sarcasm, cynicism, intelligence, wisdom, etc. will be seen through your word choice, etc. will be seen through your word choice, tone of voice, and presencetone of voice, and presence

LogosLogos Use of factual evidenceUse of factual evidence Use of language to support your Use of language to support your

positionposition Deductive reasoning (A=B, B=C, Deductive reasoning (A=B, B=C,

therefore C=A)therefore C=A) Inductive reasoning (using specific clues Inductive reasoning (using specific clues

to come to a more general to come to a more general understanding, like Sherlock Holmes)understanding, like Sherlock Holmes)

PathosPathos The use of images, specific language, The use of images, specific language,

and ideas to pull an emotional and ideas to pull an emotional response from the audienceresponse from the audience Think of the ASPCA commercials (here’s Think of the ASPCA commercials (here’s

one now: one now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iu_JqNdp2As&safety_mode=true&perv=Iu_JqNdp2As&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1)sist_safety_mode=1)

Fear, pity, sadness, guilt Fear, pity, sadness, guilt

What is the situation?What is the situation? Why the need to persuade?Why the need to persuade?

Who is the speaker and what is his or Who is the speaker and what is his or her intention?her intention? How is ethos (credibility) built?How is ethos (credibility) built? What is the main purpose of the speech What is the main purpose of the speech

(to attack, to defend, to praise, to (to attack, to defend, to praise, to blame, to teach…)blame, to teach…)

What is the message?What is the message? Main idea? Reasoning used? Main idea? Reasoning used? What is the main appeal (logical, What is the main appeal (logical,

emotional)?emotional)? What does the speech itself reveal What does the speech itself reveal

about the current culture?about the current culture? Consider the issue and suggested Consider the issue and suggested

solutions, allusions and references, the solutions, allusions and references, the appeal and styleappeal and style

An Inconvenient Truth An Inconvenient Truth trailer at trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnjx6KETmi4&safety_mode=truev=wnjx6KETmi4&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1&persist_safety_mode=1

Context and AudienceContext and Audience http://blip.tv/just-the-facts/just-the-http://blip.tv/just-the-facts/just-the-

2010-context-counts-40547262010-context-counts-4054726 What happens when you take What happens when you take

something out of context and/or something out of context and/or when you don’t consider the when you don’t consider the audience?audience?