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What is Rhetoric?
Definition of Rhetoric

Rhetoric (n) - the art of speaking or writing
effectively.
Content = WHAT
Rhetoric = HOW

Rhetoric is HOW we give the impressions
we give. HOW we say what we say, do
what we do, write what we write.

Rhetoric is all around us in conversation,
in movies, in advertisements and books, in
body language, and in art. We employ
rhetoric whether we’re conscious of it
or not. . .
The goal of persuasion
is to change others’
point of view or to
move others to take
action.

. . .but becoming conscious of how
rhetoric works can be transforming; this
consciousness can alter our speaking,
reading, and writing, making us more
successful and able communicators and
more discerning audiences.
Aristotle and The Art of Rhetoric:
Aristotle (384 - 322 BC: Greece)
 More than any other thinker, Aristotle
determined the orientation and content
of Western intellectual history.
 Author of systems of thought
we still use today—both in
philosophy and science.

Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle:

Aristotle believed that to make convincing
arguments, writers needed to look at three
elements: the speaker’s persona, the
audience, and the subject matter.

Writers must take into account all three--they
are connected and interdependent.
What is logos, ethos, and
pathos?
Logos = Logic, Reason, Facts
Ethos = Ethics, Image, Credibility
Pathos = Emotions (Passion)
Logos, Ethos, Pathos
Using logos, ethos, and pathos will help you to
master the art of persuasion.
• Through language, you will be able to change the
point of view of others!
• Through language, you will be able to motivate
others to take action!
Logos
Logos is an argument based on facts,
evidence and reason.
Using logos means appealing to the readers’
sense of what is logical.
Logos Example
Eighty percent of the writers interviewed said
they write at least four rough drafts before
they publish a piece of writing.
Ethos
Ethos is an argument based on character.
Using ethos means the writer or speaker appeals to
the audience’s sense of ethical behavior. The
writer or speaker presents him or herself to the
audience as credible, trustworthy, honest and
ethical.
Ethos Example
“I have been teaching writing for twenty years . . .”
Or
“I am an ethical expert, so believe what I say.”
Pathos
Pathos = argument based on feelings
Using pathos means appealing to readers’
emotions and feelings.
Pathos Example
She stood before the class preparing to
present her speech. She regretted not
rehearsing the night before. Her knees
shook, her breath grew shallow, and colored
spots danced before her eyes. She gripped
the podium and hoped she would not pass
out in front of her classmates.
Review
Logos = logic
Logos is an argument
based on facts,
evidence and reason.
Using logos means
appealing to the
readers’ sense of what
is logical.
Review
Ethos = Ethics / Image
Ethos is an argument based on
character.
The writer or speaker presents
him or herself to the reader
as credible, trustworthy,
honest and ethical.
Review
Pathos = argument based
on feelings
Using pathos means
appealing to readers’
emotions and feelings.
Rhetorical Strategies

The strategies that follow are just
some of the ways to make your
writing/speaking more
persuasive…
Parallel Structure

Parallel Structure-repetition of
grammatically similar words, phrases,
clauses, or sentences to emphasize a
point or stir the emotions of a
reader/listener. Used to create a sense of
rhythm, balance, and order in writing or
speech.

Chiasmus=“inverted parallelism” (i.e. eat to
live, not live to eat)
Parallel Structure

The coach told the
players: “You will get
some sleep tonight, you
will not eat too much
right before the game,
and you will do some
warm-up exercises
before the game.”
Allusion


Short, informal reference to famous person,
event, story. Relies on reader/listener to be
familiar with the reference and hidden meaning.
Used to stimulate ideas, associations, add extra
information.
If I want to persuade you to wash your hands, I
may say “thou shalt wash thy hands”. I am
trusting that you respect the commandments
and, hence, my statement.
Analogy

Comparison between two things that are
alike in certain respects. Used in persuasion
to demonstrate the logic of one idea by
showing how it is similar to an accepted
idea.

(“Pupils are more like oysters than sausages.
The job of teaching is not to stuff them and then
seal them up, but to help them reveal the riches
within.”-Sydney Harris)
Alliteration


Repetition of initial consonant sounds.
Used to call attention to a phrase and
fixes it in the reader’s/listener’s mind.
(i.e. “Let us go forth to lead the land we
love.”- John F. Kennedy Inaugural
speech)
Humor

Humor can be used to make you like the
writer/speaker and “win you over”




Hyperbole-exaggeration for emphasis/effect (“at night she
needs a paint scraper to take off her makeup”)
Sarcasm (“Obama doesn’t have the experience of being
Miss Wasilla!”)
Irony (verbal, situational, dramatic) (“it is ironic that the
window store had all of its windows broken by vandals”)
Understatement (From Monty Python: Army officer loses
a leg, “Stings a bit.”)
Audience



When attempting to persuade,
consider your audience.
For example, you would not use
caustic satire to persuade a potential
employer to hire you.
(“The food served here is great if you
are a teenager with two dollars in
your pocket.”)
Active Voice v. Passive Voice


Active Voice- The boy hit the ball.
The subject of this sentence actively
hits the ball.
Passive Voice- The ball was hit by
the boy. The subject sits passively,
doing nothing while some outside
agent performs the action.
Here’s why it is better rhetoric
to use active voice…

Active voice sentences are shorter.


The fighter punched Ali and dodged the
uppercut. (Active= 8 words)
Ali was punched by the fighter, and then
an uppercut was dodged by him.
(Passive= 14 words)
Active sentences are clear
and to the point

When you use passive voice, you have
to use boring phrases like “by so-andso” or leave this out and let your
sentence become unclear.


The airplane was flown to Bermuda (by
the pilot).
My car has been driven to Dallas. (By
whom? A car thief? The teletubbies?)
To Identify the Evil Passive
Voice



Is there a form of the verb “to be” such as
is/am/are/was/were/be/being/been? (Can’t
create passive voice without this)
Could you insert “by so-and-so” after the
verb? (the dog was fed (by the owner)
ID the subject and main verb. Is the subject
“doing” the action? Or is it sitting passively?