Text and Culture - an introduction to rhetoric Magnus.ullen@kau.se

Course outline Today and Wednesday: basics of rhetoric Monday next week: analyze a speech Thursday next week: analyze an ad (your choice)

Work in groups Six-seven people in each group Make sure everybody speaks at presentation

Why rhetoric? Studying rhetoric will sharpen your critical awareness of the persuasive dimension of texts help you to make your texts more persuasive make you a better student

Why rhetoric? All cultural artifacts come with a symbolic dimension…

All cultural artifacts come with a symbolic dimension, Put in image of car; clothing they can be read as signs

…and can therefore be read as signs.

Why rhetoric? What are these shoes trying to persuade us of?

What is rhetoric? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRGUqd_M6Mg (President Thomas J. Whitmore [Bill Pullman] in Independence Day)

What is rhetoric? 1. a. The art or study of using language effectively and persuasively. b. A treatise or book discussing this art. 2. Skill in using language effectively and persuasively. 3. a. A style of speaking or writing, especially the language of a particular subject: fiery political rhetoric. b. Language that is elaborate, pretentious, insincere, or intellectually vacuous: His offers of compromise were mere rhetoric. 4. Verbal communication; discourse.

What is rhetoric? “Rhetoric may be defined as the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion”. Aristotle, On Rhetoric

The speaker (rhetor) has three duties: Docere – to instruct Delectare – to entertain Movere – to move the feelings of the audience

The three appeals (means of persuasion) Logos – words Ethos – one’s own character Pathos – emotions

What is rhetoric? The rhetorical expression always needs to be adapted to the particular situation. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoyxeaBguTk (Mayor John Pappas, from City Hall)

The three rhetorical genres: Deliberative – to argue for or against – future Judicial – to accuse and to defend – past Epideictic (demonstrative) – to praise and to blame – present

How make use of rhetoric? Partes – the five parts of rhetoric: Inventio Dispositio Elocutio Memoria Actio

The five parts of rhetoric Inventio How do I invent something to say? Dispositio How should I arrange my presentation to make it as persuasive as possible? Elocutio How should I choose my words to make people listen and remember and be impressed with what I say? Memoria How do I remember what to say? Actio How do I deliver the speech?

Inventio Two general points: Consider the occasion (what kind of situation?) Appeal both to the head and to the heart Usually enough with three arguments

Dispositio Exordium – introduction of introduction. Narratio – a short story giving facts relevant to the case or subject. Propositio – the proposition, or thesis statement. Argumentatio – arguments in favor of the thesis (Refutatio) – counterarguments to the thesis, brought up to be refuted Peroratio – the conclusion

Exordium Introduction of introduction. Designed to prove the speaker knowledgeable, trustworthy, and of good will. I was warned not to come here. I was warned. They warned me, "Don't stand behind that coffin." But why should I heed such a warning when a heartbeat is silent and a child lies dead? "Don't stand behind" this coffin.

Narratio A short story giving facts relevant to the case or subject; should set the stage for the proposition. That boy was as pure and as innocent as the driven snow. But I must stand here, because I have not given you what you should have.

Propositio The proposition, or thesis statement. Until we can walk abroad and recreate ourselves, until we can stroll along the streets like boulevards, congregate in parks free from fear, our families mingling, our children laughing, our hearts joined -- until that day we have no city. You can label me a failure until that day.

Argumentatio Arguments in favor of the thesis. The first and perhaps only great mayor was Greek. He was Pericles of Athens, and he lived some 2500 years ago, and he said, "All things good of this earth flow into the City because of the City's greatness." Well, we were great once. Can we not be great again? Now, I put that question to James Bone, and there's only silence. Yet, could not something pass from this sweet youth to me? Could he not empower me to find in myself the strength to have the knowledge to summon up the courage to accomplish this seemingly insurmountable task of making a city livable? Just livable. There was a palace that was a city. It was a palace! It was a palace and it can be a palace again! A palace in which there is no king or queen or dukes or earls or princes, but subjects all -- subjects beholden to each other, to make a better place to live.

Refutatio Counterarguments to the thesis, brought up to be refuted. Is that too much to ask? Are we asking too much for this? Is it beyond our reach?! Because if it is, then we are nothing but sheep being herded to the final slaughterhouse! I will not go down that way!! I choose to fight back!!! I choose to rise, not fall! I choose to live, not die!! And I know, I know that what's within me is also within you!

Peroratio The conclusion of the speech; should briefly restate the argument and add emotion. That's why I ask you now to join me. Join me, rise up with me; rise up on the wings of this slain angel. We'll rebuild on the soul of this little warrior. We will pick up his standard and raise it high! Carry it forward until this city -- your city -- our city -- his city -- is a palace of God! Is a palace of God! I am with you, little James. I am you.

Analyzing dispositio The example of George W. Bush’s 9/11 speech. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMiqEUBux3o

Use the seven questions to map the occasion. Who is the speaker? What is the context? Why is the speech held? When? Where? How? With what? Who is the audience? What has happened? Why? When? Where? How? With what? What is to be done? Who will do it? Why? When? Where? How? With what?

Consider The genre. Is it a deliberative, a judicial, or a demonstrative speech? Or is it a mix? How can we tell? The thesis depends on the genre.

Consider A thesis can be Explicit (spelt out) Implicit (suggested) Distributed (divided up into different parts) All the above in the same speech; therefore

Remember The most important thing is not what you say, but how you say it: always motivate your answers Explain why you look upon a specific passage as, say, the thesis statement Make sure you observe the consequences of your argument

Homework for session 2 Read “A very short list of tropes and figures” (included in the Course Outline) carefully Read Martin Luther King, “I have a dream,” and Winston Churchill’s “Blood, Try to identify tropes and schemes in the speeches of King, Bush, and Churchill What are their functions? Can one distinguish a functional difference between tropes on the one hand, and schemes on the other?