Bell Work Please enter, copy down the agenda and objectives, and silently get to work on the following activity. In a paragraph or two, describe a time when you used persuasion to successfully convince another person to do something or think a certain way. What techniques did you use? What was effective about your approach. In other words, why were you successful? You must use one compound and one complex sentence in your response.

Modes of Persuasion: The Rhetorical Triangle

From Aristotle’s Rhetoric “Rhetoric may be defined as the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion…Of the modes of persuasion furnished by the spoken word there are three kinds. The first kind depends on the personal character of the speaker; the second on putting the audience into a certain frame of mind; the third on the proof, or apparent proof, provided by the words of the speech itself. Persuasion is achieved by the speaker's personal character when the speech is so spoken as to make us think him credible. We believe good men more fully and more readily than others: this is true generally whatever the question is, and absolutely true where exact certainty is impossible and opinions are divided.”

Who was Aristotle? One of the most famous Greek philosophers Lived from 384-322 BCE Wrote over 200 treatises Was known for his writing on ethics, politics, and rhetoric Defined rhetoric as “the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion”

Persuasive Appeals Aristotle describes three types of persuasive modes for the rhetorical speaker or “rhetor.” These include the personal character of the speaker, the frame of mind of the audience, and the proof provided by the content of the speech. We can break these modes down into ethos, pathos, and logos, or credibility, emotion, and logic. These three concepts function together as the rhetorical triangle.

The Rhetorical Situation What do you notice about this triangle of appeals?

Pathos Refers to the argument's "emotional appeals" or the text’s ability to establish a “relationship” with an audience. Pathos can invoke humor, fear, sadness, happiness, excitement and many more emotions to influence the audience. Example: "There’s no price that can be placed on peace of mind. Our advanced security systems will protect the well-being of your family so that you can sleep soundly at night.”

Ethos Refers to the writer's "ethics," which means a writer’s character or authority to deal with a topic. Examples: "The veterinarian says that an Australian shepherd will be the perfect match for our active lifestyle.” "As a doctor, I am qualified to tell you that this course of treatment will likely generate the best results."

Logos Corresponds with the argument's "logical appeals." Effective arguments will include facts and other supporting details to back up the author's claims/positions. Examples: “More than one hundred peer-reviewed studies have been conducted over the past decade, and none of them suggests that this is an effective treatment for hair loss.” “It’s a matter of common sense that people deserve to be treated equally. The Constitution calls it ‘self-evident.’ Why, then, should I have been denied a seat because of my disability?”

Your turn For each of the following images and texts, describe which appeals are being used. Write down the dominant appeal (pathos, ethos, and logos), and explain how that appeals helps the creator persuade the audience in a certain way. Hint: you will need to identify the message of the ad first.