Rhetorical Analysis & Persuasion Notes

Rhetoric The use of language to persuade your audience to your point of view Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle

Ethos Ethos (Credibility), or ethical appeal, means convincing by the character of the author. We tend to believe people whom we respect. Examples: •"As a doctor, I am qualified to tell you that this course of treatment will likely generate the best results." •"He is a forensics and ballistics expert for the federal government – if anyone’s qualified to determine the murder weapon, it’s him."

Pathos Pathos (Emotional) means persuading by appealing to the reader's emotions. We can look at texts ranging from classic essays to contemporary advertisements to see how pathos, emotional appeals, are used to persuade. Language choice affects the audience's emotional response, and emotional appeal can effectively be used to enhance an argument. Examples: •"If we don’t move soon, we’re all going to die! Can’t you see how dangerous it would be to stay?" •"You will never be satisfied in life if you don’t seize this opportunity. Do you want to live the rest of your years yearning to know what would have happened if you just jumped when you had the chance?"

Logos Logos (Logical) means persuading by the use of reasoning. This will be the most important technique we will study, and Aristotle's favorite. Examples: •"The data is perfectly clear: this investment has consistently turned a profit year-over-year, even in spite of market declines in other areas." •"Research compiled by analysts from NASA, as well as organizations from five other nations with space programs, suggests that a moon colony is viable with international support."

Author’s/Speaker’s Purpose Authors write for several reasons. Many authors write to entertain people and make them laugh. Authors also write to persuade or convince their readers to believe in something. Sometimes authors write to inform or teach you about something. When we read, it is important for us to understand "why the piece was written?" Joe had been fishing for over two hours without a single bite. Suddenly there was a nibble at the end of his fishing line. He stood up on the boat and leaned out too far. Just then there was a sharp yank on the line. Joe fell overboard and landed head first into the water. Joe and his friends laughed and laughed. What is the author's purpose? entertain persuade inform

Allusions a statement that refers to something without mentioning it directly; an implied or indirect reference especially in literature Examples: The Odyssey “We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts.” – Patrick Henry •“She turned the other cheek after she was cheated out of a promotion.” This comes from teaching of Jesus that you should not get revenge. •“I was surprised his nose was not growing like Pinocchio’s.” This refers to the story of Pinocchio, where his nose grew whenever he told a lie. It is from The Adventures of Pinocchio, written by Carlo Collodi.

Restatement To state again or in a new form. Examples: Patrick Henry repeats the statement " The war is inevitable and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come!" in his speech.

Parallelism Similarity of structure in a pair or series of related words, phrases, or clauses. Examples "It is by logic we prove, but by intuition we discover." (Leonardo da Vinci) parallelism of words: She tried to make her pastry fluffy, sweet, and delicate. parallelism of phrases: Singing a song or writing a poem is joyous. parallelism of clauses: Perch are inexpensive; cod are cheap; trout are abundant; but salmon are best. "Today's students can put dope in their veins or hope in their brains. If they can conceive it and believe it, they can achieve it. They must know it is not their aptitude but their attitude that will determine their altitude." (Jesse Jackson)

Rhetorical Questions A rhetorical question is a figure of speech in the form of a question that is asked in order to make a point.[1] The question, a rhetorical device, is posed not to elicit a specific answer, but rather to encourage the listener to consider a message or viewpoint. Examples •"Aren't you glad you use Dial? Don't you wish everybody did?“ (1960s television advertisement for Dial soap) •"Isn't it a bit unnerving that doctors call what they do 'practice'?“ (George Carlin) •"Hath not a Jew eyes? Hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? If you prick us, do we not bleed, if you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die?” (Shylock in William Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice)

Metaphor Comparing two things without using “like” or “as” Examples: “He was drowning in paperwork” Sea of grief - How and where does one come across a sea that is filled not with water, but with grief? Broken heart- Your heart is not literally broken into pieces; you just feel hurt and sad. It's raining men - Men do not literally pour from the sky; there are simply an abundance of male suitors around at the time.

SOAP Method S- Speaker: Consider who is speaking/writing the piece. What is their motivation? Intention? Personal background? Feelings toward the subject? O- Occasion: Why might the speaker/writer be saying/writing this now, at this moment in history or time? What reason or purpose calls for this speech or written discourse? What historically or socially is occurring in history that would call for a public statement, speech or publically circulated piece of writing? A- Audience: Who is the speech or written piece meant for? Who is supposed to hear the message? Who is being targeted? Who is the main idea directed towards? P-Purpose: Why is the speaker/writer saying/writing these things? What brings them to the table with this particular issue or discussion? Why is the writer/speaker contributing their ideas to this particular topic, issue or belief?