1. The rhetorical triangle
Reviewing ethos, pathos, and logos

2. ethos Basics: Appealing to character and authority
Goals: Building up character (or tearing down competition’s character), seen as the “right choice”
Side-effects: May cause group-think mentality to overtake logic

3. pathos Basics: Appealing to emotions (positive and negative alike)
Goals: Engage someone emotionally
Side-effects: May cause reactionary decisions (and later regret)

4. Logos Basics: Appealing to logic and reason
Goals: Deliver the facts, they speak for themselves
Side-effects: May not engage the audience

9. But wait! There’s more!
Rhetoric goes beyond the visual…

10. A Deeper Look at Rhetoric:
Need more info? Try: Language of Composition: Chapter 1

11. Rhetoric: A Definition
More than just “ethos, pathos, logos”
Aristotle defined rhetoric as “the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion”
Using speech effectively
Influencing thought
Inciting action

12. The Aristotelian Triangle
Aristotle described the interaction among subject, speaker, and audience (or subject, writer, and reader), as well as how this interaction determines the structure and language of the argument. Writer/speaker first must choose a subject and evaluate what they already know about it, what others have said about it, and what kind of evidence or proof will sufficiently develop their position. Persona= depending on the context, purpose, subject, and audience
Persona: the character the speaker creates when he or she writes or speaks

13. SOAPS & Rhetorical Organization
Subject
Topic at hand
Occasion
Time and place text was written or spoken
Audience
Listener, viewer, or reader
May be multiple audiences
Purpose
Goal a speaker wants to achieve
Speaker
The author/speaker and their relationship to the audience
A checklist for organizing and/or breaking down rhetoric

14. Farewell Speech by Lou Gehrig

15. 9/11 Speech by George W. Bush

16. SOAPS in Bush’s 9/11 Speech
Subject:
Occasion:
Audience:
Purpose:
Speaker:

17. Expanding on Ethos Character-based appeal
Demonstrate credibility and trustworthiness
Shows shared values between writer and audience
Established by reputation of writer or speaker, or the tone given
Expertise and knowledge
Ethos provides a connection between speaker and audience based on experience, training, sincerity, or combo, and gives the audience a reason for listening. It appeals to ethics and establishes a common sense of right and wrong, or may use tactics such as patriotism to motivate a group toward action.

18. Expanding on Logos Reason-based appeal
Writer’s/speaker’s appeal to logos by offering clear, rational ideas
Fact-based, with a clearly stated claim/thesis
Support is given via examples, facts, statistical data, or expert testimony. Logos acknowledges counterarguments, anticipates objections, and after conceding they may be true a logical argument will then refute (deny) the truth of the counterargument by proving it invalid.

19. Expanding on Pathos Emotional appeal
Humor
Guilt
Anger
Connects with audience on a “personal level”
Short-term effects
emotional appeal usually includes vivid, concrete description and figurative language, including visuals. Meant to play off emotions and create a sense of urgency to act. Often use charged images to manipulate feelings and shroud logic.

20. Visual Rhetoric Ex. political cartoons
Can use satire to criticize or simply provide commentary
Rhetoric is also found in literature, including poetry, fiction, and drama
Characters created so you intentionally like or dislike them
Emotional situations that connect with reality
In works of fiction we are meant to sympathize with certain characters, and meant to dislike others. Often these unsympathetic characters (who are frequently villains) are people of ill-repute (ethos appeal), or who insight negative emotions within us (pathos appeal). However, rhetoric can also be used to create a villain we identify with, and thus make the work more dramatic.

21. Activity Directions
In groups of three or four, you will create a commercial that appeals most strongly to either ethos, logos, or pathos.
Your group must advertise an existing product or service that we will know about…meaning even your teacher.
You will need to use your brilliant acting skills for this assignment.
Needs to be between 30 and 45 seconds
Remember to keep it school appropriate!
Form your group and choose your appeal type—only so many spots per appeal!