English 11APMrs. Guthrie

Intro to Rhetoric

What is rhetoric?Although often associated with negative

connotations, it is not synonymous with deception.

Aristotle defined rhetoric as “the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion.”Key word: persuasion

Modern Dictionary Definition of Rhetoric: the study of the effective use of language or the ability to use language effectively. Keyword: effective

Rhetoric takes many formsWe are going to use the blanket term text to refer

to:EssaysSpeechesAdvertisementsPolitical CartoonsPhotographsBlogsAnd other cultural products that put forth a message.

The responsibility of informed citizens is to understand how rhetoric works in both deception and civil communication.

What articles, speeches, advertisements, or other texts have you seen that are: Manipulative/Deceptive?Civil/Effective?

The Rhetorical SituationSOAPSTone:

SpeakerOccasionAudiencePurposeSubject/SituationTone

Determine the SOAPSTone: George W . Bush ’s 9/11 Speech

SpeakerOccasionAudiencePurposeSubject/SituationTone

Appeals to Ethos, Pathos, and LogosEthos:

Greek for characterEstablishes credibility of the rhetor

Can be automatic with degrees, credentials, titles

Can be built by explaining background, expertise, or emphasizing shared values

Logos:Greek for “embodied thought”

Think- logic, reason, and clear, rational thoughts

Often involves defining the terms of the argument and establishing correlation/causation.

May refer to statistics, authorities, facts, or quantitative data. Be careful to assess accuracy, bias, and presentation!

Logos: Conceding and RefutingPart of a logical appeal may be to acknowledge the counterargument.

Concede: Agree that part of the argument may be true or reasonable.

Refute: Deny that the arguments or conclusions are valid as a whole.

PathosAppeal to emotions, values, desires, hopes,

fears, prejudicesArguments that appeal only to pathos are weak

Propagandistic Polemical

Arguments that include pathos can be very strong.

Connotation vs Denotation Humor is another way to appeal to pathos by

lightening the mood before challenging our beliefs.

How does this appeal to pathos? Richard Nixon’s “Checkers” Speech

Background: Nixon had been accused of improprieties relating to a fund established by his backers to reimburse him for his political expenses.

Think about this in your critical reading AND writing.

Remember, the most effective arguments appeal to the audience

in multiple ways.

Images appealing to pathos:

Interaction of words and images

Juxtaposition

Images can also be *read* rhetorically

What rhetorical strategies does WWF use to achieve its purpose in this ad?

Watch out for ineffective rhetoric produced by:

A rhetor not understanding the audience. A rhetor approaching the subject hyperbolically. A rhetor appealing to only one part of the audience. A rhetor completely ignoring the obvious counterargument.

Let’s look at 2 examples: P. 28 Student Sample EssayP. 29 Image

In what ways are these arguments effective or ineffective?