September 6, 2013Mr. Houghteling

English III

“It’s a Feel-good Friday, and because it’s Friday, you know

what that means…!”

“It’s great to be alive!”

AGENDAThe Rhetorical Appeals

Completing your analysis of “A Unique Take on Beauty.” Completing your CAPSToneS of the television commercial.

The Analysis• Discuss why you thought Donna

Britt’s argument was effective or ineffective. • Then you must discuss HOW and

WHY Britt’s persuasive techniques led you to this conclusion.

The Rhetorical Appeals

Rhetorical Appeals: • We have already utilized CAPSToneS to

identify some of the characteristics of effective argumentation.

• As writers, we will use CAPSToneS to maximize how we deliver our messages.

• We must also begin to address how to best target our audience, establish context, and represent ourselves in order to fit our purpose and subject.

• To achieve this “best,” we use Rhetorical Appeals.

Write this down! Rhetorical Appeals: Tools

that help the writer make his or her argument more appealing to the audience.Ethos / Pathos / Logos

Ethos = “ethical appeal”• How does the speaker present him or

herself? • As an effective writer, you can control

how your audience perceives you.

• Speakers often use allusions, quotes, and references to build their own ethos.

Ethos Example

Ethos Example

Politicians. In politics, it’s all about perception. Consider how politicians use their appearance, dress, speaking characteristics, and mannerisms to affect how we perceive them.

Pathos = “emotional appeal”• How well does the speaker appeal

to the audience’s emotions?• The emotions need to match the

subject, purpose, and context.• As writers, we need to consider

how to manipulate our reader’s emotions.• Emotional appeals can be effective

or overwhelming - consider Hallmark commercials.

Pathos Example

Pathos ExampleWedding speeches and eulogies. When giving

these types of speeches, the speaker is almost always aware of the audience’s expectations. For wedding speeches and toasts, the audience typically expects to be entertained and reminded of love. In a eulogy, the audience members are already emotional, and they expect the speaker to match their serious and sad state.

Logos = “logical appeal”

• How well does the speaker use his or her own text to make an effective argument?

• Is the argument rational and well-constructed?

• How well does the speaker support his or her thesis?

• Speakers will often use facts, statistics, and references to create logos.

Logos Example

Logos ExampleLegal documents. Most effective laws

and legal decisions rely heavily on logos. For example, within the United States’ judicial system, the punishment is supposed to fit the crime. Faulty logic may lead to unequal punishments, which is typically not tolerated.

Rhetorical Appeals - Balance

• The Rhetorical Appeals must be used together. • BALANCE of the three is

important. • Too much of one is likely to

produce an argument that readers will either find unconvincing or that will cause them to stop reading.

HOMEWORK• FOR MONDAY!: Watch at least

two television commercials this weekend. • Use the CAPSToneS template

and cite the information found on ONE of them.

HOMEWORK• Use the CAPSToneS template and cite the

information found on ONE of them. • Context: list the program, network, and

time you saw the commercial. • Audience: try to guess what the TARGET

audience is: Identify gender, age, race, socio-economic background.

• Purpose: Obviously, to sell something, but if there’s more to it, then write it!

HOMEWORK• Use the CAPSToneS template and cite the

information found on ONE of them. • Subject: What is the product or service

being sold? • Tone: try to use adjectives or descriptive

phrases to indicate the TONE of the commercial.

• Speaker: Indicate the company selling the product, but also the celebrity or known spokesperson if there is one.