When BitzerGetsHot &Steamy…

A Guide to the Rhetorical Situation

Exigence: Is Your Time Running out?

When The Audience: Tells All …

RhetoricalConstraints

rhetorical situation

The Rhetor Speaks

What is

Rhetorical

Situation?

“A complex of persons, events, objects and relations…

… and an Exigence which strongly invites utterance………

…this invited utterance participates naturally in the situation,

…is in many instances necessary to the completion of situational activity...…and by means of its participation with situation obtains its meaning and its rhetorical character.”

key components

(1)

Exigence

(2)

Audience

(3)Constrain

ts

An imperfection marked by urgency;a defect, obstacle, something waiting to be done, a thing which is other than it should be.

Must be capable of serving as mediator of the change which the discourse functions to produce.(Constrained in decision and action)

Made up of persons, events, objects and relations which are part of the situation because they have the power to constrain decision and action needed to modify the Exigence.

Advice:What to do in the Situation1. Is he into you? The Rhetor has to notice his

audience as well as exigences before he can attempt any chance of Discourse.

2. Do you pass the test? Exigences exist such as relationship status, location, attraction, timing etc.

3. We have the Situation, now what happens on the Shore? The situation calls the Discourse into existence.4. Feedback and Response. Once the Rhetor has

spoken, the discourse calls for a fitting response from the Audience.

Mike Sorrentino speaks about the

“Situation”

Rhetor seeks opportunity

with audience

Rhetor becomes aware of exigences

Creates discourse with

audience

Audience has constraints

Audience responds to

situation

Research by Lloyd Bitzer, Professional Rhetorician

(1)Rhetor,

better known as

speaker, seeks

opportunity

with audience.(2) Exigences exist within the situation, and the Rhetor is aware.

(3) The audience

has constraints,

such as beliefs

and society ideals.

(4) When the Rhetor creates discourse, the audience responds, depending on the situation at hand.

important!!!rhetor + exigence

situation => discourse