english 10. rhetoric (n) - the art of speaking or writing effectively (webster's definition)....
TRANSCRIPT
What is Rhetoric? Rhetoric (n) - the art of speaking or writing
effectively (Webster's Definition). • According to Aristotle, rhetoric is "the ability, in each
particular case, to see the available means of persuasion." He described three main forms of rhetoric: Ethos, Logos, and Pathos.
In order to be a more effective writer, you must understand these three terms.
You will better understand their meanings which will make your writing more persuasive.
The Power of PersuasionWhen trying to persuade someone to see things your way, there are 3 ways to appeal to them:
Ethos: credibility, or character, of the speaker
Pathos: emotional connection to the audience
Logos: logical argument
EthosBefore you can convince an audience to accept
anything you say, they have to accept you as credible.
There are many aspects to building your credibility:
Does the audience respect you? Does the audience believe you are of good
character? Does the audience believe you are generally
trustworthy? Does the audience believe you are an authority
on this speech topic?
Keep in mind that it isn’t enough for you to know that you are a
credible source. (This isn’t about your confidence, experience, or
expertise.) Your audience must know this. Ethos is your level of
credibility as perceived by your audience.
Automatic Ethos? Sometimes a speaker’s title or status
brings ethos to the rhetorical situation. Consider President Bush’s address to the nation after the 9/11 attacks. Why would we listen to him in this situation?
PathosPathos is the quality of a persuasive presentation which
appeals to the emotions of the audience.
Do your words evoke feelings of … love? … sympathy? … fear?
Do your visuals evoke feelings of compassion? … envy? Does your characterization of the competition evoke
feelings of hate? contempt?
Emotional connection can be created in many ways by a
speaker, most notably by stories. The goal of a story,
anecdote, analogy, simile, or metaphor is often to link an
aspect of our primary message with a triggered emotional
response from the audience.
Logos
Logos is synonymous with a logical argument.
Does your message make sense? Is your message based on facts,
statistics, and evidence? Will your call-to-action lead to the
desired outcome that you promise?
Logos Example: Idea: Students should be allowed to use
cell phones during school hours.• • •
List three supporting facts and/or statistics that will support the aforementioned idea.
1: "The Surgeon General warns smoking can adversely affect your health"a) Ethosb) Logosc) Pathosd) None
A) ETHOS