rhetoric rhetorical triangle, soapstone, and appeals
TRANSCRIPT
Rhetoric
• “the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion”
• The art of finding ways to persuade an audience
• Can be in a variety of forms: text, pictures, films, etc.
The Rhetorical Situation
• Occasion, Exigence, Context, and Purpose
• Occasion-the time and place the text was written or spoken. (Like a setting in literature).
• Exigence-an issue, problem, or situation that causes or prompts someone to write or speak
• Context-the circumstances, atmosphere, attitudes, and events surrounding the text.
• Purpose-the goal the speaker wants to achieve
Rhetorical Triangle (Aristotelian Triangle)• Relationship among the speaker, audience, and subject
• Speaker--the person or group who creates a text• Persona- “mask,” the role the speaker plays when delivering a text or speech
• Was a persona used in your memoirs? How do you know? Who did the narrator/speaker sound like to you?
• Audience—listener, viewer, or reader of the text or performance• Multiple audiences
• Primary--those who immediately are influenced and act, persuaded by the rhetor’s persuasion. They are the mediators of change.
• Secondary--persuaded by the primary audience either via direct persuasion or osmossis.
• Tertiary audience--general public who receive the information whether they will respond or not.
• Subject-the topic, not the goal (purpose)
Rhetorical Appeals
• Aristotle
• Techniques used to persuade an audience by emphasizing what they find most important or compelling.
• Ethos (character)
• Logos (reason)
• Pathos (emotion)
Ethos (Character)
• Credibility and trustworthiness
• Emphasize shared values between the speaker and audience
• Reputation
• Building ethos• Explaining background or emphasizing shared values
Logos (Reason)
• Clear, ration ideas
• Counterarguments—anticipating objections or opposing views
• Concession/refutation