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What
is
Rhetoric?
The
word
"Rhetoric"
comes
from
ancient
Greek
and
originally
referred
to
speech,
especially
speech
that
owed
easily
and
pleasantly
over
the
ears
of
the
listener.
For
the
purposes
of
this
class,
and
your
academic
careers,
think
of
rhetoric
as
a
comprehensive
"art"
or
set
of
techniques
for
eec4ve
language
use.
Rhetoric
concerns
the
eec4ve,
or
persuasive,
use
of
language.
Since
there
are
two
parBes
involved
in
persuasion,
rhetoric
concerns
both
the
1)
producBon
of
a
text
and
2)
its
recep4on
(aka:
author
and
audience)
Rhetorical
SituaBon
Rhetorical
acts
are
situated.
In
other
words,
every
rhetorical
act
has
a
specic
set
of
circumstances.
These
circumstances
vary
based
on
genre
(i.e.
speech,
academic
arBcle,
blog
response,
etc)
Circumstances
are
not
given
or
xed
they
are
discovered
and
interpreted.
What
seems
like
a
situaBon
that
demands
a
rhetorical
response
to
one
person
may
not
seem
so
to
someone
else.
Examples:
1)
2)
3)
MarBn
Luther
Kings
I
have
a
Dream
Speech
may
not
have
been
as
rhetorically
eecBve
if
delivered
by
Beowulf
to
the
Danes.
Rhetorical
techniques
you
use
to
ask
your
mother
may
be
dierent
to
the
way
you
ask
your
father,
or
a
friend.
In
your
wriBng,
the
rhetorical
techniques
you
use
in
wriBng
an
email
to
a
friend
may
dier
if
you
were
wriBng
to
a
potenBal
employer.
The
same
exact
words
do
not
have
the
same
eect
in
a
dierent
rhetorical
situa5on.
Rhetorical
Triangle
Communica4on
is
an
act
involving
4
elements
QuesBon
1:
Our
class
right
now!
QuesBon 2:
QuesBon
3:
Aristotles
Rhetoric
According
to
Aristotle,
rhetoric
is
"the
ability,
in
each
par5cular
case,
to
see
the
available
means
of
persuasion."
He
described
three
main
forms
of
rhetoric,
or
means
of
persuasion,
as
ethos,
logos,
and
pathos.
In
order
to
be
a
more
eec5ve
reader
and
writer,
you
must
understand
these
three
terms.
Ethos
Ethos
is
appeal
based
on
the
character
of
the
speaker.
An
ethos-driven
document
relies
on
the
reputaBon
or
credibility
of
the
author/speaker.
Logos
Logos
is
appeal
based
on
logic
or
reason.
Giving
reasons
is
the
heart
of
argumentaBon,
and
cannot
be
emphasized
enough.
Pathos
Pathos
means
persuading
by
appealing
to
the
reader's
emo5ons.
We
can
look
at
texts
ranging
from
classic
essays
to
contemporary
adverBsements
to
see
how
pathos,
emoBonal
appeals,
are
used
to
persuade.
Language
choice
aects
the
audience's
emoBonal
response,
and
emoBonal
appeal
can
eecBvely
be
used
to
enhance
an
argument.
Sources:
hcp://courses.durhamtech.edu/perkins/aris.html
In
Conclusion
Rhetoric
is
the
eec4ve
use
of
language.
Texts
can
be
widely
varied
from
a
literary
text
to
music
video
or
internet
media.
We
will
learn
how
to
cri4cally
read
these
dierent
texts
and
approach
many
kinds
of
rhetorical
situa4ons.
Language
is
acquired
in
a
community,
not
a
vacuum.
Your
class
community
is
going
to
be
very
important
because
you
will
be
learning
together
through
various
techniques,
including
peer-review,
wri4ng
for
each
other,
blogs,
etc.
It
is
a
constant
reminder
to
always
pay
aMen4on
to
your
rhetorical
situa4on.