The Rhetorical Situation

(Bitzer, 1966)
 Everything is not rhetorical: We dont assume that every situation in
which we communicate is incredibly important in a rhetorical way.
Consider science or philosophy: Not every experience would inspire
scientific or philosophical thought not even for a lifelong scientific or
philosophical thinker.
We might ask, How might we describe a situation in which a scientist
does science?
So, Bitzers main interest in this piece is the question:
Why and how do certain situations (and not others) result in the creation of
rhetoric?
 Speeches are typically used as canonical examples of rhetorical
situations. However, the opportunity to speak (or write) is
sufficient even if you choose not to speak. Not all situations are
accompanied by discourse [discourse is understood here to mean
discussion of a subject in speech or writing, not a conversation
between two people].
The situation calls forth the speech or the writing.
Additionally, rhetoric does not occur simply when we have all the
elements (speaker, audience, subject/text, and purpose). This is
too general (3).
 A work of rhetoric is pragmatic; it comes into existence for the
sake of something beyond itself; it functions ultimately to produce
action or change in the world (3). It performs a task.
The speaker/writer (rhetor) engages the audience so that the
audience becomes a mediator of change.
Rhetoric is always persuasive.
 Situation is all-controlling. We should consider [situation] the
very ground of rhetorical activity.
RHETORIC IS SITUATIONAL:
Rhet discourse is a response to a situation, the same way an answer is a
response to a question
Speech/writing is given rhetorical significance by the situation, the same way
that an answer is given significance as an answer by the question (the situation
controls the response)
Many questions go unanswered, many problems unsolved; likewise, many
rhetorical situations mature and decay without spurring rhetorical discourse
3 Necessary Elements

1. Exigence: urgency, a defect or obstacle; something waiting to be

done. A problem. An exigence is rhetorical if changing it requires
discourse (speechwriting)
2. Audience: persons capable of being influenced by discourse
and capable of effecting a change (not just a mere gathering of
hearers or listeners or readers)
3. Constraints: persons, events, objects, etc, which have the power
to constrain decision and action. Other sources of constraint
include beliefs, attitudes, facts, traditions, interests, motives,
and so forth.
 Kennedy example, page 9
Sept 11, 2001 example
General Characteristics of Rhet Sits

1. Rhetorical discourse is called into existence by a situation

2. The situation invites a fitting response.
3. The situation must somehow prescribe the response that fits.
4. The situations structure can be analyzed. It will have a sense or
organization of some kind: simple or complex structure (in number of
elements involved), tightly or loosely structured (how many of these
elements are readied for the task: for example, a courtroom is a
tightly structured rhet sit; and a comedian or a religious speaker at a
weekly address is a loosely structured one).
5. Every rhet sit evolves to a favorable or auspicious moment for the
fitting response. And after this moment, most situations decay.