Got Rhetoric?

Freshman English Honors

Period 1
Ms.Wongso
 Objectives
CA Content Standards

Literary Criticism

- 3.11 Evaluate the aesthetic qualities of style, including the impact of

diction and figurative language on tone, mood, and theme, using the
terminology of literary criticism. (Aesthetic approach)

Writing Strategies

- Establish a controlling impression or coherent thesis that conveys a clear

and distinctive perspective on the subject and maintain a consistent tone
and focus throughout the piece of writing.
 Objectives
The objective of this lecture is to:

● Have a clear concise definition of Rhetoric

● Understand the elements of Rhetoric
● Define Rhetorical Situation
● To know how this applies to the real world
Watch This
 After watching ...
Questions to consider:

1. What was the purpose behind the video?

2. How did it make you feel?
3. Why did it make you feel that way? Explain.
 What is Rhetoric?
Rhetoric can be defined in many different ways because this
term itself is quite ambiguous (meaning it can have multiple
meanings)

- Rhetoric means using language effectively to persuade,

inform, educate, or entertain
 Elements of Rhetoric
The three elements of rhetoric that I want to focus on
are:

1. Logos
2. Pathos
3. Ethos
 Elements of Rhetoric
I know what you’re thinking, who made this and why? Great
question!
- Aristotle taught that a speaker’s ability to persuade an
audience is based on how well the speaker appeals to
that audience in three different areas: logos, ethos, and
pathos. Considered together, these appeals form what
later rhetoricians have called the rhetorical triangle.
 Who?
Aristotle is a towering figure in ancient
Greek philosophy, making
contributions to logic, metaphysics,
mathematics, physics, biology, botany,
ethics, politics, agriculture, medicine,
dance and theatre. He was a student
of Plato who in turn studied under
Socrates, who are also famous
philosophers!
 Logos

In rhetoric, logos applies to

- Logic and Reasoning : This means that arguments are

based off of facts with appropriate evidence
- Questions to ask : Does their argument make sense? If
so, with what reasoning and what evidence is shown to
prove their argument
 Pathos

In rhetoric, pathos appeals to

- Emotions and Feelings : This appeal is to use emotions to

tug on your heartstrings to ultimately communicate the
argument you are trying to send
- Questions to ask : Can the audience/reader connect to
the argument in an emotional manner? Can you make
them care enough about your argument?
 Ethos
In rhetoric, ethos appeals to

- Credibility : This is a person’s credibility meaning that the

speaker must present themselves with the utmost
confidence to ensure the audience their own credibility.
This entails that their sources must be valid and credible
- Questions to ask : What expertise does the speaker
convey to show their credibility? Meaning sources.
 Think About This
After knowing the definition of rhetoric and the appeals of it,
talk with your table members and discuss -

1. How does rhetoric apply to the dog video?

2. Which appeals are present within the dog video? Explain.

Be Prepared to share and be called on!

 Rhetorical Situation
What is rhetorical situation?

- The circumstances in which you communicate

1. The Writer
2. The Purpose
3. Genre
4. Audience
5. Topic + Context
 The Writer
Think about this! As a writer, what are influences that you
have that cultivate your writing?

You as a writer are affected by your surroundings!

- Your culture, personal characteristics, and interests affect

what you write about and how you write it!
- Factors that affect your writing : Experience, gender, ager,
beliefs, family, friends, education etc.
The Purpose
What is the purpose of writing?

There are many purposes of writing but it is vital to

understand what writing can do in the right context.

Purposes are :

- To entertain - To Persuade
- To Inform - To Educate
- To Shock - Call for Action
 Genre
Genre? A word we all use but can’t define!

Genre - A category or type of writing

- What is the purpose of genre?

Genre hinges on purpose and the needs of the projected

audience!

Examples of Genres - Fiction, Autobiographies, Articles,

News, Non-Fiction, Reviews, Epistolary, etc!
Audience
The Audience …

When writing you must keep audience in mind! The audience

are the people whom you are writing to.

Many of the factors that we discussed earlier that affect your

writing, will also affect the people that are reading it as well!
This includes, age, social class, education, past experiences,
culture, etc.
 Topic + Context
Topic - What you will write about

- Can be broadened and narrowed depending on the

length of your interest

Context - the situation which generates the need for writing

(the means to write)

- Affected by : time period, location, current events, cultural

significance
 Practical Application?
After learning all these elements of rhetoric, what are some
practical applications to the real world can you come up
with?

I want you to be able to find purpose and meaning behind

any topic that we discuss.

We are going to take 5 minutes to independently work on

this and then come together as a class to make a list.