Rhetorical Analysis
I.
What is rhetoric?
A. The speaker or writer creates a persona based on the character he or she wants the audience to perceive
himself or herself as, in part on who he or she presumes the audience to be and in part on what he or she
knows and believes about the subject.
B. Members of the audience hold some beliefs based on knowledge and past experience about the speaker
or writer and the subject, and they tap into these beliefs as they listen or read.
C. Members of the audience also use their ability to reason—to put together evidence logically—and they
are persuaded by the strength of the evidence presented about the subject.
Rhetoric is: ―The faculty of finding the available means of persuasion in a given case‖ (Aristotle, Ars
Rhetorica).
Speaker or writer
audience
II.
subject
Rhetorical analysis is defined as examination of written texts to determine how the author has shaped the
content in order to achieve an identifiable purpose for a given audience.
Key terms in rhetorical analysis:
A.
B.
C.
D.
Exigence: a gap, a need, a lack, something that needs doing. What sticks in the author’s craw.
Audience: A reader or a group of readers capable of acting on this exigence.
Purpose: What the author intends for the reader or readers to do while or after they read the text.
Appeals: Closely related ways the author aims to get the readers to take up the purposeful action:
1. Ethos: Appeals to the character of the writer or persona—―You can trust me because I’m a good
person.‖
2. Pathos: Appeals to the emotions or interests of the readers—―Look at these pictures of sick children.‖
3. Logos: Appeals to the structure (reasoning) of the artist—―If the new tax break affects those whose
income is under $250,000, it will benefit you.‖
E. Figure of speech: Metaphors, similes, personification, and figurative language.
F. Imagery, syntax, diction, allusion, tone, parallelism, rhetorical question, and repetition.
III.
Using the Persuasive appeals
The best arguments rely on using three rhetorical strategies: logical, ethical, and emotional appeal.
Logical Appeal – Logos
Logical appeal uses reasoning and evidence to appeal to an audience or a listener, and is often more
intellectual than emotional. It uses inductive (specific to general) and deductive (general to specific)
reasoning.
Example of inductive reasoning: Girls should be able to join in athletics at school because girls are as
important as boys and all people have equal rights.
Example of deductive reasoning: All people have equal rights; therefore, girls have the same rights as
boys, so, girls should be able to play sports at school.
Some indicators of Logical Appeal
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It uses concessions which express concern for the feelings of those who may disagree, such as phrases:
admittedly, even though, you have a good point…but, perhaps, yes…but
Facts as evidence
Research
Tradition
Authorities
Cause/effect
Analogies
Metaphors
Emotional Appeal – Pathos
Passion, not logic, stirs most people into taking a stance. When writers and speakers attempt to evoke the
audience’s emotions, they use pathos, which in Greek, loosely translates to ―pain.‖
Pathos is an appeal to our basic human needs; the writer/speaker uses a friendlier, more relaxed tone.
Physical – life and health of the body
Psychological – a person’s inner life, the need for love and self-respect
Social – the need for freedom, status, power, and acceptance
The emotional appeal can be quite effective when words are chosen carefully for connotation (example:
―house‖ vs. ―home‖ and ―childish‖ vs. ―child-like‖).
Ethical Appeal – Ethos
Ethos in Greek loosely translates into ―character.‖ Thus, writers/speakers argue in ways that reveal good
character. Here, the writer/speaker must present themselves as fair, just, and trustworthy.
Some indications of Ethos
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The person is presenting themselves as reliable and good
The person tries to find a fair middle ground with the audience
Uses terms such as ―perhaps‖ ―some‖ and ―many‖
Restates the opposing view accurately and fairly
Associates self with authorities
Makes relevant allusions
Uses ―we‖ and ―us‖ to establish a rapport