Rhetoric is the art of finding the available means of
persuasion in a given case.
“
--Aristotle
Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle
ETHOS
focus on speaker
PATHOS
focus on listener
speaker handles self well
~is dressed appropriately
~seems confident
~has a good reputation
~projects “moral authority” to
speak on the subject
~has credibility
~Speaker’s appeal to emotions is a non-rational form
of decision-making
~Speaker can make you
feel inspired, motivated.
~Speaker puts listeners in
the right frame of mind to
agree.
Aristotle said if your ethos is
strong enough, it will carry your
presentation!
Who is my audience and
what do they care about
and how can I get them to
care about my agenda?
LOGOS
focus on subject matter
~What facts do you include?
~What do you not include?
~What order do you use?
~What evidence do you use for
support?