Rhetoric Essay
Assignment #1
English 103
Robinson Neary
September 17, 2015
Communication is one of the most important skills a person can learn. Without being able to communicate people can’t reach their full potentials, and set themselves up for failure. A key tool to communication is rhetoric. Rhetoric is the art of persuasion. It is how a person presents an argument, and the way a speaker sways an audience to his/her opinion. Rhetoric has been studied for centuries, as far back as 2250 B.C., and with its fluctuating definitions is still an important subject of study in modern English classes.
There are many factors to be considered when studying rhetoric. Choice of words is one of the first to consider. Which words are used greatly affects a person’s …show more content…
When a couple gets into a fight, they can handle the situation in two ways: yell and scream at each other, in which case neither side really hears what the other has to say; or talk calmly and communicate what the issue is. To the other extreme, if a presidential candidate gave speeches in a mellow tone without getting into the speech, that candidate’s speeches would be pretty boring and wouldn’t be received well. Knowing what intonation is suited for the argument is another part of rhetoric. Speed of speech can greatly influence an argument. These examples are clearly seen when imagining a person giving a speech, and body language specifically affects a person’s verbal rhetoric. Body language is only perceived when the audience can see the speaker, which makes trying to study body language of a written text challenging. One of the best analyses of the effect of body language on rhetoric is in the television show Lie To Me. One example from the show was crossing arms over one’s chest when accused of something. It’s a barrier the accused puts up to fend off the accusation, but presents weak rhetoric. Verbal rhetoric is fairly familiar to people, because they speak with others and argue everyday, but written rhetoric takes more effort to …show more content…
They have the power to influence us both physically and mentally. Pathos, arguing by appealing to an audience’s emotions, is a commonly used means of persuasion. How often have loved ones used those close ties to further an argument? The guilt trip is such a common form of argument that there is a specific name for it, and it’s a form of pathos everybody has experienced in some form or another. Pathos isn’t limited to negative emotions though. A football coach rallying his team before the championship game appeals to his players’ hopes and passion.
Ethos is an appeal to reason, and is used to affirm credibility in the speaker. The way the audience views the speaker will affect how readily an argument will be accepted. If a doctor and a mechanic were to argue about the diagnosis of a mysterious illness, the doctor would have a stronger argument based solely on his occupation and
English 103
Robinson Neary
September 17, 2015
Communication is one of the most important skills a person can learn. Without being able to communicate people can’t reach their full potentials, and set themselves up for failure. A key tool to communication is rhetoric. Rhetoric is the art of persuasion. It is how a person presents an argument, and the way a speaker sways an audience to his/her opinion. Rhetoric has been studied for centuries, as far back as 2250 B.C., and with its fluctuating definitions is still an important subject of study in modern English classes.
There are many factors to be considered when studying rhetoric. Choice of words is one of the first to consider. Which words are used greatly affects a person’s …show more content…
When a couple gets into a fight, they can handle the situation in two ways: yell and scream at each other, in which case neither side really hears what the other has to say; or talk calmly and communicate what the issue is. To the other extreme, if a presidential candidate gave speeches in a mellow tone without getting into the speech, that candidate’s speeches would be pretty boring and wouldn’t be received well. Knowing what intonation is suited for the argument is another part of rhetoric. Speed of speech can greatly influence an argument. These examples are clearly seen when imagining a person giving a speech, and body language specifically affects a person’s verbal rhetoric. Body language is only perceived when the audience can see the speaker, which makes trying to study body language of a written text challenging. One of the best analyses of the effect of body language on rhetoric is in the television show Lie To Me. One example from the show was crossing arms over one’s chest when accused of something. It’s a barrier the accused puts up to fend off the accusation, but presents weak rhetoric. Verbal rhetoric is fairly familiar to people, because they speak with others and argue everyday, but written rhetoric takes more effort to …show more content…
They have the power to influence us both physically and mentally. Pathos, arguing by appealing to an audience’s emotions, is a commonly used means of persuasion. How often have loved ones used those close ties to further an argument? The guilt trip is such a common form of argument that there is a specific name for it, and it’s a form of pathos everybody has experienced in some form or another. Pathos isn’t limited to negative emotions though. A football coach rallying his team before the championship game appeals to his players’ hopes and passion.
Ethos is an appeal to reason, and is used to affirm credibility in the speaker. The way the audience views the speaker will affect how readily an argument will be accepted. If a doctor and a mechanic were to argue about the diagnosis of a mysterious illness, the doctor would have a stronger argument based solely on his occupation and