Basic Questions for Basic Questions for Rhetorical Analysis Rhetorical Analysis

Ms. Avila Ms. Avila

AP Language and Comp AP Language and Comp

What exactly is Rhetorical What exactly is Rhetorical Analysis? Analysis?

Rhetoric: Rhetoric: The art of persuasionThe art of persuasion

AnalysisAnalysis: The breaking down of some thing : The breaking down of some thing into its parts and interpreting how those into its parts and interpreting how those parts fit together.parts fit together.

What is the rhetorical situation?What is the rhetorical situation?

What occasion gives rise to the need or What occasion gives rise to the need or opportunity for persuasion? opportunity for persuasion?

What is the occasion (historical, personal, What is the occasion (historical, personal, etc.) that would give rise to the etc.) that would give rise to the composition of this text? composition of this text?

Who is the author/speaker? Who is the author/speaker?

How does he or she establish ethos How does he or she establish ethos (personal credibility)? (personal credibility)?

Does he/she come across as Does he/she come across as knowledgeable? fair? knowledgeable? fair?

Does the speaker's reputation convey a Does the speaker's reputation convey a certain authority? certain authority?

What is his/her intention in What is his/her intention in speaking?speaking?

To attack or defend? To attack or defend?

To exhort or dissuade from certain action? To exhort or dissuade from certain action?

To praise or blame? To praise or blame?

To teach, to delight, or to persuade? To teach, to delight, or to persuade?

Who make up the audience?Who make up the audience?

Who is the intended audience? Who is the intended audience?

What values does the audience hold that What values does the audience hold that the author or speaker appeals to? the author or speaker appeals to?

Who have been or might be secondary Who have been or might be secondary audiences? audiences?

If this is a work of fiction, what is the If this is a work of fiction, what is the nature of the audience within the fiction? nature of the audience within the fiction?

What is the content of the What is the content of the message?message?

Can you summarize the main idea? Can you summarize the main idea?

What are the principal lines of reasoning What are the principal lines of reasoning or kinds of arguments used? or kinds of arguments used?

What topics of invention are employed? What topics of invention are employed?

How does the author or speaker appeal to How does the author or speaker appeal to reason? to emotion? reason? to emotion?

What is the form in which it is What is the form in which it is conveyed?conveyed?

What is the structure of the What is the structure of the communication; how is it arranged? communication; how is it arranged?

What oral or literary genre is it following? What oral or literary genre is it following?

What figures of speech (schemes and What figures of speech (schemes and tropes) are used? tropes) are used?

What kind of style and tone is used and for What kind of style and tone is used and for what purpose? what purpose?

Does the message/speech/text Does the message/speech/text succeed in fulfilling the author's succeed in fulfilling the author's

or speaker's intentions? or speaker's intentions?

For whom? For whom?

Does the author/speaker effectively fit Does the author/speaker effectively fit his/her message to the circumstances, his/her message to the circumstances, times, and audience? times, and audience?

Can you identify the responses of Can you identify the responses of historical or contemporary audiences? historical or contemporary audiences?

What does the nature of the What does the nature of the communication reveal about the communication reveal about the

culture that produced it? culture that produced it?

What kinds of values or customs would the What kinds of values or customs would the people have that would produce this? people have that would produce this?

How do the allusions, historical How do the allusions, historical references, or kinds of words used place references, or kinds of words used place this in a certain time and location? this in a certain time and location?