RHETORICALDEVICES/PERSUASIVEAPPEALSMrs.Lauxman WorldLit.&Comp.IEthos,Pathos,Logos:Aristotle’s3PersuasiveAppeals(thepillarsofpersuasion)*****************************************************************************************2,300yearsago,Aristotlewrotedownthesecrettobeingapersuasivespeaker-thesecretwhichformedthe

basisfornearlyeverypublicspeakingbookwritteneversince.*****************************************************************************************WhatareEthos,Pathos,andLogos?

§ Ethos: credibility(orcharacter)ofthespeaker;speakerestablisheshim/herselfasanETHICALperson.§ Pathos: emotionalconnectiontotheaudience;speakerappealstoaudience’sEMOTIONS.§ Logos: logicalargument;speakerappealstoaudience’ssenseofreasoning/LOGIC.

*****************************************************************************************Together,theyarethethreepersuasiveappeals.Byincorporatingeachoftheseintoapersuasivespeech/presentation,thespeakerdrasticallyincreaseshis/herchancesofpersuadinganaudience.

*****************************************************************************************OnRhetoricbyAristotle–TheoriginofEthos,Pathos,Logos

Writteninthe4thcenturyB.C.E.,theGreekphilosopherAristotlecompiledhisthoughtsontheartofrhetoric(theartofpersuasion)intoOnRhetoric,includinghistheoryonthethreepersuasiveappeals.

ETHOSBeforeyoucanconvinceanaudiencetoacceptanythingyousay,theyhavetoacceptyouascredible/ethical.

• Doestheaudiencerespectyou?• Doestheaudiencebelieveyouareofgoodcharacter?• Doestheaudiencebelieveyouaregenerallytrustworthy?• Doestheaudiencebelieveyouareanauthorityonthetopic?

*Ethosisyourlevelofcredibilityasperceivedbyyouraudience.

PATHOSPathosisthequalityofapersuasivepresentationwhichappealstotheemotionsoftheaudience.

• Doyourwords/visualsevokefeelingsof…love?…fear?…sympathy?...patriotism?etc.*Pathosisyourabilitytotriggeranemotionalresponsefromtheaudience.

LOGOSLogosissynonymouswithalogicalargument.

• Doesyourmessagemakesense?• Isyourmessagebasedonfacts,statistics,andevidence?

*Logosisyourabilitytoalignyourmessagewithyouraudience’ssenseoflogic.*****************************************************************************************

*Aristotlebelievedthatlogosisthemostimportantoftheappeals.However,Aristotlealsostatedthatlogosaloneisnotsufficient;allthreepersuasiveappealsarenecessarytoeffectivelypersuadeanaudience.

Wait.There’smore…

BesidesETHOS,PATHOS,ANDLOGOS,checkouttheseotherRhetoricalDevicesofPersuasion…

PARALLELSTRUCTURE(orPARALLELISM)Asimilarity/repetitionofstructureinapairorseriesofrelatedwords,phrases,orclauses.

EXAMPLES:

"Leteverynationknow,whetheritwishesuswellorill,thatweshallpayanyprice,bearanyburden,meetanyhardship,supportanyfriend,opposeanyfoetoassurethesurvivalandthesuccessofliberty."--JohnF.Kennedy,InauguralAddress

"I'vetriedtoofferleadershiptotheDemocraticPartyandtheNation.If,inmyhighmoments,Ihavedonesomegood,offeredsomeservice,shedsomelight,healedsome

wounds,rekindledsomehope,orstirredsomeonefromapathyandindifference,orinanywayalongthewayhelpedsomebody,thenthiscampaignhasnotbeeninvain."--Jesse

Jackson,1984DemocraticNationalConventionAddress

"WehaveseenthestateofourUnionintheenduranceofrescuers,workingpastexhaustion.We'veseentheunfurlingofflags,thelightingofcandles,thegivingofblood,thesayingofprayers--inEnglish,Hebrew,andArabic."-GeorgeW.Bush,AddresstotheNationonTerrorism9/20/01

"...andthatgovernmentofthepeople,bythepeople,forthepeople,shallnotperishfromtheearth."--AbrahamLincoln,GettysburgAddress

Youhavemodernizedyoureconomy,harnessedyourrivers,diversifiedyourindustry,liberalizedyourtrade,electrifiedyourfarms,acceleratedyourrateofgrowth,and

improvedthelivingstandardsofyourpeople."--JohnF.Kennedy,AddresstotheIrishParliament

"Wehavepetitionedandourpetitionshavebeenscorned.Wehaveentreatedandourentreatieshavebeendisregarded.Wehavebeggedandtheyhavemockedwhenourcalamitycame.Webegnolonger.Weentreatnomore.Wepetitionnomore.Wedefythem."--WilliamJenningsBryan*****************************************************************************************RHETORICALQUESTIONS

Questionswhoseanswersaresoobvious,noanswerisneeded;usedtoinfluenceanaudience;toleadthemtoarriveatthedesiredresult

EXAMPLES:

"MustIarguethewrongfulnessofslavery?–FrederickDouglass“Ifyouprickus,dowenotbleed?Ifyoupoisonus,dowenotdie?”–Shakespeare(MerchantofVenice)“Thouartthyself,thoughnotaMontague?”–Shakespeare(TheTragedyofRomeoandJuliet)