The Rhetorical Triangle

RHETORthe persona—the “mask”

• What aspects of the author’s identity may influence the way he/she perceives the topic?

• Age• Education• Gender• Race• Ability

• What biases does the author hold?• How does the author wish to be

perceived?• What does the author assume about the

audience?

RHETORthe persona—the “mask”

AUDIENCE primary immediate secondary mediated

• What aspects of the author’s identity may influence the way he/she perceives the topic?

• Age• Education• Gender• Race• Ability

• What biases does the author hold?• How does the author wish to be

perceived?• What does the author assume about the

audience?

• Basic identifying features (race, age, education, etc)

• Knowledge• Attitudes• Beliefs

RHETORthe persona—the “mask”

AUDIENCE primary immediate secondary mediated

• What aspects of the author’s identity may influence the way he/she perceives the topic?

• Age• Education• Gender• Race• Ability

• What biases does the author hold?• How does the author wish to be

perceived?• What does the author assume about the

audience?

TOPIC/SUBJECT/MESSAGE

• Basic identifying features (race, age, education, etc)

• Knowledge• Attitudes• Beliefs

CONTEXTconvergence of time, people, place, events in which the topic merits attention

• Time • Place• People• Events• Motivating

force behind speaker/

narrator

RHETORthe persona—the “mask”

AUDIENCE primary immediate secondary mediated

• What aspects of the author’s identity may influence the way he/she perceives the topic?

• Age• Education• Gender• Race• Ability

• What biases does the author hold?• How does the author wish to be

perceived?• What does the author assume about the

audience?

TOPIC/SUBJECT/MESSAGE

• Basic identifying features (race, age, education, etc)

• Knowledge• Attitudes• Beliefs

CONTEXTconvergence of time, people, place, events in which the topic merits attention

• Time • Place• People• Events• Motivating

force behind speaker/

narrator

PURPOSE

Genre

RHETORthe persona—the “mask”

AUDIENCE primary immediate secondary mediated

TOPIC/SUBJECT/MESSAGE

PURPOSE

Genre

Appeal to Credibility/ Ethics How does the author create credibility?Education, religion, patriotism, Visual, verbal (way he speaks)Add information here because Linda had nothing

Appeal to Credibility / Ethics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a

MfSGt6rHos

Appeal to Credibility =/ Ethics https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=7MV3HWQHl1s

RHETORthe persona—the “mask”

AUDIENCE primary immediate secondary mediated

TOPIC/SUBJECT/MESSAGE

PURPOSE

Genre

Appeal to Credibility/ Ethics How does the author create credibility?Education, religion, patriotism, Visual, verbal (way he speaks)Add information here because Linda had nothing

Appeal to emotionBe very specific with what emotion is being appealed to Fear and Anger are the most effective emotional appealsHumor is not an emotion

Appeal to Emotion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gspElv1yvc

RHETORthe persona—the “mask”

AUDIENCE primary immediate secondary mediated

TOPIC/SUBJECT/MESSAGE

PURPOSE

Genre

Appeal to Credibility/ Ethics How does the author create credibility?Education, religion, patriotism, Visual, verbal (way he speaks)Add information here because Linda had nothing

Appeal to emotionBe very specific with what emotion is being appealed to Fear and Anger are the most effective emotional appealsHumor is not an emotion

Appeal to logicLogical structure of argument, possibly created by:

observation statistics Testimonies (expert and personal) experience examples and details

Appeal to logic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lo6G4Nmpxp0

Appeal to logic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWN2kOT4LYA

Other Appeals

Patriotism Key role (Mother, teacher tax payer,

parent, teenager) Religious identity (often is also an

appeal to credibility) Past experiences (if they are shared

experiences, this can also be an appeal to credibility)

Humor

What’s it doing?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4vkVHijdQk

What’s it doing?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=litXW91UauE

What’s it doing?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKfuS6gfxPY