1. Explain Aristotle’s rhetorical triangle. Please explain each of its three parts fully in your own words. Then pick one of the three parts that you think is the most important, and then argue in a short answer why you think it is the most important of the three. (Ethos, Pathos, Logos) Ethos is a term with Greek origins, and it refers to the morals, and beliefs of a person. The other two appeals are logos and pathos. In persuasive writing, ethos is all about your credibility as an author. Ethos comes in two forms: there is extrinsic ethos, the authority, education, and experience of a speaker or author, and intrinsic ethos, the way the speaker goes about the act of persuading, meaning that he or she is skilled or unskilled with language and terminology. A great example is ‘Our expertise in roofing contracting is evidenced not only by our 50 years in the business and our staff of qualified technicians but in the decades of satisfied customers who have come to expect nothing but the best.’
Pathos is one of the three ‘appeals’ of persuasive writing. When you use pathos, you’re appealing to your readers’ emotions to convince them of something. The other two appeals of persuasive writing are logos and ethos. A great example is ‘They’ve worked against everything we’ve worked so hard to build, and they don’t care who gets hurt in the process. Make no mistake, they’re the enemy, and they won’t stop until we’re all destroyed.’
Logos is one of the three appeals of persuasive writing and speaking. When you use logos, you are persuading with logic based on evidence and your skills of reason. The other two appeals are pathos and ethos. To effectively persuade, it is best to utilize all three appeals. A great example is ‘Ladies and gentlemen of the jury: we have not only the fingerprints, the lack of an alibi, a clear motive, and an expressed desire to commit the robbery… We also have a video of the suspect breaking in. The case could not be more open and shut.’
I think, that all 3 rubrics are very important. Ethos is very important because if you can’t trust the speaker or can’t find a connection with, you probably will not give enough attention to the whole speech. Next; Pathos. What is a part of Ethos to give your speech more expression. Last but not least; Logos. To deliver a speech that makes sense and everyone can understand.
2. Explain “Cicero’s Five Canons of Rhetoric, ”Your answers should be at least a paragraph long for each of the five canons.
The invention is the process of coming up with material for a text. In writing, this is the brainstorming or prewriting stage. The invention, according to Aristotle, involves “discovering the best available means of persuasion.” During the Invention Phase, the goal is to brainstorm ideas on what you’re going to say and how you’re going to say it in order to maximize persuasion.
The Arrangement is the process of deciding how to order the material in the text. In writing, this is still part of the prewriting stage. Your introduction is crucial for the success of your speech or essay. In the first few seconds, your audience will determine whether your speech is worth listening to. If you can’t grab their attention right off the bat, you’ve lost them for the remainder of the speech. You have the old stand-bys: start off with a quote, ask a rhetorical question, or state some shocking fact relating to your topic. Those are decent ways to introduce your topic, but they’re overdone.
The style is the process of coming up with the actual words that will be used in a text. In writing, this canon is first approached in the drafting stage and continues in the rewriting stage. When people write memos or give persuasive speeches, the focus is usually on what they’re going to write or say. While it’s important that you have something substantive to say, it’s also important how you present your ideas. The canon of style will help you present your ideas and arguments so people will want to listen to you. A mentor of mine gave me a great object lesson on the importance of style when crafting a message. Memory is the process of committing a text of memory. Although this canon is not as applicable to writing as it is to oratory, there are still occasions when writers must memorize their text in order to make the delivery more effective. Anciently, almost all rhetorical communication was done orally in the public forum. Ancient orators had to memorize their speeches and be able to give them without notes or crib sheets. Note-taking as a way to remember things was often looked down upon in many ancient cultures.
Delivery is the process of presenting a text to an audience. Like memory, delivery is less prominent in writing than in oratory; however, there are many occasions when writers must think of how to best deliver their texts. For ancient orators, delivery meant how a speaker used his body language and hand gestures and how he changed his tone of voice during his or her oration. Cite “The Five Canons of Rhetoric.” Changingminds.org, changingminds.org/disciplines/argument/five_canons/five_canons.htm. “Arrangement.” Changingminds.org, changingminds.org/disciplines/argument/five_canons/arrangement.htm. 3. Create a full-sentence outline for an on informative speech on “how to make a ‘snack’ of your choosing.” You must clearly label all the important parts of the speech. (Hint: What is thesis/central idea? What is your ethos? Do you have all the parts of the speech clearly labeled? What kind of informative speech is this?
