The Rhetorical Situation
What are some characteristics/background that can influence a speaker's purpose and message?
-beliefs
-experiences
-their titles/roles (job, gender, nationality, education, etc.)
-their biases
What rhetorical device is being used here: "If Trump is elected, he is going to take all of our rights away!"
Hyperbole
What is one symbol from Macbeth?
-dagger (murder, ambition, greed)
-blood/y hands (murder, greed, guilt)
-sleep (guilt, death)
-weather (turmoil, foreboding)
What is the purpose/effect of repetition?
to emphasize an idea/point
What are the 3 rhetorical appeals?
ethos-pathos-logos (credibility, emotion, and logic)
What is context and exigence and how can they impact the speaker's purpose?
Context is the historical, social, cultural, political, backdrop of the text- what is/was happening in the world during the time of this text.
Exigence is the catalyst of the text- whatever prompted the speaker/writer to deliver this message.
"With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to climb up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day." (MLK, I Have a Dream)
Parallelism, repetition of the phrase "we will.....together"
What is a possible theme (author's message) of Macbeth?
-guilt -betrayal
-ambition -fake vs real
-pride -fate vs free will
-arrogance -any other responses that relate
How can an anecdote impact the reader's understanding of the speaker?
a personal glimpse into the speaker's life, helps the reader understand where they're coming from, helps the reader connect with the speaker if the anecdote is relatable
What rhetorical appeal do these metaphors relate to?
"badly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. "
PATHOS
Bonus: sympathy, anger
What steps can readers take to help determine the tone of a text?
Pay attention to the speaker's word choice and connotations.
What literary/rhetorical device is this quote an example of?
"The wrath of God burns against them, their damnation don’t slumber, the pit is prepared, the fire is made ready, the furnace is now hot, ready to receive them, the flames do now rage and glow." Edwards,"Sinners.."
Imagery
How does Trevor Noah's use of humor contribute to the text?
-engages the audience
-connects with the audience positively
-makes the text memorable
Why might a speaker use a rhetorical question?
To encourage the audience to think about their message or the topic
To point out something that is obvious
What rhetorical appeal is the following quote?
"How can you thank a man for giving you what’s already yours? How then can you thank him for giving you only part of what’s already yours? You haven’t even made progress, if what’s being given to you, you should have had already" Malcolm X, Ballot or Bullet
logos
How might who the audience is affect the delivery of a text?
Ex. Explaining the genocide in Palestine to a kindergartener vs a high schooler?
-word choice
-description, details vs. simplicity
"Five score years ago a great American in whose symbolic shadow we stand today signed the Emancipation Proclamation "
"When the architects of our Republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence ' (MLK, I Have a Dream)
allusion to American law and Abraham Lincoln, Founding Fathers
What does the doctor mean when he says, "More needs she the divine than the physician" about Lady Macbeth
that she needs God's/divine help to cure her "sickness"
Why might a speaker use an analogy/comparison or an allusion in their speech/text?
An analogy or comparison of ideas or an allusion can help the audience better understand the point that is being made, especially if it is being compared to something the audience is familiar with.
What rhetorical appeal is used in this example?
"I’ll tell you, I started my career as a prosecutor. I was a D.A. I was an attorney general. A United States senator. And now vice president." Kamala Harris Closing Presidential Race Remarks
ethos
Explain at least 3 aspects of the rhetorical situation (SOAPSTONE/SPACECAT) from one of the texts we read this semester.
various answers
In America, a white man who killed a healthcare corporation CEO is arrested while a white man who killed a black homeless man walks free.
Juxtaposition
What structure is Born a Crime written in and how does it impact the reader’s experience with the text?
-flashbacks, flashforwards, non-linear
-keeps the reader interested/engaged because they don't know what to expect next
What is the purpose/effect of using Juxtaposition/Irony?
To highlight a contrast, make the audience think deeply about a topic, to add complexity/depth.
Cite and explain an example of a rhetorical appeal from one of the texts we read this semester.
various answers