Rhetorical Appeals
Define ethos, pathos, and logos.
Ethos - Credibility
Pathos - Emotion
Logos - Logic
Miguel suffers a minor paper cut and screams to the entire household, "Mom! Come quick I am literally bleeding to death right now on the kitchen tile!"
This is a example of a
Hyperbole
Lilly is walking alongside the road and spots a beautiful bookstore. Upon entering, she spots a poster of a kid sitting down using scrapped up books. By adding that last sentence, what does the author hope to achieve?
The author uses pathos to create a feeling of fear and urgency in the reader.
What is a logical fallacy?
An error in reasoning that makes an argument invalid or unsound.
Who created rhetorical appeals?
Aristotle
What does this quote appeal to?
“If you don't purchase this life insurance, how will your family survive?”
Pathos
“Deafening silence” is an example of a
Oxymoron
A doctor gives a speech about the importance of protecting your skin and explains that they have treated hundreds of patients with skin cancer. By adding this detail, what does the author hope to achieve?
Answer: The author uses ethos to make the speaker seem knowledgeable and trustworthy.
What logical fallacy is presented?
A school board member argues, "If we let students wear pajamas in class, they will start sleeping in class, then they will stop listening entirely, and by next semester our graduation rates will drop to zero."
Slippery Slope
What does this quote appeal to?
”I feel entitled to claim the aid of all, and say, ‘come then, let us go forward together with our united strength.’” - Winston Churchill
Logos
What does this quote appeal to?
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” - Martin Luther King Jr.
Pathos
An exhausted office worker stares at a stack of 800 unread emails and sighs, "Great, this will take me exactly two seconds to finish."
This is a example of
Irony
A health article states that wearing sunscreen can help protect the skin from harmful UV radiation and recommends applying it before spending time outside. By adding this information, what does the author hope to achieve?
Answer: The author uses logos to provide logical information and facts that support the importance of protecting your skin.
What logical fallacy is presented?
A teenager tells their parents, "You shouldn't ground me for staying out past curfew tonight. Everyone else in my senior class was out until 2:00am, so it's completely fine."
Bandwagon
A firefighter visits a school to speak about fire safety and explains how years of experience responding to house fires have taught them the importance of having a working smoke detector. By adding this detail, what does the author hope to achieve?
Answer: The author uses ethos to make the information more believable by showing that it comes from someone with professional experience.
What does this quote appeal to?
”It is a fact that millions of Americans lack adequate healthcare. It is a fact that we spend more per capita than any other nation, yet have the worst outcomes.”
Logos
What rhetorical device is presented?
"We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender..." -Winston Churchill
Anaphora
Sarah watches her older sister struggle emotionally after receiving a skin cancer diagnosis, and she realizes how deeply the illness has affected her family. By adding this detail, what does the author hope to achieve?
Answer: The author uses pathos to create an emotional response and make the reader feel sympathy for Sarah and her family.
Which logical fallacy introduces an unrelated or distracting topic to divert attention from the main issue?
Red Herring
After months of saving money, Maya finally buys her little brother the bicycle he had been wishing for. When he sees it, he immediately runs outside with a huge smile and hugs her. By adding this detail, what does the author hope to achieve?
Answer: The author uses pathos to create feelings of happiness and warmth in the reader.
What does this quote appeal to?
“I know I have the body of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king, and of a king of England too…” - Queen Elizabeth I
Ethos
What rhetorical device is presented?
"Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God!" -Patrick Henry
Rhetorical Question
A student notices a dark spot on their skin and decides to ignore it. Later, they learn that skin cancer can sometimes resemble an ordinary mole, which is why doctors recommend having unusual or changing spots examined. By including this information, what does the author hope to achieve?
Answer: The author uses logos to persuade the reader through reasoning and factual information rather than emotion.
What logical fallacy is presented?
“We shouldn't listen to the teacher because he’s bald.”
Ad Hominem
Why is rhetorical analysis important?
It‘s important because it teaches you how to look beneath the surface of a message to see how and why it tries to persuade you.