Rhetorical Devices

Learning TargetUnderstand (and be able to identify) ethos,

pathos, and logos as devices of rhetoric which work to increase the effectiveness of

communication

THE BASICS: Follow Along in your Notes

An appeal is a request or plea Good persuasive writing often uses several different types of

appeals, most often ethos, logos, and pathos Rhetoric = the art of effective or persuasive speaking or

writing Therefore, rhetorical devices are the ways in which you

persuade (appeals such as ethos, logos, and pathos) While writing, you must also think about who your audience

is How can you appeal to your audience using ethos, pathos,

and logos? We’ll learn how!!!!

Pathos (Emotion)…Pathos (Emotion)…• Persuading by appealing to the reader's emotions, sympathies, and imagination• Causes an audience not just to respond emotionally but to identify with the writer's point of view--to feel what the writer feels• 'to suffer'--to feel pain imaginatively.... • Can appeal to both positive (happiness) and negative (anger) emotions… whatever will motivate people to act/think a certain way!

How to use Pathos…How to use Pathos…

•Can be done through narrative or story (drawing from personal experiences when appropriate)•Good to use sensory details and vivid language•Consider the wants, needs, and values that the majority of people share (safety, wellness, personal freedom, etc.) – Think about how you can use these

ExampleExample• “…some of you have come here out of great

trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest -- quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering…. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.” – “I Have a Dream” by Martin Luther King Jr. (August 28th, 1963)

• To which emotions does Dr. King appeal?

More ExamplesMore Examples

•How is pathos used in this commercial on animal cruelty? Make a list of the emotions you feel as you watch and what it makes you want to do.

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

•How is pathos used in this commercial for the Ministry of Education? Make a list of what emotions the ad is trying to get at.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlHyzS48RxI

Logos (Logic)Logos (Logic)• Persuading by the use of clear reasoning•

• You are supporting your position with reasons that appeal to your readers’ logic, their common sense

• Involves facts, statistics, and other supporting evidence

• Presenting proof of what you are saying

How to use Logos…How to use Logos…

•Give definitions and clear explanations

•Cite reputable sources (experts in the field!)

•Giving detailed examples

•Reasoning in a way that is understandable (can be followed by your audience)

• That “textual evidence” stuff we’ve been having you do… That’s Logos!

ExampleExample• …You want your parent(s) to order pizza for dinner…

How do you convince them? Logos!...• Pizza tastes delicious and allows freedom of

choice (different toppings) • The local pizza place is family-owned and run,

and we should really support our local economy.• We haven’t had pizza in a really long time.• We have a coupon for a free pizza, and it’s going

to expire next week, so week should use it now!• Pizza is healthy because it contains ingredients

from various food groups (wheat, proteins, etc.)

Another ExampleAnother Example

• How do many car commercials use Logos to convince viewers to buy?

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiA-u4pzGf0

• http://www.youtube.com/user/scion?v=gD-oDXcSodg

In Your Writer’s Notebook…

• Write down at least 2 things you learned about Patrick Henry (or the time period) OR

• Write down at least 2 questions you have about Patrick Henry (or the late 1700s in general)

Ethos Ethos (Ethical Appeal/Credibility)(Ethical Appeal/Credibility)

•Means convincing the audience of the writer or speaker’s credibility (their reputation, knowledge, or expertise in the field)•Making yourself someone who is likable and worthy of respect… (Because we tend to believe people whom we respect)

How to use Ethos…How to use Ethos…

•Listing your qualifications/credentials (schooling, degree(s)) – Let them know your authority and experience!

•Showing that you have close association with the topic… Maybe you have had some personal experiences or have been directly affected by the issue at hand

How to use Ethos…How to use Ethos…

**Example: You are arguing against smoking in public places, and you give scenarios about times you have been enjoying dinner with your family and have been plagued by second-hand smoke. Why would you include ETHOS in your writing?? Because it gives substance to what you are saying! It makes you more believable, which increases your chances of being able to persuade your audience (Which is the goal!)

Also Consider…Also Consider…

• Trustworthiness (Do you give your audience reason to trust in you and believe what you say?)

• Similarity (Do you give your audience a way to identify with you?)

•Reassure readers/listeners that you have strong character and you know what you’re talking about!

An ExampleAn Example

• “As commander in chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense. But always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us.” (from Pres. Roosevelt’s Pearl Harbor Address)

While You Are WritingWhile You Are Writing

•Don’t mistake ethos for logos• Even if you provide evidence to support your claims and maybe give quotes from doctors or lawyers or other professionals… •Don’t think that makes YOU credible!• Unless you studied with the doctor or lawyer, you were an apprentice or student, you participated in the research… This is not ethos!• You need to show readers what you know

• Audience: Parents

• Ethos: recognizable name brand; anticipate audience’s worries about germs

• Logos: germs make kids sick; disinfectants kill germs; kids share germs with each other

• Pathos: the little girls look cute and sweet, no one would want them to get sick; parents will do or buy anything to protect their children

•Audience: young adults ages 18+

•Ethos: it is asking for help from the audience; using a “universal” star appeals to a wider ethnic audience

•Logos: how we vote now affects our future; we may not be around in the future, but our children will be

•Pathos: people want to give their children the best; having the flag in color promotes patriotic feelings; her face looks like she’s pleading with the audience

Questions????