The canon of rhetoric

What is Rhetoric?

The art of discourse aimed at improving the capability of writers and speakers to inform, persuade, or motivate audiences.

Three elements of rhetoric

The Rhetorical Situation, The Rhetorical Triangle, The Canon of Rhetoric.

The Rhetorical Situation

Involves audience, purpose, and context.

The Rhetorical Triangle

Means of persuasion that includes ethos, pathos, and logos.

The Canon of Rhetoric

The development of strong arguments.

Context

Focuses on the topic and main purpose, considering the rhetorical situation.

Substance

The relevance of content, including ethos, pathos, logos, and appropriate examples.

Organization

Assembly of parts including clear key points, logical structure, and accessible layout.

Style

The technical accuracy of writing, including grammar, language choices, and tone.

Delivery

The physical presentation of documents, including design, formatting, and oral delivery.

Ethos, Pathos, Logos

The three persuasive appeals in the rhetorical triangle.

Kairos

The opportune moment for making an argument.

Main message (context) importance

Without a clear main message, other aspects like spelling errors in style become irrelevant.