Rhetorical Situation & Argumentation

BIG IDEA #1: The Rhetorical Situation

Speaker- who is talking (sometimes the author)

Audience- who the speaker is addressing

Message- the main point

Tone- the attitude of the speaker toward the message

Persona- the relationship between the speaker and the audience

Medium- how the medium gets there (movie, book, poem, etc)

Diction- words (+ or -) (high or low)

Syntax- order of words

Figurative Language- deep-meaning sayings

Allusion- historical parallels

Irony- opposite

Ethos- trustworthiness of the speaker

Pathos- self-interest

Logos- the principle on what it’s based on (ex God)

Kairos- historical situation/context

Exigence- what’s sticking in the speaker’s craw

Purpose- what the author is trying to do for the audience

Rhetorical Triangle:

BIG IDEA #2: Argumentation

Syllogisms- an instance of a form of reasoning in which a conclusion is drawn (whether validly or not) from two given or assumed propositions (premises), each of which shares a term with the conclusion, and shares a common or middle term not present in the conclusion

1. All Ducks are Birds

2. All Birds are animals

3. All Ducks are animals

Toulmin Model:

Deductive vs. Inductive reasoning:

Deductive- information → claim

Inductive- claim → information