An Outline of Classical Rhetoric
Frank D’Angelo
Adapted from
English 523 Classical Rhetoric and Written Composition
Arizona State University
Rhetoric: The Three Branches:
1.
2.
3.
Deliberative (political)
Judicial (forensic or legal)
Epideictic (Ceremonial)
Deliberative (political)
1. Aim–to exhort or dissuade
2. Ends–expediency or inexpediency
3. Time–future
4. Audience–chooses between alternative
courses of civic action.
Judicial (forensic or legal)
1. Aim–to accuse or defend
2. Ends–justice and injustice
3. Time–past
4. Audience–judges the innocence or guilt of
someone accused of a crime.
Epideictic (ceremonial)
1. Aim–to praise or blame
2. Ends–honor and dishonor
3. Time–present
4. Audience – praises the speech and the
skill of the orator.
Rhetoric–The Five Parts
1. Invention
2. Arrangement
3. Style
4. Memory
5. Delivery
Invention
Stasis–the main points at issue
Invention
Proof–two kinds
Inartistic
Artistic
Invention
Proof:
a. Inartistic
1) sworn testimony
2) documents
3) laws
4) torture
Invention
b.artistic
1) ethical—speaker’s character ethos
2) emotional—audience’s mood pathos
3) logical—rational argument logos
i)
deductive—topoi and enthymemes
ii) inductive—example
Arrangement
Aristotle—4 essential parts
1. proem
2. statement of facts
3. proof
4. epilogue
Arrangement
Cicero—7 part structure
1.exhortation
2.narration
3.proposition
4.confirmation
5.refutation
6.digression
7.conclusion
Style: The 3 Types
Low or plain (unornamented)
Middle (somewhere in between)
Grand (ornamented)
Style: the 4 Virtues
1. Purity (correctness)
2. Clarity
3. Decorum (appropriateness)
4. Ornament
Style: Sources of Ornament
1. Schemes
2. Tropes
Stasis
Definition of “Stasis”:
1.The first conflict of two sides of a case,
resulting from the rejection of an accusation:
“You did it,” / “I did not do it.”
2.The starting point of a case.
3.The circumstances that give rise to a case.
4.The point at issue in a legal argument.
Stasis:
Four Kinds of Issues
1. Conjectural—dispute over a fact.
2. Definitional—dispute over a definition.
3. Qualitative—dispute over the value,
quality, or nature of an act.
4. Translative—dispute over moving the issue
from one court or jurisdiction to another.
Stasis:
Central Question of the Case
1. Based on an analysis of the issues
2. Coming from the conflict of pleas: “I was
justified in doing it.” / “You were not.”
“Was he justified in doing it?”
Stasis:
The Reason or Excuse
1. That which holds the case together
2. “He was justified in doing it because she
killed my father.”
Stasis:
Point for Judge’s Decision
1. That which arises from denial of the
reason or excuse.
2. That which arises from assertion of the
reason or excuse.
Stasis:
Foundation of the Defense
1. Strongest argument.
2. Argument most relevant to the point for
the judge’s decision.
Stasis:
Advancing the Argument
1. Investigating the topoi.
2. Inductive and deductive reasoning.
CLASSICAL INVENTION
Common Topics of Invention
Process
Comparison
Contrast
Classification
Narration
Exemplification
Causes
Effects
Definition
Description
Negation
Analysis
An Outline of Classical Rhetoric
Frank D’Angelo
Adapted from
English 523 Classical Rhetoric and Written Composition
Arizona State University