 Written in approximately
414 B.C.
 “Encomium” as a a genre
of oratory that praises
the virtues of someone
and their actions—in
this case, the somewhat
notorious Helen, whose
virtue is generally
considered questionable
at best
The beautiful Helen, wife
of Menelaus, King of
Sparta, was abducted by
Paris, a prince of the city of
Troy. To get her back, the
Greeks united in a war
against Troy that destroyed
the city. Helen returned to
Greece with Menelaus.
These events supposedly
took place 1000 B.C.
“…I wish to free the accused
of blame and, having
reproved her detractors as
prevaricators and proved
the truth, to free her from
their ignorance.”
 There are four arguments
condemning Helen in
this treatise: what are
they and how does
Gorgias refute them?
Now, let’s apply the Big
Four:
#1 How does Gorgias
define rhetoric?
Now, let’s apply the Big
Four:
#2: What are the
consequences of this
definition for:
 a) Creators of Texts
(rhetors)
 b) “Readers” of Texts
(audiences)
 c) Locations of Texts
(situations)
Now, let’s apply the Big
Four:
#3: What is the
relationship between
language and knowledge
(epistemology) in this
definition?
Now, let’s apply the Big
Four:
#4: How might this
definition be applied (or not)
to contemporary texts?
January 19, 2012
 Written in 380 B.C.
 The central question in
this dialogue is the value
of rhetoric and
underlying this central
discussion is the
question of the relation
between rhetoric and
knowledge
Characters:
Socrates
Gorgias
Polus
Callicles
Chaerephon
 The “Appoaching Plato”
guide I’ve shared with
you provides us with a
nice breakdown of this
dialogue. Let’s go
through that together,
focusing on Socrates’
discussions with Gorgias,
Polus and Callicles.
Now, let’s apply the Big
Four:
#1 How does Plato define
rhetoric?
Now, let’s apply the Big
Four:
#2: What are the
consequences of this
definition for:
 a) Creators of Texts
(rhetors)
 b) “Readers” of Texts
(audiences)
 c) Locations of Texts
(situations)
Now, let’s apply the Big
Four:
#3: What is the
relationship between
language and knowledge
(epistemology) in this
definition?
Now, let’s apply the Big
Four:
#4: How might this
definition be applied (or
not) to contemporary
texts?