An Introduction To
the Rhetorical Triangle
and
Rhetorical Appeals
Part 1 - Introduction
Rhetorical Principles
• Introduce you to the skills of critical thinking,
reading, and writing.
• Help you define and assess the rhetorical
situation in which a certain argument is made.
• Teach you to understand and critically evaluate
the arguments presented in various sources to
which you refer.
• Provide guidance as to how to create an effective
argument in your own writing.
Definitions: Rhetoric
“Rhetoric is the art of dressing up some
unimportant matter so as to fool the audience
for the time being”
Ezra Pound
How do you understand this definition of
rhetoric? Do you agree with it? Why (not)?
Definitions: Text
• What is text?
• Are the these examples of text? Why (not)?
What other examples of a text can you
think of?
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Web pages
Posters
Bumper stickers
Television/movies
Architecture
Vehicles/industrial design
Art/Sculpture
Rhetorical Triangle
• Chose any text (mentioned previously) and
answer the following questions:
- Who created this text?
- Who did they create this text for?
- Why did they create this text?
Speaker
Audience
Purpose/Message
Rhetorical Triangle: Author
• What do we know about the writer, speaker,
artist, designer, or creator?
– educational background
– political affiliations
– investment in message
– biases
• Where do we look for information about the
author?
Rhetorical Triangle: Audience
• Audience
– who is the message intended for?
– Age, gender, social/cultural group, political
affiliation, etc…
• Where do we look for information about the
audience?
Rhetorical Triangle: Purpose (message)
• What is the purpose of your text?
– To inform?
– To entertain?
– To call to action?
• How can you infer the purpose of the text?
• What elements of the text do you refer to in
order to find information about its purpose?
• Message?
Part 2 – Rhetorical Appeals
Rhetorical Appeals
• Considering the definition of rhetoric, what
are the different ways we can use rhetoric?
• What are the rhetorical tools? Can you think
of any examples?
ETHOS
PATHOS
LOGOS
The Rhetorical Appeals: Ethos
• Ethos- Credibility
- Ethics
- Trustworthiness of the speaker/writer
• Credibility based on audience’s view of author
and subject
• For Academic Argument, an author must:
- Exhibit good sense
- Demonstrate high moral character
- Express good will
The Rhetorical Appeals: Logos
• Logos - Logic
– Attempt to appeal to the intellect
– Everyday arguments vs. academic arguments
– Common ways to appeal to logos?
• Most valued appeal in academic argument
• Accomplished through inductive or
deductive reasoning
– Definition
– Evidence from other sources
– Expert testimony
The Rhetorical Appeals: Pathos
• Pathos – Pathetic, sympathy, empathy
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Appeal to emotions
Arguments in popular press
Manipulative
Effect
• Appeals to emotion are accomplished through
– Sensory description
– Value-laden diction
– Anecdotes
– Objects of emotions
• People
• Abstract concepts
• Etc.
Part 3 – Triangle AND Appeals
Putting It All Together
• How do the rhetorical triangle and
rhetorical appeals work together to create
a message?
• These tools are not exclusive; all six should
be considered when evaluating a text
Speaker
Ethos
Pathos
Audience
Purpose
Logos
Tips For Your Writing…
• How can you apply rhetorical principles to
your own writing? Think about…
– Yourself as the author/speaker
– Your audience
– The purpose of your message and how you will
achieve it
Author:
How you want to appear to your audience
• What impression do you want to make on your
readers?
• How will you show that you are worth trusting?
• How will you demonstrate that you are an
authority on your subject?
• What do you have in common with your audience
in order to create a bond with them?
Audience:
What you should know about your readers
• How much do they already know about
your subject?
• What do they expect to see in the document
(style, format, organization)?
• What preconceptions might they have about
your subject?
• What do they need to know?
• What are their interests?
Purpose:
What are you trying to achieve by writing?
• Purpose
– to persuade, sell, inform, entertain, express yourself,
etc…
• How are you going to achieve this goal?
– What argument structure will you use (e.g., spatial,
chronological, comparison/contrast, etc.)?
– What types of support will you include in your
writing (e.g., anecdotes, graphs, numbers, personal
stories, quotes, facts, expert opinions, etc.)?
– What types of language will you use (e.g., denotative
language, connotative language)