Rhetorical Appeals and Devices
Used by Speakers and Writers
• What is rhetoric?
• Rhetoric is persuasive speech and writing
• Rhetorical devices are elements used by speakers and
writers to effectively persuade their audience
• They have a powerful effect on listeners/ readers
There are three categories
• Rhetorical appeals- how the argument is
structured
• Rhetorical devices- tools that help shape
the structure
• Rhetorical fallacies- false reasoning
designed to mislead the reader or listener
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Rhetorical Appeals
• Three basic appeals
• Ethos- credibility or authority
• Logos- logic or reasoning
• Pathos- emotion
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Rhetorical & Persuasive Appeals
• Ethos- appeal to credibility
- stress the fairness, morality, and
other qualities of the speaker or
writer
- claims that the writer is trustworthy
It may sound like this:
--“I promise you, we as a people will get
there.”
--“But I will always be honest with you about
the challenges we face. I will listen to
you, especially when we disagree. And,
above all, I will ask you to join in the work
of remaking this nation . . .”
Rhetorical & Persuasive Appeals
• Logos—rational appeal; asks the readers to use their
intellects and powers of reasoning. It relies on
established conventions of logic and evidence.
• Logos= facts, logic, reasoning
"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury: we
have not only the fingerprints, the
lack of an alibi, a clear motive, and
an expressed desire to commit the
robbery… We also have video of
the suspect breaking in. The case
could not be more open and shut."
Rhetorical & Persuasive Appeals
• Pathos—an emotional appeal; asks readers to respond
out of their beliefs, values, or feelings. It inspires,
affirms, frightens, angers.
• Pathos= emotions, shared values
-“Tonight we proved one more that the
true strength of our nation comes not
from the might of our arms or the scale
of our wealth, but from the enduring
power of our ideals: democracy, liberty,
opportunity, and unyielding hope.”
Now for some rhetorical devices
• Rhetorical devices:
– Establish a point of view or purpose
– Shape the structure of sentence and
paragraphs
– Can create strong emotional response
– Make the message more memorable
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Parallelism
• Writing structures that
are grammatically
parallel helps the reader
understand the points
better because they flow
more smoothly.
If there is anyone out there
who still doubts…who still
wonders…who still questions
"The inherent vice of
capitalism is the
unequal sharing of
blessing; the inherent
virtue of socialism is
the equal sharing of
miseries."
— Winston Churchill
Repetition
• Repetition can be
effective in creating a
sense of structure
and power. In both
speech and literature,
repeating small
phrases can ingrain
an idea in the minds
of the audience.
• Yes, we can, to
opportunity and
prosperity. Yes, we
can heal this nation.
Yes, we can repair
this world. Yes, we
can.
Allusion
• A reference to a
famous person,
event, or work outside
the text.
• “I was surprised his
nose was not growing
like Pinocchio’s.”
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Hypophora
• A common technique is to
start a speech with a
hypophora, in which the
speaker first asks a question
and then answers it.
• "You ask, what is our policy?
I will say: It is to wage war, by
sea, land, and air, with all our
might and with all the
strength.." — Winston
Churchill, 4 June 1940.
Subcategory: Figurative Language
• Metaphor
- Albert is a couch potato
• Simile
- That hairstyle stands out
like a sore thumb.
• Hyperbole
- He snores like a grizzly
bear with a head cold.
Rhetorical Fallacies
• False reasoning designed to mislead the
reader or listener
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Rhetorical Fallacies
• Rhetorical
Fallacies
– Errors in logic
– Look like they
should make
sense
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Circular Reasoning
• Supporting the
statement by just
repeating it in
different words
Example:
Teenagers should
stay away from fad
diets, because it’s
important for
adolescents to avoid
popular weight-loss
plans.
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Either/Or
• Suggests that
there are only tow
choices available
in a situation that
really offers more
than two choices.
Example:
Either you’re a
hockey fan, or you’re
wrong.
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Oversimplification
• Explaining a complex
situation or problem
as if it were much
simpler than it is
Example:
Making a good grade all
depends on if the
teacher likes you or not.
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Overgeneralization
• A statement that is
too broad. You can
often recognize these
by the use of words
like all, everyone,
every time, anything,
no one and none.
Example:
No one cares that
there are not enough
seats in the
cafeteria.
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Stereotyping
• Broad statements
about people on
the basis of
gender, ethnicity,
race, politics,
social status,
profession or
religion.
Example:
It’s easy to tell if a
politician is lying. Their
lips will be moving.
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Ad Homimem
• Attempting to
discredit an idea by
attacking the
person or group
associated with it.
Example:
“If a tree falls in the
forest and FOX news
is not there to cover
it, is it still Obama’s
fault?”
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Evading the issue
• Refuting an
objection with
arguments and
evidence that do
not address its
central point
• Example:
Yes, I broke my
promise to be here
on time, but I brought
cupcakes!
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Non Sequitur
• Using irrelevant
information as
“proof” to support a
claim. This tries to
divert the reader’s
attention to proof
that can’t be
challenged.
• Example: “I know
I’ll pass math. The
teacher is also my
basketball coach
and he likes me.”
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False Cause
Assuming that
because one event
happened after
another, that the first
event caused the
second.
Example:
I read that pit bulls
are dangerous. My
neighbor has two pit
bulls. My life is in
danger!
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False Analogy
• A comparison that does not hold up
because there is a critical difference
between the two subjects
• Example: She
walks home from
school every day,
so she should be
able to do a 5K
run.
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Hasty Generalization
A conclusion drawn
from too little
evidence
Example: That
corner must be really
dangerous. There
were two accidents
there just last week.
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