StudySmarter - The all-in-one study app.
4.8 • +11k Ratings
More than 3 Million Downloads
When presented with a piece of persuasive writing or a persuasive speech, readers often must conduct rhetorical analysis. Rhetorical analysis is the process of breaking down a piece of rhetoric to better understand how the writer made their argument. Studying rhetorical analysis strategies and rhetorical analysis terms can help make critical readers and inform the development of stronger persuasive writing. Rhetorical…
Explore our app and discover over 50 million learning materials for free.
Save the explanation now and read when you’ve got time to spare.Save
Lerne mit deinen Freunden und bleibe auf dem richtigen Kurs mit deinen persönlichen LernstatistikenJetzt kostenlos anmelden
Nie wieder prokastinieren mit unseren Lernerinnerungen.Jetzt kostenlos anmelden
When presented with a piece of persuasive writing or a persuasive speech, readers often must conduct rhetorical analysis. Rhetorical analysis is the process of breaking down a piece of rhetoric to better understand how the writer made their argument. Studying rhetorical analysis strategies and rhetorical analysis terms can help make critical readers and inform the development of stronger persuasive writing.
Rhetorical analysis is a critical examination of persuasive writing or spoken word. In other words, rhetorical analysis is the process of breaking down rhetoric - the art of persuasion.
Learning how to analyze rhetoric is a critical part of understanding how a writer or speaker makes an argument. Understanding rhetorical analysis strategies can also help writers and speakers learn to strengthen their arguments.
When conducting a rhetorical analysis, readers should first consider the following elements of the text or speech:
The topic is what the writing or speech is about. Readers have to understand what the writer's main focus is to analyze the discussion of it. When analyzing rhetoric, readers should ask the following questions:
What is this about?
What is the author's stance?
Readers should consider who the writer is and how their defining characteristics shape their argument. For instance, their age and cultural background may have an impact on their presentation and defense of an issue.
Who is the writer or speaker?
Where is the writer from?
The audience is the group of people at which a text or speech is directed. The audience's expectations, values, and levels of knowledge on the topic at hand impact how a writer or speaker presents their information. When analyzing the audience of a piece of rhetoric, readers should ask questions like the following:
Who is the intended audience of this work?
What might the audience expect from the speaker?
How might the audience impact how the writer presents the argument?
The context of a piece of rhetoric is the setting and circumstance it takes place. For instance, the context of a speech includes the year and location in which the speaker gives it. People need to consider the context when conducting rhetorical analysis because it influences how a speaker may have presented information and how the audience would perceive it. Readers can ask the following questions when analyzing context:
What year was this written?
What culture was this written in and for?
How might people have perceived this in the time it was written compared to today?
Reflecting on an author's purpose is one of the most important parts of rhetorical analysis. Understanding an author's reason for writing helps readers understand the main point of the work and the reasons for the use of various rhetorical techniques. To identify and analyze a purpose, readers can pose questions such as these:
Why is the author communicating this information?
What does the author want the audience to know or learn?
Does the author effectively achieve their purpose? If so, how?
The following terms are common in rhetorical analysis.
|Rhetorical Analysis Term||Definition|
|Alliteration||The repetition of neighboring constant sounds|
|Allusion||An indirect reference to a well-known person, place, thing, or event|
|Analogy||A comparison between similar things that explains the relationship|
|Diction||The author's choice of words|
|Hyperbole||The use of extreme exaggeration|
|Imagery||The use of vivid descriptions or figurative language to create sensory experiences|
|Irony||A contrast between what is expected to happen and what actually happens|
|Metaphor||When one thing is called another to make a comparison|
|Oxymoron||The juxtaposition of two words with opposing meanings|
|Paradox||A seemingly contradictory statement that actually contains a degree of truth|
|Personification||The assignment of human qualities to something not human|
|Repetition||When words, phrases, or ideas are stated several times for emphasis|
|Simile||The use of "like" or "as" to make a comparison|
|Symbolism||The use of an image or action to represent an idea|
|Syntax||The rules of word order and sentence construction|
|Tone||The author or speaker's attitude|
When conducting a rhetorical analysis, readers should also consider if the writer uses one or more of the following rhetorical appeals. A rhetorical appeal is a method of persuasion. Identified by the Greek philosopher Aristotle in his treatise Rhetoric, the following appeals make for strong arguments. Analyzing how a writer or speaker uses one of these appeals provides insight into the structure and effectiveness of their argument.
Ethos is an appeal to credibility. Readers should note if the speaker or writer highlights their qualifications to enhance their argument. For instance, a politician who mentions his experience implementing gun policies is appealing to ethos.
Pathos is an appeal to emotion. If a speaker or writer is using lots of sensory details and trying to evoke feelings like sadness, emptiness, or celebration among audience members, they are using pathos. For example, a politician who describes stories of people losing their loved ones to gun violence is using pathos.
Logos is an appeal to logic. If a writer or speaker uses concrete evidence like statistics and recorded evidence, they are making a logical argument. For instance, a politician who mentions statistics about the number of young lives lost to gun violence is using logos.
Another important but lesser-known rhetorical appeal is kairos. Kairos is an appeal to time and place. If a speaker or writer is tailoring their argument to the specific context they're giving it in, they are using kairos. For example, imagine a politician waits to introduce his support for gun control at an anti-gun rally. That is a location and time in which he is likely to get profound audience support.
A fifth rhetorical component to consider in rhetorical analysis is stasis. Developed by the Ancient Greek rhetorician Hermagoras, stasis is a form of rhetorical analysis that helps one view an argument from multiple perspectives. Using the process of stasis can help rhetoricians form more impactful arguments.
The process of stasis involves asking the following four types of questions.
|Fact||Examines the situation at hand|
|Definition||Defines the argument|
|Quality||Examines the significance of the situation|
|Policy||Determines how people should act in response|
A rhetorical analysis essay should have the following sections.
Body Paragraph I Typically, a rhetorical analysis essay will have a body paragraph devoted to each rhetorical technique. Each body paragraph should have the following general format:
Body Paragraph II
Body Paragraph III
Conclusion At the end of the essay, the writer should restate the main argument in new words. They should also reflect on the overall implications of their analysis. For instance, does it reveal flaws in the speakers' argument? Or does it help emphasize the speaker’s overall argument?
For example, imagine you have to conduct a rhetorical analysis of Ronald Reagan’s 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger speech. First, you should read through the speech and carefully note lies that stick out to you as impactful, persuasive, and memorable.
Next, you should consider the main elements of rhetorical analysis.
|Topic||The Space Shuttle Challenger accident|
|Audience||People in the United States|
|Context||The Space Shuttle Challenger exploded in a tragic accident in 1986. Seven people lost their lives. Ronald Reagan gave this speech to address the grieving nation.|
|Purpose||Reagan aimed to console the nation and to help them not lose faith in scientific discovery.|
Reflecting on the above elements will help you realize that Reagan was using rhetorical techniques to console and support the American people. Then, you should look back and your notes and brainstorm. Consider what specific rhetorical techniques Reagan used to reach his goal.
After identifying rhetorical techniques, you should craft a thesis that makes a focused, defensible claim about this piece of rhetoric. For example, the following thesis makes a detailed argument:
By using ethos, pathos, and alliteration, Ronald Reagan expresses sorrow and inspires hope in his 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger speech.
Remember, a strong thesis stands alone as a summary of an argument! Re-read your thesis statement and ask yourself if someone who only read that part of your essay would understand what it is about. If the answer is no, you should add a bit more detail.
After writing the thesis statement, you should make an outline that reflects the template above. Typically writers should devote a distinct body paragraph to each rhetorical device they discuss.
When writing about each device, you should include short, significant quotes or details from the source to support your argument. You should also analyze each piece of evidence so it is clear how they support your thesis. For instance, the following example shows how one might analyze Reagan's use of pathos:
The sudden loss of the Challenger brought widespread feelings of shock and sadness. To console the nation, Reagan focuses on the positive aspects of the astronauts' lives rather than the tragic elements of the event. For example, he says: "Your loved ones were daring and brave, and they had that special grace, that special spirit that says, 'Give me a challenge and I'll meet it with joy.'" By evoking images of the lost astronauts feeling joyful and confident, Reagan turns the audience's focus to positive emotions in a tragic time.
Note how the writer hints at the context and the purpose of the speech in the analysis as well. This demonstrates critical reflection on all rhetorical elements, which is the key to strong rhetorical analysis.
Rhetorical analysis is the critical examination of rhetoric,
A rhetorical analysis essay should have an introduction with a thesis statement about rhetorical techniques, three body paragraphs with supporting evidence and original analysis, and a conclusion.
The 5 components of rhetorical analysis are ethos, pathos, logos, kairos, and stasis.
Rhetorical analysis strategies include analyzing ethos, pathos, logos, kairos, and stasis.
The 5 elements of a rhetorical analysis are writer, topic, audience, context, and purpose.
Which of the following is an appeal to location and time?
James is writing a speech in which he uses statistics from scientific studies to argue that recycling will help combat global warming. What type of rhetorical appeal is he using?
What is the author’s attitude in writing called?
What is the juxtaposition of two words with opposing meanings called?
What is diction?
Paul includes the following statement in his writing.
“I’m so hungry I could eat a horse!”
What rhetorical analysis term is he using?
What are the four rhetorical elements to consider in rhetorical analysis?
Audience, context, medium, and purpose
What is meant by the medium of a work?
A work’s medium is the method it is delivered in.
Which of the following must be in the introduction of a rhetorical analysis essay?
Which of the following thesis statement is the strongest for a rhetorical analysis essay?
In Ronald Reagan’s 1986 speech about the Space Shuttle Challenger, he expressed his sorrow and inspired hope.
Typically, rhetorical analysis essays have at least _ body paragraphs
What is the Greek name for the appeal to emotions?
True or False? The medium of a work is only relevant if it is written.
False. No matter what the medium of a work, it is always useful to reflect on how it impacted the argument.
True or False? Symbolism and imagery are the same things.
Which philosopher wrote about rhetorical appeals?
of the users don't pass the Rhetorical Analysis quiz! Will you pass the quiz?Start Quiz
How would you like to learn this content?
How would you like to learn this content?
Free english cheat sheet!
Everything you need to know on . A perfect summary so you can easily remember everything.
Be perfectly prepared on time with an individual plan.
Test your knowledge with gamified quizzes.
Create and find flashcards in record time.
Create beautiful notes faster than ever before.
Have all your study materials in one place.
Upload unlimited documents and save them online.
Identify your study strength and weaknesses.
Set individual study goals and earn points reaching them.
Stop procrastinating with our study reminders.
Earn points, unlock badges and level up while studying.
Create flashcards in notes completely automatically.
Create the most beautiful study materials using our templates.
Sign up to highlight and take notes. It’s 100% free.