Text and Culture - an introduction to rhetoric

1. Text and Culture - an introduction to rhetoric Magnus.ullen@kau.se

2. Course outline • Today: basics of rhetoric • Thursday: analyze a speech • Thursday next week: analyze an ad (your choice)

3. Work in groups • Six-seven people in each group • Make sure everybody speaks at presentation

4. Why rhetoric? Studying rhetoric will • sharpen your critical awareness of the persuasive dimension of texts • help you to make your texts more persuasive • make you a better student

5. Why rhetoric? • All cultural artifacts come with a symbolic dimension…

6. All cultural artifacts come with a symbolic dimension, • Put in image of car; clothing • they can be read as signs

7. …and can therefore be read as signs. .

8. Why rhetoric? • What are these shoes trying to persuade us of?

9. What is rhetoric? • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRGUqd_M6Mg (President Thomas J. Whitmore [Bill Pullman] in Independence Day)

10. What is rhetoric? 1. a. The art or study of using language effectively and persuasively. b. A treatise or book discussing this art. 2. Skill in using language effectively and persuasively. 3. a. A style of speaking or writing, especially the language of a particular subject: fiery political rhetoric. b. Language that is elaborate, pretentious, insincere, or intellectually vacuous: His offers of compromise were mere rhetoric. 4. Verbal communication; discourse.

11. What is rhetoric? “Rhetoric may be defined as the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion”. Aristotle, On Rhetoric

12. The speaker (rhetor) has three duties: • Docere – to instruct • Delectare – to entertain • Movere – to move the feelings of the audience

13. The three appeals (means of persuasion) • Logos – words • Ethos – one’s own character • Pathos – emotions

14. What is rhetoric? The rhetorical expression always needs to be adapted to the particular situation. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arNYCyTJ-DM (Mayor John Pappas, from City Hall)

15. The three rhetorical genres: • Deliberative – to argue for or against – future • Judicial – to accuse and to defend – past • Epideictic (demonstrative) – to praise and to blame – present

16. How make use of rhetoric? Partes – the five parts of rhetoric: • Inventio • Dispositio • Elocutio • Memoria • Actio

17. The five parts of rhetoric • Inventio • How do I invent something to say? • Dispositio • How should I arrange my presentation to make it as persuasive as possible? • Elocutio • How should I choose my words to make people listen and remember and be impressed with what I say? • Memoria • How do I remember what to say? • Actio • How do I deliver the speech?

18. Inventio • Two general points: • Consider the occasion (what kind of situation?) • Appeal both to the head and to the heart • Usually enough with three arguments

19. Dispositio • Exordium – introduction of introduction. • Narratio – a short story giving facts relevant to the case or subject. • Propositio – the proposition, or thesis statement. • Argumentatio – arguments in favor of the thesis • (Refutatio) – counterarguments to the thesis, brought up to be refuted • Peroratio – the conclusion

20. Exordium • Introduction of introduction. Designed to prove the speaker knowledgeable, trustworthy, and of good will. • I was warned not to come here. I was warned. They warned me, "Don't stand behind that coffin." But why should I heed such a warning when a heartbeat is silent and a child lies dead? "Don't stand behind" this coffin.

21. Narratio • A short story giving facts relevant to the case or subject; should set the stage for the proposition. • That boy was as pure and as innocent as the driven snow. But I must stand here, because I have not given you what you should have.

22. Propositio • The proposition, or thesis statement. • Until we can walk abroad and recreate ourselves, until we can stroll along the streets like boulevards, congregate in parks free from fear, our families mingling, our children laughing, our hearts joined -- until that day we have no city. You can label me a failure until that day.

23. Argumentatio • Arguments in favor of the thesis. The first and perhaps only great mayor was Greek. He was Pericles of Athens, and he lived some 2500 years ago, and he said, "All things good of this earth flow into the City because of the City's greatness." Well, we were great once. Can we not be great again? Now, I put that question to James Bone, and there's only silence. Yet, could not something pass from this sweet youth to me? Could he not empower me to find in myself the strength to have the knowledge to summon up the courage to accomplish this seemingly insurmountable task of making a city livable? Just livable. There was a palace that was a city. It was a palace! It was a palace and it can be a palace again! A palace in which there is no king or queen or dukes or earls or princes, but subjects all -- subjects beholden to each other, to make a better place to live.

24. Refutatio • Counterarguments to the thesis, brought up to be refuted. • Is that too much to ask? Are we asking too much for this? Is it beyond our reach?! Because if it is, then we are nothing but sheep being herded to the final slaughterhouse! I will not go down that way!! I choose to fight back!!! I choose to rise, not fall! I choose to live, not die!! And I know, I know that what's within me is also within you!

25. Peroratio • The conclusion of the speech; should briefly restate the argument and add emotion. That's why I ask you now to join me. Join me, rise up with me; rise up on the wings of this slain angel. We'll rebuild on the soul of this little warrior. We will pick up his standard and raise it high! Carry it forward until this city -- your city -- our city -- his city -- is a palace of God! Is a palace of God! I am with you, little James. I am you.

26. Elocutio • Classical rhetoric recognizes three styles: plain, middle, and high. • The important thing was to match the style to the subject and the audience.

27. The four pillars of good style • correctness (puritas) • clearness (perspicuitas) • appropriateness (aptum) • ornament (ornamentus)

28. Tropes and schemes • Trope: The use of a word, phrase, or image in a way not intended by its normal signification. • Scheme: A change in standard word order or pattern. • Tropes and schemes are collectively known as figures of speech.

29. Examples of tropes • “That boy was as pure and as innocent as the driven snow” – simile • “we are nothing but sheep being herded to the final slaughterhouse” – metaphor • “The first and perhaps only great mayor was Greek” – hyperbole (exaggeration)

30. Examples of schemes • But why should I heed such a warning when a heartbeat is silent and a child lies dead? – rhetorical question • Now, I put that question to James Bone, and there's only silence – apostrophe • It was a palace! – exclamatio

31. Remember… • Figures of speech are a persuasive device. • Don’t just identify, ask what function they fulfill!

32. I have a dream…. • Martin Luther King • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iEMXaTktUfA

33. Homework for session 2 Read: • The Sample Analysis of Churchill’s speech (posted at Kurstorget) • Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address • Curie’s speech • Thatcher’s speech • The five wikipedia articles on the rhetorical parts (links in course outline).

34. Homework for session 2 Analyze • Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address (group 1-3), • Marie Curie’s On the Discovery of Radium (group 4-6) • Margaret Thatcher’s Remarks on becoming Prime Minister (group 7-9).

35. Homework for session 2 Present: • A discussion of Inventio • A discussion of Dispositio • A discussion of Elocutio • Each group presents on just one aspect! • 10-15 minutes per group.