rhetoric definitions and questions Flashcards
rhetoric
using language (concrete) to construct meaning (abstract)
rhetorical situation
the circumstances out of which the argument emerges. it is made up of the context (a), exigence (c), which prompts speak, subject, audience, and purpose
context (abstract)
the general time, place, and circumstances within which the rhetorical situation is generated
context questions
when was this argument generated?
where was this argument generated?
what is social and cultural that influences the creation of the argument?
exigence
the events that prompt a speaker to make a claim
exigence questions
what has happened to make the reader respond? what is the problem the speaker is responding to?
speaker
the entity making a claim (person/assumed persona)
speaker questions
concrete: who is literally speaking?
abstract: what character qualities does this speaker (re)present? what does this speaker value? what constitutes his/her/its authority?
audience
the individuals the speaker is directly trying to reach
audience questions
concrete: who is literally listening? (name, age, location)
abstract: what are the collective character qualities of those listening? what type of people are they? what are their backgrounds? what are their values? what are their beliefs, what are their needs?
subject
the topic of the speech or discourse
subject questions
concrete: what is the speaker actually talking about?
abstract: what underlying message or ideas, that many not be explicitly stated, exist within the piece? (universal ideas)
purpose
what the audience is supposed to understand (a) and do (c) after experiencing the discourse
purpose questions
understand: what new understanding should an audience member have after listening to (or reading) this?
do: what should the audience do now that it knows this information?
