Rhetorical Triangle Flashcards
rhetorical triangle
(speaker) –occasion– (purpose/subject) —- (audience) –context– (speaker)
a subject/purpose is affected by the speaker
a speaker’s credibility impacts how and to what extent a subject may be discussed
the speaker is affected by the audience
the information a speaker will give about him or herself is affected by the type of audience he is addressing
an audience is affected by the purpose/subject
the purpose/subject being argued will affect what kind of audience should be appealed to
what do points of the rhetorical triangle represent?
audience, purpose/subject, speaker
what do points of the rhetorical triangle represent?
purpose/subject, speaker, audience
what do points of the rhetorical triangle represent?
speaker, audience, purpose/subject
what do these parts of the rhetorical triangle represent?
context/occasion
a rhetorical triangle is a tool to help visualize
the components of a sound argument and the ways those components are connected
how might the context change the purpose?
the theme or message of an argument will be different depending on where and when it happens
how could you target a specific audience so the message is better received
you would change your language to sound professional, change the rate of speech, or use jargon
it is important to keep context in mind when writing an essay because
the context of an argument determines if the subject being argued is currently applicable
how would context impact an argument that says soda should be banned and only healthy options be available?
if the occasion were a seminar on obesity or diabetes then the audience might be more receptive
what is the relationship between the speaker and the audience?
the speaker must be credible or the audience won’t support their argument
how might an argument about the death penalty be impacted by the audience
if the audience was in support of this punishment, then you could incorporate more pathos
how would an argument that women should be allowed to vote be impacted by the audience
people that didn’t feel women were capable of voting would require different pathos and logos
if a speaker used colloquial language that indicated they were from a certain region in the United States then
it’s reasonable to assume that the argument is tailored to area, town, or state
how could the audience impact an anti-bullying argument?
the speaker would change the message if speaking to parents, inmates, or school children
how would an argument about the importance of eating local foods impact the context and audience?
if you’re speaking to an urban community without local foods, your message isn’t as effective
what context will a text with antiquated language that focuses on polite interactions between genteel people most likely be?
in a time period, such as 19th century England, where old English and politeness were valued
how would an argument about flag burning be impacted by the occasion?
if protestors were upset about a law then they would be more likely to favor the argument
it is important to have a strong connection between the subject and the audience because
it is ineffective to address an audience with a topic that doesn’t interest them
how can the purpose help you determine the intended audience for an argument?
if the purpose is to convey pharmaceuticals are greedy, a receptive audience may be health workers
how could you determine the occasion from the other elements of the rhetorical triangle
look for clues like antiquated language or references to specific settings in the text
how could an anti-drug message be better received when taking the occasion into consideration
teaching children to say no to drugs before they get addicted could be more effective
how would the context impact an argument on space exploration
the content of the speech would vary if the context were the 1960’s versus the 2010’s
what are key clues to look for when finding the occasion?
look for references to history, to the language used, and to the popular trends
it is important to keep occasion in mind when writing an essay because
the occasion of the argument changes whether the subject is something that is debatable or not
which speaker would be best qualified to present an argument about doctor assisted suicide
the speakers could be a husband, whose wife is in a coma, discussing his wife’s wishes to die
