Intro to Rhetorical Criticism Analyzing Historical Context Rhetorical

Intro to Rhetorical Criticism Analyzing Historical Context & Rhetorical Text

Historical Context Who? – Speaker and audience Why? – Purpose When? – Timing of text Where? – Placement of text How? – Production and delivery of text; who wrote it? How was it delivered? How might the medium have shaped the creation and delivery of the text?

Analysis of the Rhetorical Text • • Characters Place Time Argumentation Structure Style Delivery • All of these may provide implicit/explicit appeals to logos, ethos, pathos

Characters • Roles or personas used in the text; may include the “speaker” or the audience

Place • In what places are the characters situated in the text?

Time • How is time used to communicate the message? • Past, present and future references

Argumentation • A claim backed by one or more justifications • Variety of supports, critical • Clear sense of logic

Structure • How does the text unfold? • Historical, chronological? • Topical? • Logical/Pragmatic?

• Historical, Chronological • The topic is best understood in terms of how it unfolds in time. Sequence is important.

• Topical • Claims that certain elements are critical to understanding the issue

• Logical/Pragmatic • Problem/Solution, Cause/Effect • Ideas or situations stand in necessary relation to one another

Style • What is distinctive about the language of this rhetorical text? Grammar, sentence length, syntax, figures of speech, etc.

Delivery • The “voice” of the style/language

Evaluation of the Rhetorical Text • Effect – How successful was the text at securing its goals? • Artistry – Evaluating the quality of the strategies used • Ethics – What are the long-term implications for the social welfare of society?