Rhetoric
Sometimes one word can mean a lot of different things. Rhetoric is one of those words. Throughout
history, many of the greatest minds had different things to say about this concept.
For example, ancient Greek philosopher Plato defined rhetoric as 'the art of winning the soul by
discourse.' He thought that rhetoric was a philosophy rather than an art and that it was actually an
unnecessary tool. Plato was concerned with the truth, not the ability to persuade.
Greek philosopher Aristotle, a student of Plato, argued that 'rhetoric is the faculty of discovering in any
particular case all of the available means of persuasion.' Aristotle placed an importance on discovering
the possible means of persuasion, not the actual effect of persuasion.
Roman rhetorician Marcus Fabius Quintilianus had an entirely different take from the two Greek
philosophers. He thought that rhetoric was the art of speaking well. He faulted Aristotle because he
didn't believe that he took into account the simple fact that anyone could persuade, even a liar or a
charlatan. Quintilianus felt that to achieve true rhetoric, a speaker must have a high moral character, be
knowledgeable about the subject that he's speaking about, and above all be ethical
Most of us have heard of Aristotle and Plato. Many of us have not heard of Quintilianus. However, it
should be noted that it is his work in rhetoric that dominated English schools in the 16th-18th centuries.
Definition of Rhetoric
Okay, so rhetoric is one of those words that can mean a few different things to different people. So, how
do we define something like that? We need to simply strip the word down to the basics. Let's agree that
rhetoric is the art of using language where at least one person is trying to change the thinking of at least
one other person. This can be done either orally in something such as public speaking, or in the written
form, such as in a thesis paper.
For some, there will always be a negative connotation that comes along with the idea of rhetoric.
Rhetoric can be seen as meaningless or empty language that is exaggerated in order to impress. Of
course, if a politician is trying to persuade you to vote for him, and if he's a Republican politician and you
are a Democrat, you may call his speech 'rhetoric.' Here, the connotation would be that he is trying to
trick you or is otherwise being dishonest.
Rhetoric Devices and Examples
Politicians try to get you to vote for them. Companies want you to buy their products. Maybe you just
want to win the argument with your friend that the Yankees are a better baseball team than the Red Sox.
There are hundreds of different rhetoric devices used to help in the art of persuasion. But first, it should
be noted that rhetoric is not just about what you're saying, it's also about how you're saying it. Things
like the pace of your speech, the tone of your voice, and your overall body language are just as
important as the words you recite.
Rhetoric Definition
Rhetoric is a technique of using language effectively and persuasively in spoken or written form. It is an
art of discourse, which studies and employs various methods to convince, influence or please an
audience.
For instance, a person gets on your nerves, you start feeling irritated, and you say, Why dont you leave
me alone? By posing such a question, you do not ask for a reason. Instead, you simply want him to stop
irritating you. Thus, you direct language in a particular way for effective communication or make use of
rhetoric. A situation where you make use of rhetoric is called a rhetorical situation.
Function of Rhetoric
Rhetoric, as explained above, is a tool for writers and orators which empowers them to convince their
readers and listeners about their point of view. Often, we find rhetoric examples in religious sermons and
political speeches. They aim to make comparisons, to evoke tender emotions, to censure rivals and all
this is done to persuade listeners.
