Power Of Rhetoric In Gorgias Encomium Of Helen

The first chapter introduced the reader to the art of rhetoric. He describes how rhetoric works through real life examples. He demonstrates ways that rhetoric persuades us like, argument from strength, and seduction. He tells the reader that the sole purpose of arguing is to persuade the audience. He showed that the chief purpose of arguing is to also achieve consensus, a shared faith in a choice.

However, as he attempts to demonstrate the third cause where a speech might have seduced Helen to attempt to do wrong, it might seem that Gorgias falls into inconsistency. For example, at section 11 Gorgias claims that, “All who have and do persuade people of things do so by molding a false argument.” One might question this statement and conclude that Gorgias is being inconsistent about his art of rhetoric because at the beginning of the speech he claimed that speech is used to deliver the truth but now it is about false argumentation. However, I will argue that Gorgias is not being inconsistent. In the section where he is arguing that Helen might have been persuaded through speech, Gorgias is being very careful to draw a line between different categorizations of speech. For Gorgias, all persuasion is speech but not all speech is persuasion.

     In the Encomium of Helen, Gorgias attempts to prove Helen’s innocence since she is blamed to be the cause of the Trojan War. Gorgias uses rhetoric to persuade listeners to believe why there are only four reasons to explain why Helen was driven to Troy. All of which he will argue were not her fault. Fate was the first cause, followed by force. Gorgias then seems to focus the most on the power of Logos, or words. Finally he explains how she could have been compelled by love (82B116).

Aristotle also believed that rhetoric can be forensic, epideictic, and deliberative, which is the second division of his work. The art of persuasion and a way of advising about things to come is the best definition of deliberate rhetoric. This pattern has been used throughout the film and it is another obvious appeal to make it more effective and achieve its goals. Aristotle argues that “for using deliberative rhetoric, the speaker needs to consider deterrents, inducements and the motives people have for avoiding or doing the actions in the question”

‘A text of timeless appeal is marked by effective construction of rhetoric to support its main ideas.’

While Henry’s speech was not particularly long, it packed quite the proverbial punch through its efficacious use of rhetoric and symbolism, and is looked to even today as an example of persuasive oratory. Throughout this paper, Henry’s rhetoric will be analyzed via an Aristotelian method of rhetorical analysis called the “rhetorical triangle.” According to an article on Study.com, written by Diedra Taylor, almost every form of rhetorical device can be categorized as one of the three points on this triangle: “Ethos,” “logos,” and “pathos.” While Aristotle, himself, did not originally postulate a triangular method of examination, he was the first influential intellectual to write about the three points previously mentioned, and because of this, the theory is credited to him. Taylor uses the analogy of a nacho chip to represent a particular piece of rhetoric, and toppings of guacamole, meat, and cheese to represent ethos, logos, and pathos, respectively. While a chip with only one or two of the toppings is still good, it is most delicious with all three in conjunction. The same is true of rhetoric; it is most persuasive when it contains a variety of the three types of devices, all working in concurrence with one another. In addition to this, it is very possible for some rhetorical anecdotes and devices to fall under the umbrella of more than one point on the triangle, but for the purposes of this paper, they will be examined one at a

While in a debate Donald trump and Barack Obama, Donald asks what is the true meaning of rhetoric. I said “Mr. Trump, Rhetoric is a language which has persuasive content which is a form of lying but also lacks meaning or truthfulness.” He then asked me to give an example of rhetoric and I said “approaching a clerk at a store and they ask will you help support Donald trump’s campaign by adding $5 to your total amount.” Trump said would please provide a definition for rhetor, and I said yes but with a slight agitation in my voice because of the way he is asking me the questions. I said “a rhetor is someone who is speaking in the language of rhetoric”. Trump asked for an example and I said “a rhetor is like a salesman.”

The art of persuasion is required when writing a speech or debating with someone. People must be persuasive if they want other people to follow them or believe what they do. Speakers at rallies convince people to continue fighting for what they think is right by incorporating rhetoric elements into their speeches. Margaret Sanger is one of those speakers who was able to persuade groups of people at rallies. In Margaret Sanger’s speech “The Children’s Era”, she uses figurative language and the rhetoric element of syllogism and ethos to persuade her audience.

Rhetoric is a course in which students are taught the values of persuasion. And yet, behind this course is the utmost power to corrupt the world, changing it into a world of our own policies. This power, even though seldom discussed, has lead to many intriguing discoveries. One such discovery is how people are able to shape the world they live in simply by choosing the right words. Therefore those who would want the world to be a better place must protect this power. If in the wrong hands this power could cause serious damage. Several authors have striven to protect rhetoric and its power. Few agree on the matter of defining rhetoric, but they know that they must protect rhetoric from dark souls. A single definition of rhetoric must maintain a simplistic nature while incorporating every aspect of rhetoric. However, I argue that rhetoric is a means of persuading audiences of a situation and a particular reality through language and personal appeal. In order to prove this definition I will discuss how rhetoric creates a situation, the shaping of a different reality, the audience, the use of language, and the personal appeal. Finally, I will demonstrate the absolute need for rhetoric.

Although Bitzer continues in the third section of his essay, by outlining the general characteristics or features of a rhetorical situation, it is his discussion of sophistical rhetoric that is most interesting. (11) He notes that a sophistic situation is one where a contrived exigence is, “asserted to be real... alleged constituents are due to error or ignorance,... and [it derives] from fantasy in which exigence, audience, and constraints may all be imaginary objects of a mind at play”. (11) He concludes that, “rhetoric is distinguished from the mere craft of persuasion which, although it is a legitimate object of scientific investigation, lacks philosophical warrant as a practical discipline”. (14)

In Gorgias we have a conversation between Socrates, Gorgias, and Polus, Gorgias' young assistant. They speak on the matters of rhetoric, knowledge, and whether injustice and suffering is better to do or have done onto you. While conventional wisdom tells us that it is better to inflict suffering than to receive it, Socrates argues that it is completely the opposite. Part of Socrates view is that moral goodness is connected with knowledge, and that morally it is better to receive suffering than inflict it.

In Shakespeare’s well thought out piece of enchanting literary rhetoric, Julius Caesar, Shakespeare suggests that rhetoric alters reality. This position may be most evident in Brutus’ speech designed to convince the plebeians that Rome’s future

Rhetoric involves the scrutiny of the way an author, speaker, or artist utilizes language or words to sway the target audience. Rhetorical analysis thereby denotes a criticism or essay that breaks the non-fictional works into subsections, hence elaborating how every section works in association with other parts to introduce certain effects, such as information, entertainment, and persuasion of the intended audience. In common instances, the scrutiny also deliberates on every involved rhetorical situation or circumstance, on the basis of context, purpose, as well as the audience. One can conduct a rhetorical analysis of various literary works including journals, books, plays, cartoons, adverts, or any other oral performance like speech. One of the most popular and interesting play that has been read and used widely in different learning institutions for literature studies is An Enemy of the People. In this piece, the author, Henrik Ibsen, portrays the major character, Doctor Stockmann, as an enemy of everyone. However, despite being branded as the enemy of the people, Doctor Stockmann has been used to expose the rots happening within town municipality in Norway. Indeed, Doctor Stockmann is not an enemy of the people as portrayed in the play, but the ‘savior’ of the Norwegian township.

Rhetoric is an art form created before the reign of Gorgias, by Aristotle. As time progressed throughout the ages, Aristotle taught the art of rhetoric to his student Socrates, who eventually taught it to Plato. The art gradually adapted into the rhetoric we use today, providing the reason as to why Plato chooses to recreate the account of Socrates and Gorgias’ discussion. Plato shows us how Socrates’ knowledge of proper usage of rhetoric is vaster than that of Gorgias’. He helps us visualize the various ways he uses rhetoric, to provide the reason for his ability to use rhetoric better than the other Orators. This is illuminated by Socrates’ use of pathos, in his argument of pain and pleasure, the use of ethos in speaking about the comparison of medicine and gymnastics, and his use of logos in his debate on the body and soul. Plato places special consideration into choosing the topics he highlights in the story because of Socrates innate ability to refute these topics the way does.

Chris Baldick defines rhetoric as ‘the deliberate exploitation of eloquence for the most persuasive effect’. This is certainly seen at work in Coriolanus and Troilus and Cressida, two Jacobean dramas with war and politics at their centre. In both plays, characters attempt to employ rhetoric as a persuasive tool for political ends.