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Rhetorical Analysis Of The Crucible

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Rhetorical Terms Group #1 1. Ad Hominem: Latin for “against the man,” and refers to the logical fallacy (error) of arguing that someone is incorrect because they are unattractive, immoral, weird, or any other bad thing you could say about them as a person. (https://literaryterms.net/ad-hominem/) Example: “Proctor: I—I have no love for Mr. Parris. It is no secret. But God, surely, do I love. Cheever: He plow on Sunday, sir. Danforth: Plow on Sunday! Cheever: I think it be evidence, John. I am an official of the court. I cannot keep it. Proctor: I—I have once or twice plowed on Sunday. I have three children, sir, and until last year my land give little.” (https://literaryterms.net/ad-hominem/) Function: In this specific scene in “The Crucible”, the author uses Ad Hominem in the characters dialogue to question John Proctor’s honesty. They are questioning this not only because his testimony kept changing and was inconsistent, but because he works and plows on Sundays. Therefore, the questions of his Christian devoutness arise. The judge then goes on by having no doubts of the accusations made on the girls, without stopping to question Proctor’s ever-changing testimony. Cheever, an attorney, then proceeds to make the smart remark that if the Judge believes and accepts Proctor’s testimony; he will be looked upon as a bad and untrustworthy Christian (which in this case is a use of Ad Hominem). 2. Alliteration: words that begin with the same sound are placed close together.

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