Discussing Aristotle's Persuasive Rhetoric in Obama's Speech
Examining Aristotle’s Features of Persuasive Rhetoric
In this speech, the former president Barack Obama uses all the appeals (ethos, pathos, logos).
What are the three appeals?
- Ethos: Focuses on the reliability of the speaker.
- Pathos: Focuses on the emotions triggered in the audience.
- Logos: Focuses on reason and logic.
What are some examples of these appeals?
- Logos: One example of logos in this speech is: "since this is Notre Dame I think we should talk... in the competitive arena" as he connects ideas using logic and reasoning.
- Pathos: One example of pathos in this speech is: "Congratulations to all the parents, the cousins" as appealing to the idea of family moves the audience.
- Ethos: One example of Ethos in this speech is: "as Dr. King said" in this excerpt he appeals to the authority represented by Dr. King.