Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Ethos, Logos, and Pathos

There are three concepts in the art of Rhetoric that we must understand. These concepts are Ethos, Logos, and Pathos. The first one is Ethos, which means character. Ethos demonstrates that the speaker is trustworthy and uses the speakers reputation to get the audience interested in their speech.I think the Pope, especially Pope John Paul II would be a good example of Ethos. He uses his status as the head of the catholic church to get people's attention and he talks about what all humans want, which is world peace.
Logos is the next concept, and it means reason. With Logos you have to offer clear, rational ideas. Also you have to be ready for a counterargument because there will be people that won't agree with you. An example of Logos would be the current battle for the presidency between Obama and McCain. Both of them have clear precise arguments and are reay for a counterargument by their opponent.
Pathos is the last concept, and it means emotion. I would say speeches at the olympics would be a good example of Pathos because even though we can not understand the language they are speaking in. The audience pays close attention to get ready to show their emotion and their pride for their country.

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