Topics and Questions We Can Help You To Answer:
Paper Instructions:

You will write an essay based on a famous speech. You will analyze the situation that the speech was presented in – as well as the persuasive power of the language.

Here is a link to famous historic speeches: https://www.americanrhetoric.com/top100speechesall.html

Here is a link to famous movie speeches: https://www.americanrhetoric.com/moviespeeches.htm

In some cases, you will have access to the audio and the text/transcript. Pick whichever one you are most comfortable analyzing; however, I expect that it will be most helpful to pick a speech that you have both audio and transcript – you’ll be able to analyze both the words themselves in addition to the way in which they were delivered (tone, pace, pronunciation, etc.). If you select a speech from one of these lists, you do not need my approval to use it. If you pick something not from the lists, please email me before class Week 3 to make sure it is an acceptable speech.

Purpose: To write an essay that addresses the rhetorical situation and rhetorical appeals within an argumentative text. The situation and appeals are described more below in the “Description.” In performing a rhetorical analysis of a text, you will hopefully discover its power, value, and purpose (i.e. how words have the power to persuade).

Description of Assignment:  

In addressing the rhetorical situation, you should consider the following:
Author: Beyond stating the name, who is the author? What is his/her background?
Purpose: What is the author trying to accomplish? Why did the author write the text?
Audience/Relationship to the Reader: To whom is the text addressed?
Context: What are influencing factors surrounding the event? Where/When was the text written?
Voice: What is the overall tone of the text?
Genre: What type of writing is the text?
Strategies: What strategies does the author use? What methodologies?
Effectiveness: Is the author rhetorically effective? Does the text ‘move’ you? Does the text cause you to think differently about the subject?
In addressing the rhetorical appeals, you should discuss how the author utilizes the following:
Ethos: Appeals based on the character and expertise of the writer and the sources he/she uses. Ethical appeals establish the credibility and goodwill of the author or of the sources used to support an argument.
Pathos: Appeals based on emotion and passion (specifically as they relate to the beliefs and values of the audience). Emotional appeals draw on the readers’ emotional response to the subject and on shared beliefs and values. Where does the author use language and/or create images that are emotionally charged?
Logos: Appeals based on logic, reasoning, and evidence concerning the subject. Logical appeals use reasoning and evidence to support an argument. Logical appeals draw on facts, statistics, research, financial costs, observations, and experiments to reach conclusions using logical schema. Where and how does the author use evidence? What kinds of evidence are used? What logical schema does the author draw on to interpret the evidence?
Thesis: The thesis you make will be factual in nature, but that does not mean that it is a 100% statement of fact. You are stating an opinion of what you analyzed that you believe to be factual, supported by facts and good reasons. As always, make sure your thesis maintains the proper structure: claim + reasons (e.g. Pizza is the best food ever because of the visual appeal, aroma, and flavor). Example thesis: Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream Speech” was an integral part of the Civil Rights Movement because of the cultural climate of the United States during that time, MLK’s presentation of the speech, and the message delivered by the content (the actual words).

(Remember: you are NOT arguing the topic of the speech. You are arguing if the author's argument (in your chosen speech) is effective or not and why. When we say "effective," it means: did it convince you? How? And the "how" is answered by looking at the uses of ethos, pathos, and logos, diction (word choice), etc...).
Structure & Content: While the “Description” portion above will give you a good understanding of what you need to cover in this essay, the following is one possible method of how you will present it:

Introduction – Introduce the overarching topic of famous speeches and why they’re useful to analyze
Body Paragraphs 1-2 – Discuss the rhetorical situation (See “Description” above)
Body Paragraphs 3-5 – Discuss the rhetorical appeals (See “Description” above)
Conclusion – Wrap it up (multiple methods)
~7 Total Paragraphs
Please keep in mind (as the “Format” section below indicates), that you are only required to write 3 pages of content (minimum) for this essay. There are eight items that comprise the rhetorical situation and three that comprise the rhetorical appeals. In other words, you have plenty of items to cover in order to reach at least three solid pages of development.

Source(s) Required: One (the original text); however, you may need more to support your analysis. As a rhetorical analysis, the focus needs to be on your analysis. If you research and incorporate the work, ideas, or opinions of others, you will need to cite those sources.

The more authoritative sources used, the more convincing the research looks; the fewer authoritative sources used, the less credible the research looks. Reference sources, such as an encyclopedia, (e.g. Wikepedia.org) or a dictionary will not count as legitimate sources. This includes reference sites like WebMD.org and About.com. In addition, personal blogs or essays posted on personal websites or self-published on sites like Associatedcontent.com and Helium.com are not acceptable.

Audience: You are writing to an audience of fellow students with comparable knowledge regarding the topic. You should identify and demonstrate an awareness of the target audience based upon the topic selection.

Format: 3+ page(s) of your writing, 1 cover page, and 1 reference page (5 pages total minimum), using APA documentation style.