Rhetorical Appeals

​Objective: Students will use the three modes of persuasion to analyze commercials. 

TEKS Strand 5(8)(G)

To understand how speeches or advertisements persuade, you should consider 5 questions:

1. Who is the speaker?

2. What is the Message?

3. Who is the audience?

4. What Methods is the Speaker employing to Persuade?

5. What is the Desired Result or Action to be Taken?

Rhetorical Appeals

What methods is the Speaker employing to Persuade?

Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle

Speaker/Ethos/Appeal to Credibility

Audience/Pathos/Appeal to Emotions

Subject/Logos/Appeal to Logic

Are you ready
for some
football …
commericals?

Rhetorical Appeals

Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle

Speaker/Ethos/Appeal to Credibility

Audience/Pathos/Appeal to Emotions

Who is the speaker?
What is the speaker trying to persuade the audience?
What reasons might the audience find the speaker credible?

​

Subject/Logos/Appeal to Logic

Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle

Speaker/Ethos/Appeal to Credibility

Audience/Pathos/Appeal to Emotions

What does the audience know – or think they know – about the
subject?

What beliefs does the audience hold?

What counterarguments is the audience likely to make in response to
the speaker’s points?

​

Subject/Logos/Appeal to Logic

Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle

Speaker/Ethos/Appeal to Credibility

Audience/Pathos/Appeal to Emotions
Subject/Logos/Appeal to Logic

What does the author know, or think they know?
What expertise does the author have?
What beliefs does the author hold about the subject?
What claims is the author prepared to make?
What evidence can the author provide to support their
claims?

Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle

Speaker/Ethos/Appeal to Credibility

Audience/Pathos/Appeal to Emotions

Who is the speaker?
What is the speaker trying to persuade the audience?
What reasons might the audience find the speaker credible?

​

Subject/Logos/Appeal to Logic

Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle

Speaker/Ethos/Appeal to Credibility

Audience/Pathos/Appeal to Emotions

What does the author know, or think they know?
What expertise does the author have?
What beliefs does the author hold about the subject?
What claims is the author prepared to make?
What evidence can the author provide to support their
claims?

Subject/Logos/Appeal to Logic

Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle

Speaker/Ethos/Appeal to Credibility

Audience/Pathos/Appeal to Emotions

What does the audience know – or think they know – about the
subject?

What beliefs does the audience hold?

What counterarguments is the audience likely to make in response to
the speaker’s points?

​

Subject/Logos/Appeal to Logic

Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle

Speaker/Ethos/Appeal to Credibility

Audience/Pathos/Appeal to Emotions

Who is the speaker?
What is the speaker trying to persuade the audience?
What reasons might the audience find the speaker credible?

​

Subject/Logos/Appeal to Logic

Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle

Speaker/Ethos/Appeal to Credibility

Audience/Pathos/Appeal to Emotions

What does the audience know – or think they know – about the
subject?

What beliefs does the audience hold?

What counterarguments is the audience likely to make in response to
the speaker’s points?

​

Subject/Logos/Appeal to Logic

Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle

Speaker/Ethos/Appeal to Credibility

Audience/Pathos/Appeal to Emotions
Subject/Logos/Appeal to Logic

What does the author know, or think they know?
What expertise does the author have?
What beliefs does the author hold about the subject?
What claims is the author prepared to make?
What evidence can the author provide to support their
claims?

Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle

Speaker/Ethos/Appeal to Credibility

Audience/Pathos/Appeal to Emotions

Who is the speaker?
What is the speaker trying to persuade the audience?
What reasons might the audience find the speaker credible?

​

Subject/Logos/Appeal to Logic

Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle

Speaker/Ethos/Appeal to Credibility

Audience/Pathos/Appeal to Emotions

What does the audience know – or think they know – about the
subject?

What beliefs does the audience hold?

What counterarguments is the audience likely to make in response to
the speaker’s points?

​

Subject/Logos/Appeal to Logic

Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle

Speaker/Ethos/Appeal to Credibility

Audience/Pathos/Appeal to Emotions
Subject/Logos/Appeal to Logic

What does the author know, or think they know?
What expertise does the author have?
What beliefs does the author hold about the subject?
What claims is the author prepared to make?
What evidence can the author provide to support their
claims?

Short Constructed

Response

What claim is made in
the Snicker commercial?
Provide evidence of a
rhetorical device as
support for your answer.

What claim is made in the Snicker
commercial? Provide evidence of a
rhetorical device as support for your answer

The Snicker commercial claims if a
football player is feeling hungry, he will
play like Betty White.The commercial
creates a logical appeal when it states,
“you are not you when you’re hungry.”
This statement persuades the audience
that Snickers is the snack to choose to
avoid playing football like an old woman
because it satisfies hunger and provides
energy.

Works Cited

Videos: https://anneandtoriethospathoslogos.weebly.com/

​Data revealed that students were struggling with rhetorical appeals, specifically ethos. In this small group, the intention is to improve mastery of the TEKS Strand 5(8)(G).