Speech 3: American Rhetoric

Critique one of the 100 Best Speeches from the American Rhetoric website. The speech you critique is up to you. You must provide both contextual and textual analysis.

Contextual Analysis

Provide background on the speech. In other words, give us an understanding of the speech’s kairos. When was it delivered? What was it delivered in response to? Who was the audience and how did they feel about the speaker? What was the speaker trying to accomplish?

The context will require a little outside research—it’s okay to use Wikipedia or another encyclopedia, but make sure that you put it in your own words and that you orally attribute your source.

Textual Analysis

The textual analysis is essentially the type of speech (Book 1), the rhetorical triangle (Book 2), and the delivery and arrangement (Book 3). I will be looking for specific references to Aristotle’s Rhetoric in support of your analysis.

Visuals

You must include a visual element in your speech. It may be images of the venue, the speaker, or even images that help your audience to understand the concepts.

Length: 5-7 minutes.

Points: 40 / 200 (20% of term grade)

Due: 03 or 08 December.

Essay 2: Lifelong Learning

You’ve basically got the assignment with the packet I gave you last week, but here are a few additional details:

1. APA format. Follow the format for the coversheet in the Sample APA Paper at the Purdue OWL (look for the link at the top). Include an abstract.
2. Research requirements. Much of the paper is reflective, but you will have to do at least some basic internet research.
3. Rough Draft. You may hand in a rough draft of essay 2 on Monday 29 November or Wednesday 01 December. The sooner you get a draft to me the sooner I’ll get feedback to you.
4. Final Draft. The final draft is due Wednesday 08 December at 10AM at the final.
5. Grade. Essay 2 is worth 30 out of 200 points for the term (15%). Like essay 1, it will be graded on focus, organization, support, and proofreading. (Though similar, the rubric I gave you is for the assessment not the evaluation.)

Cutting the Online Discussion Reflection

To simplify things I’m cutting the reflection on your online discussion posts. I will simply grade the post themselves on participation. If you have something you think I should consider as I evaluate your participation please email me.

Post 6: Due by 11:59 Thursday 18 November

Respond to Book 2 or Book 3 of Aristotle. As always, paraphrase or quote along with your response.

The above image is “Vogue” era Madonna. She has style.

Speech 2: Practicing Pathos

Use one of the emotions discussed by Aristotle to argue a perspective on a public issue. If you are looking for ideas, I would suggest the Stump, which is the Oregonian opinion page. However, your public issue does not need to currently be in the news. If you would like, you could talk about a historical issue, like the removal of the Berlin Wall, or a more general issue, like smoking.

I will pass around a sign up sheet, so we have good coverage of the emotions. The options are as follows with page numbers from Aristotle:

• Anger or calmness (pp. 92-100).
• Friendship or enmity or hate (pp. 100-103).
• Fear or confidence (pp. 103-107).
• Shame or shamelessness (pp. 107-111).
• Kindness or unkindness (pp. 111-112).
• Pity or indignation (pp. 113-118).
• Envy or emulation (pp. 118-121).

You must use at least one visual whether PowerPoint, prop, or otherwise, and you must attribute at least one source. In the evaluation, I will also be looking for the specific techniques that Aristotle recommends for eliciting these emotions.

Length: 2-5 minutes.

Points: 20 / 200 (10% of term grade)

Due: 22 or 24 November.

Above is Homer Simpson doing “The Scream,” originally by Edvard Munch (1893).

Post 5: Due by 11:59 Thursday 11 November

Respond to Book 1 or Book 2 of Aristotle. As always, paraphrase or quote along with your response.

The above image is Aristotle.

Post 4: Due by 11:59 Thursday 04 November

Respond to Johnson’s “The Cynic,” Vlastos’s Protagoras dialogue, or Book 1 of Aristotle. As always, paraphrase or quote along with your response.

The above image is “Diogenes” (1882) by John William Waterhouse.