The Rhetor

Every adult person has at some point been given the opportunity to become a rhetor, and I also think it is safe to say that everyone has taken this opportunity (except maybe hermits). Rhetors also vary in their degree of ability. It can begin with someone responding to an awkward silence on a date who tries only to make the situation more comfortable but who doesn't really have anything intelligent or interesting to say. The degree of ability would end at a person who specializes in rhetoric and who writes presidential speeches during times of emergency. The speaker's degree of ability is important to consider when critiquing rhetoric. It is likely that there isn't much to say about the guy on the awkward date because his only purposes are to make the date a success and get the girl to like him. He could be fumbling with words that really don't come together in meaning or he could be making up a fantastical lie to pique the girl's interest. Much of the analysis of this rhetoric would have to do with the ethos of the guy--whether he is trustworthy and looking for love or conniving and looking for a one night stand. In the case of the political speech writer, there would be a great deal more to analyze. Much of this was explained in the ALT reading on the speaker, but there are plenty of motivations for manipulating the audience to think, act, react, or judge in a particular way, which would benefit the president, the government, and the nation.