Aristotle's Rhetorical Triangle Created by Brett Oppegaard for Washington State University's DTC 375 class, spring 2010 1

Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle Author / Encoder / Ethos discourse, design and context Purpose / Message / Logos Audience / Decoder / Pathos Described many different ways 2

Author / Encoder / Ethos Who created this “text”? What do we know about the author / creator? What authority does that encode in the message? What credibility does that encode? What common ground does that encode? What level of fairness is encoded? What questions does that raise in the message? 3 3

Purpose / Message / Logos What is the logical structure of the “message”? What exactly is being communicated, from each individual element (take it apart and look at the pieces) to the whole? Is an idea (or are ideas) presented? Identify those. Is the information more specific or abstract? Why? Are you being led a particular direction? How and why? What examples are used, including precedents? Who are the sources of information? Are you being asked to use inductive (collective facts lead to a conclusion) or deductive reasoning (the law or general principle leads to a specific example)? 4 4

Audience / Decoder / Pathos Who is this “text” aimed at and through what emotional connections? What does the audience know, and need to know? What emotional appeals are used – from benevolence (love, pity, belief in fairness, etc.) to malevolence (greed, lust, envy, etc.)? What descriptive and metaphoric uses of language appear? And why were those chosen? How does the audience feel now, and how is it supposed to feel after decoding the message? What response is expected, or hoped for? 5 5

discourse, design and context In what ways do the raw materials coalesce and then interact with time and space? How does it matter that this communication is happening right now, in this form, in this place? How does the selection of parts and the assembly and manipulation techniques add to the discourse (internal factors, such as fonts, cropping, colors)? What cultural, social and/or historical context adds to or shapes the direction of the discourse (external factors, such as current events, institutional knowledge)? 6 6

Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle Author / Encoder / Ethos When these are in balance, the rhetoric usually is effective When these are not in balance, the ability to persuade diminishes … discourse, design and context Purpose / Message / Logos Audience / Decoder / Pathos 7

Rhetorical Noise When messages really go awry … Source: Deborah Barrett 8