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last.updated 5.31.05

Ethos

Purpose
To modernize and expand Aristotle's sense of ethos. By fulfilling this exercise, you should have 1) a better sense of Aristotle's rhetorical mind set, 2) a notion of the limitations of his rhetorical theory in the modern world, and 3) a sense of how rhetoricians theorize.

Read through Aristotle's topio for ethos (pp. 163-172). Note that Aristotle only has six characteristics that define the speaker. In the modern age, we often use a lot more adjectives to define, understand, or even stereotype a speaker.

Using Aristotle's topio as a model, write one 250 word topio for the modern speaker; it cannot be one of Aristotle's six. To compose this topio...

• think about a characteristic that often color how you listen to speech or read a text (what type of people do I enjoy hearing or reading? what type do you dislike? who do you tend to trust or distrust because of their character?)
• like Aristotle describe the people who possess this character and describe why this does or does not make them persausive. In developing this section, you will want to ground your discussion in real world observations and experiences
• be respectful; we will read some of these in class so you want to write it so that it does not offend anyone

Submit your work prior to class (7 pm) in the body of an email addressed to the instructor.