An Outline of Classical Rhetoric

1. An Outline of Classical Rhetoric Frank D’Angelo Adapted from English 523 Classical Rhetoric and Written Composition Arizona State University

2. Rhetoric: The Three Branches: 1.      Deliberative (political) 2.      Judicial (forensic or legal) 3.      Epideictic (Ceremonial)

3. Deliberative (political) • Aim–to exhort or dissuade • Ends–expediency or inexpediency • Time–future • Audience–chooses between alternative courses of civic action.

4. Judicial (forensic or legal) • Aim–to accuse or defend • Ends–justice and injustice • Time–past • Audience–judges the innocence or guilt of someone accused of a crime.

5. Epideictic (ceremonial) • Aim–to praise or blame • Ends–honor and dishonor • Time–present • Audience – praises the speech and the skill of the orator.

6. Rhetoric–The Five Parts • Invention • Arrangement • Style • Memory • Delivery

7. Invention Stasis–the main points at issue

8. Invention Proof–two kinds Inartistic Artistic

9. Invention Proof: a. Inartistic 1) sworn testimony 2) documents 3) laws 4) torture

10. Invention b. artistic 1) ethical—speaker’s character ethos 2) emotional—audience’s mood pathos 3) logical—rational argument logos i) deductive—topoi and enthymemes ii) inductive—example

11. Arrangement Aristotle—4 essential parts • proem • statement of facts • proof • epilogue

12. Arrangement Cicero—7 part structure • exhortation • narration • proposition • confirmation • refutation • digression • conclusion

13. Style: The 3 Types Low or plain (unornamented) Middle (somewhere in between) Grand (ornamented)

14. Style: the 4 Virtues • Purity (correctness) • Clarity • Decorum (appropriateness) • Ornament

15. Style: Sources of Ornament • Schemes • Tropes

16. StasisDefinition of “Stasis”: 1. The first conflict of two sides of a case, resulting from the rejection of an accusation: “You did it,” / “I did not do it.” 2. The starting point of a case. 3. The circumstances that give rise to a case. 4. The point at issue in a legal argument.

17. Stasis: Four Kinds of Issues • Conjectural—dispute over a fact. • Definitional—dispute over a definition. • Qualitative—dispute over the value, quality, or nature of an act. • Translative—dispute over moving the issue from one court or jurisdiction to another.

18. Stasis: Central Question of the Case • Based on an analysis of the issues • Coming from the conflict of pleas: “I was justified in doing it.” / “You were not.” “Was he justified in doing it?”

19. Stasis:The Reason or Excuse • That which holds the case together • “He was justified in doing it because she killed my father.”

20. Stasis:Point for Judge’s Decision • That which arises from denial of the reason or excuse. • That which arises from assertion of the reason or excuse.

21. Stasis:Foundation of the Defense • Strongest argument. • Argument most relevant to the point for the judge’s decision.

22. Stasis:Advancing the Argument • Investigating the topoi. • Inductive and deductive reasoning.

23. Process Comparison Contrast Classification Narration Exemplification Causes Effects Definition Description Negation Analysis CLASSICAL INVENTIONCommon Topics of Invention

24. An Outline of Classical Rhetoric Frank D’Angelo Adapted from English 523 Classical Rhetoric and Written Composition Arizona State University