Speech In Cicero's System

875 Words2 Pages

•In Cicero’s system, speeches of all kinds are classified by their purpose: to inform, to persuade, and to entertain. Explain the purposes below.

•Informational speaking.

When a speaker explains information to an audience, helping them understand it, then the speaker is practicing informational speaking. This rhetorical function is used to teach and inform. It is the speaker’s duty to be clear about what they are saying and on target. To not bore the audience, the speaker should make connections between the topic and the audience and discuss how it can be useful to them.

•Persuasive speaking.

When a speaker wants an audience to change and convince them to do or believe something that they did not believe in before, then …show more content…

When a speaker wants to please or gain good vibes from their audience then they are speaking to entertain. This rhetoric function is used to delight an audience. Entertainment speeches are at most times ritual. Speakers might decrease the emphasis they put into the content of their speech and focus on what the speech really is about.

Looking Beyond Classifications

•Define the following terms from Lloyd Bitzer’s concept of the rhetorical situation:

1.Exigence.

Exigence, in rhetoric, is a problem or an issue that causes or influences someone to speak or write. That person wants to address the situation.

2.Audience.

An audience is a group of people that is created by a speaker who wants to persuade them to do something they would not do before.

3.Constraints.

Constraints are things that restrict you from solving an issue or addressing a situation.

•Define the following terms from Michael McGee’s concept of the cultural context:

1.Rhetorical …show more content…

Proofs: Ways of Being Persuasive.

•Define syllogism (formal). Give one example.

Syllogism are the arguments used in formal reasoning. There are two true statements, called premises, that truly and correctly point to a third statement, which is usually the end of the disputes. An example of a syllogism is a premise that states that all students take courses then another premise that says that all who take the courses get grades. These premises lead to a conclusion that states that all students get grades.

•Define enthymemes (non-formal). Give one example.

Enthymemes are persuasive disputes that are not formally right. Enthymemes are similar to syllogisms but are easier to use and have good reasoning. An example of an enthymeme is that Molly is a student , therefore Molly is registered for courses.

•Define examples (non-formal). Give one example.

Examples are pieces of a kind of rhetorical argument that speakers apply to their claims to prove what they are addressing. There are two types of examples: real examples and hypothetical examples. An example of an example would be a cited examples of old unpopular military drafts to prove an dispute about how military drafts are unpopular in the

Open Document