Question

Read the following excerpt from a speech and answer the question that follows. What kind of person do you want to be? Do you want to be considered kind? caring? compassionate? strong of character? Or do you want to be considered difficult? mean? rude? When people walk away from meeting you, what do you want them to think about you? If you want to be considered a kind, caring, compassionate, strong person, then call our toll-free number to order your complete set of character-building tapes. Explain the component(s) of rhetoric that is being used in the above excerpt. Use details from the excerpt to support your answer.

Answer 1

Pathos is the rhetorical component being used. Through this component, the speaker appeals to the audience's emotions. " What kind of person do you want to be? Do you want to be considered kind? caring? compassionate?.." The speech is laden with emotional language.  Ethos is a rhetorical means applied when the speaker is a public person the audiece trusts. Logos is the other means used when the speaker resorts to logical arguments to convince the audience. In this speech neither ethos or logos are being used.