Historical influence
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Plato
In The Republic, Plato discusses who is allowed to be a rhetor. My definition doesn’t contain verbiage that would restrict women from participating in these activities, and Plato believes they should be treated similarly to men.
“We need not waste time over expectations” and allow women to participate in the same activities as men, such as rhetoric (455c).
Also, since I have deemed rhetoric an ability, it has to be somehow learned by the individual who are using it. Logically, not everyone can undergo such training and teaching, so this limits the reach of the skills of a rhetor.
According to Plato, “quantity and quality are therefore more easily produced when a man specializes appropriately on a single job which he is naturally fitted, and neglects all others” (370e). This allows those who are able to dedicate themselves to learning rhetoric and how to be a high-level rhetor.
In The Republic, Plato discusses who is allowed to be a rhetor. My definition doesn’t contain verbiage that would restrict women from participating in these activities, and Plato believes they should be treated similarly to men.
“We need not waste time over expectations” and allow women to participate in the same activities as men, such as rhetoric (455c).
Also, since I have deemed rhetoric an ability, it has to be somehow learned by the individual who are using it. Logically, not everyone can undergo such training and teaching, so this limits the reach of the skills of a rhetor.
According to Plato, “quantity and quality are therefore more easily produced when a man specializes appropriately on a single job which he is naturally fitted, and neglects all others” (370e). This allows those who are able to dedicate themselves to learning rhetoric and how to be a high-level rhetor.
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Aristotle
Aristotle’s On Rhetoric helped to add specific dimensions to my definition of rhetoric in
regards to how the rhetoric is created, arranged, and delivered.
In regards to style, one of the canons, Aristotle believes that it should be clear and understandable before
more complex and poetic elements are added. When writing, one needs to make sure that metaphors are
not overused since they can be quote poetic, the rhetoric is correct grammatically, and
“the subject with which it is concerned” is clear to the audience (1414b).
For arrangement, another rhetorical canon, the rhetor needs to include three main parts in their language—a proposition, a proof, and an epilogue (1414b). These parts of the speech help to arrange the argument in a logical fashion so the audience can follow and be convinced by the rhetor.
A final canon that Aristotle touches on is delivery—rhetors need to “consider three things, and these are volume,
change of pitch, and rhythm” (1404a). It is right and necessary to pay attention to delivery because a rhetor should be seeking
“to contend by means of the facts themselves” (1404a). This skill is powerful due to the “corruption of the audience (1404a).
These three canons, along with the other two (invention and memory) are
pertinent to consider and utilize when creating rhetoric.
Aristotle’s On Rhetoric helped to add specific dimensions to my definition of rhetoric in
regards to how the rhetoric is created, arranged, and delivered.
In regards to style, one of the canons, Aristotle believes that it should be clear and understandable before
more complex and poetic elements are added. When writing, one needs to make sure that metaphors are
not overused since they can be quote poetic, the rhetoric is correct grammatically, and
“the subject with which it is concerned” is clear to the audience (1414b).
For arrangement, another rhetorical canon, the rhetor needs to include three main parts in their language—a proposition, a proof, and an epilogue (1414b). These parts of the speech help to arrange the argument in a logical fashion so the audience can follow and be convinced by the rhetor.
A final canon that Aristotle touches on is delivery—rhetors need to “consider three things, and these are volume,
change of pitch, and rhythm” (1404a). It is right and necessary to pay attention to delivery because a rhetor should be seeking
“to contend by means of the facts themselves” (1404a). This skill is powerful due to the “corruption of the audience (1404a).
These three canons, along with the other two (invention and memory) are
pertinent to consider and utilize when creating rhetoric.
![Picture](/uploads/2/9/2/8/29289809/7336697.jpg?172)
Cicero
Cicero seemed to meet in the middle ground between the two previous rhetors in his work, De Oratore. One of the main points that Cicero makes regards the type of education a skillful rhetor should possess.
Since rhetoric is a complex concept, an individual needs to grasp “a knowledge of very many matters”, “without which oratory is but an empty and ridiculous swirl of verbiage” (13). Attempting to engage in discourse without this base knowledge does not lead to beneficial statements or insight from the individual rhetors, which in turns leads to confusion and inefficiency.
Along this same line of thought, Cicero discusses how the speakers need to have specific knowledge of the topic at hand in order to be effective. “Excellence in speaking cannot be made manifest unless the speaker fully comprehends the matter he speaks about”, or the discourse will be pointless to the audience (37).
For the audience to find a rhetor creditable, one needs to understand what is being discussed and be able to intelligently discuss details regarding it.
Cicero seemed to meet in the middle ground between the two previous rhetors in his work, De Oratore. One of the main points that Cicero makes regards the type of education a skillful rhetor should possess.
Since rhetoric is a complex concept, an individual needs to grasp “a knowledge of very many matters”, “without which oratory is but an empty and ridiculous swirl of verbiage” (13). Attempting to engage in discourse without this base knowledge does not lead to beneficial statements or insight from the individual rhetors, which in turns leads to confusion and inefficiency.
Along this same line of thought, Cicero discusses how the speakers need to have specific knowledge of the topic at hand in order to be effective. “Excellence in speaking cannot be made manifest unless the speaker fully comprehends the matter he speaks about”, or the discourse will be pointless to the audience (37).
For the audience to find a rhetor creditable, one needs to understand what is being discussed and be able to intelligently discuss details regarding it.