Rhetoric Cheat Sheet

The core ideas of Rhetoric distilled into a single, scannable reference — perfect for review or quick lookup.

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Quick Reference

Ethos

An appeal to the speaker's or writer's credibility, character, and trustworthiness. Ethos persuades by establishing the rhetor as knowledgeable, ethical, and well-intentioned so the audience is inclined to accept the message.

Pathos

An appeal to the audience's emotions, values, or desires. Pathos aims to evoke feelings such as sympathy, anger, pride, or fear in order to move the audience toward a particular action or belief.

Logos

An appeal to logic and reason. Logos persuades through evidence, data, structured arguments, and rational demonstration, using deductive or inductive reasoning to support claims.

Kairos

The concept of the opportune or fitting moment for rhetorical action. Kairos recognizes that the effectiveness of a message depends on its timing, context, and the readiness of the audience to receive it.

The Rhetorical Situation

The context in which rhetoric operates, comprising the exigence (the problem or need prompting communication), the audience, and the constraints that shape how a message can be constructed and received.

The Five Canons of Rhetoric

A classical framework for speech preparation consisting of invention (finding arguments), arrangement (organizing them), style (choosing language), memory (internalizing the speech), and delivery (presenting it effectively).

Logical Fallacies

Errors in reasoning that undermine the logic of an argument. Common fallacies include ad hominem attacks, straw man arguments, false dilemmas, slippery slopes, and appeals to authority, all of which can appear persuasive but are logically unsound.

Enthymeme

A rhetorical syllogism in which one premise is left unstated because it is assumed to be shared by the audience. Enthymemes are the primary mode of rhetorical reasoning according to Aristotle, engaging the audience by inviting them to fill in the gap.

Rhetorical Appeals in Visual Media

The application of ethos, pathos, and logos to non-textual forms of communication including images, video, graphic design, and data visualization. Visual rhetoric analyzes how design choices persuade viewers.

Stasis Theory

A method of invention from classical rhetoric used to identify the central issue in a dispute. The four stases are conjecture (did it happen?), definition (what is it?), quality (how serious is it?), and policy (what should be done?).

Key Terms at a Glance

Anaphora:Repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses for rhetorical emphasis.

Antithesis:Juxtaposition of contrasting ideas in balanced phrases or clauses to create emphasis.

Apologia:A speech or text in which a speaker defends their actions, beliefs, or character against accusation.

Arrangement:The second canon of rhetoric, concerning the organization and sequencing of arguments for maximum effect.

Audience:The intended or actual recipients of a rhetorical message who can be influenced or moved to action.

Chiasmus:A rhetorical figure in which the second half of an expression reverses the structure of the first half.

Commonplace:A widely accepted belief, value, or argument that a rhetor can draw upon as shared ground with the audience.

Deliberative Rhetoric:Rhetoric aimed at influencing future action, typically used in political and legislative contexts.

Delivery:The fifth canon of rhetoric, concerning vocal quality, gesture, posture, and physical presentation of a speech.

Enthymeme:A rhetorical syllogism in which one premise is left unstated, relying on the audience's shared knowledge.

Epideictic Rhetoric:Ceremonial rhetoric that praises or blames, used in eulogies, commemorations, and award speeches.

Ethos:A rhetorical appeal based on the speaker's credibility, character, and moral authority.

Exigence:The urgent problem, need, or situation that prompts a rhetorical response.

Forensic Rhetoric:Rhetoric concerned with past events, typically used in legal or judicial settings to establish fact and assign blame.

Hyperbole:Deliberate exaggeration used for emphasis or rhetorical effect, not intended to be taken literally.

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