Assignment
Analyzing a Persuasive Public Address
Name of Orator:
Title of Speech:
Occasion / Place delivered:
Date Speech was delivered:
I. Brief Biography (Education/Current Role/Status) of the Speaker (What is the source of the speaker's ethos-credibility to make these arguments to the audience?)
II. The Rhetorical Situation for the Speech
A. The Issue (Exigence-something in the situation that demands response)
B. The Audiences (Immediate and secondary)
C. The Constraints of the Situation (to the purpose/goal of the speech)
III. The Structure/Organization of the Speech
A. Opening: How does the speaker open the speech?
B. Body: What is the actual structure/organizational plan of the speech? Problem solution, motivated sequence, etc.
C. Closing: How does the speaker close the speech? with a plea for action, or...
IV. Description and Analysis, and Evaluations of the Arguments advanced by the speaker.
A. What did you perceive to be the goal of the speaker for this address?
B. What logical arguments does the speaker use? Give examples.
C. What are some examples of pathos (emotion) used by the speaker?
D. Was there an example of ethos in the speech?
E. Were there any logical fallacies?
V. Style and Delivery
A. Style: Describe the tone of the speech, give examples of figurative/memorable language used in the speech.
B. Delivery: If you were able to watch a video of the speech--what was your impression of the delivery? Did you find any reviews or comments by others about the impact of the delivery?
VI. Historical and Rhetorical Value (Was it a good speech? Did the speaker accomplish the purpose?) What did the critics say? What standard should be used to judge it?
VII. Bibliography
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
1. The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.