1) Here’s a list of what I’ve learned so far this semester about the historical and cultural context of the rise of rhetoric in the Classical period we’ve studied so far.
So far this semester I have learned that there are many ways rhetoric can be defined; Aristotle, Plato, and the Sophists all had a different definition. It was thought to first be see/ used as a skill or knack but later developed into an art for not just the educated to use but anyone who is speaking, writing, etc.
2) What I’ve learned affirmed (or contradicted) my prior knowledge or experience in the following ways:
In all honesty I did not have much prior knowledge about rhetoric or anything pertaining to it. So there is not much that I can say affirmed and or contradicted my prior knowledge. The one thing that I have learned that I can affirm is that rhetoric is and can be used as a form of persuasion, but yet that is not the main point in using rhetoric it just happens to be a component of rhetoric.
3) Here are connections I see among the ideas I’ve studied so far.
Among the ideas I have studied so far I can connect that any kind of writing or speech or basically anything planned will have rhetoric. People always strive to persuade the public so in order to effectively persuade the public they must use rhetoric. And, anything that involves an audience includes a relationship builder, this builder is known as rhetorical appeals (ethos, logos, pathos). Of all the things we have studied so far those are always present and are mentioned all the time.
4) On the basis of these observations, here’s what I think I’d like to know (or do) next:
I would like to fully understand how rhetoric is truly defined and used, because it still confuses me. It is in writing purposefully but yet when I analyze the writing nothing jumps out rhetoric to me. How does one use rhetoric so effectively that the audience falls into the authors trap or writing overall so easily. Rhetoric just seems like another word used for writing but it is not and I want to find out how one can execute rhetoric without making it obvious and still having the three rhetorical appeals present.