I learned that rhetoric does not have a concrete definition. There are many different theories and perspectives available depending on which sophist or philosopher being examined. The history of rhetoric, i.e. key figures and terms were available in Herrick’s readings. Also we spent time in class lecturing about these things. I found it quite interesting to learn about the History of rhetoric, although I have not yet committed everything to memory. Completing the exam helped ingrain some of the historical and cultural aspects of this class. Completing the paper helped e refine my skills as a writer, but also make an argument about Greek culture. In fact. it was necessary to combine the historical aspects of the class with the writing aspects. Completing the readings and annotations helped me acquire the historical knowledge needed for the class, while lectures on how to write helped me refine my skills as a writer.
Spending the time to analyze specific readings as a class really helps me to understand the document. Group work usually isn’t that much beneficial because of the time constraint in class. There should be readings for homework; however, the sheer volume per night is a little much. I think 20 pages before class is reasonable.