Deck 23: Dramatism

Question 1

Which of the following is NOT a part of Burke's pentad?

A) actor
B) act
C) agent
D) agency

Answer 1

A

Question 2

________ refers to things progressing according to cause-and-effect laws without meaning or purpose.

A) Mortification
B) Dramatism
C) Symbolic action
D) Realm of motion

Answer 2

D

Question 3

The process of designating an external enemy as the source of all our ills is:

A) victimage.
B) mortification.
C) personification.
D) vilification.

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The term that sums up all that a speaker regards as bad, wrong, or evil is a(n):

A) false dilemma.
B) agent.
C) devil term.
D) None of the answers is correct.

Question 5

According to Burke, we engage in ________ when using words to give life to particular motives and pursue particular goals when we speak.

A) dramatism
B) mortification
C) symbolic action
D) homophilic persuasion

Question 6

A term describing a person's physical characteristics, talents, occupation, background, personality, and values is:

A) culture.
B) substance.
C) socioeconomic being.
D) purpose.

Question 7

The ultimate motive for all public rhetoric is to:

A) blame God for all that happens.
B) purge oneself of guilt.
C) become identified with others.
D) create a perspective by incongruity.

Question 8

Burke uses ________ as his catchall term to cover every form of noxious feelings inherent in human symbol-using activity.

A) iniquity
B) anxiety
C) shame
D) guilt

Question 9

According to Burke, ________ requires confession of sin and a request for forgiveness to purge one's guilt.

A) identification
B) victimage
C) mortification
D) criticism

Question 10

Burke's theory has been criticized because:

A) he had insufficient interest in ethical issues.
B) his assumption that guilt underlies all public address is questionable.
C) his prose is often confusing and obscure.
D) Both "his assumption that guilt underlies all public address is questionable" and "his prose is often confusing and obscure" are correct.

Question 11

The principal purpose of the dramatistic pentad is to transcend perspective by incongruity.

Question 12

Rhetorical scholars who carefully analyze the language of speakers and authors are called critics.

Question 13

Marie Hochmuth Nichols was a University of Illinois rhetorician who criticized Burke's lack of respect for ethics in communication.

Question 14

A scapegoat is the target of victimage.

Question 15

Mortification is a method of purging guilt through self-blame that requires the confession of sin and a request for forgiveness.

Question 16

Burke was discovered for the field of speech by Edna St. Vincent Millay in the early 1950s.

Question 17

Terms that sum up all that a speaker regards as righteous and good are called god-terms.

Question 18

Homophily is a term used by behavioral scientists to describe what Burke called the devil-term.

Question 19

Although Burke identified victimage in his analysis of speeches, he did not endorse the practice.

Question 20

For Burke, life is not like drama; it is drama.

Question 21

According to Burke, without ________, there is no persuasion.

Question 22

For Burke, ________ is confession of sin and request for forgiveness.

Question 23

According to Burke, the ultimate goal for public rhetoric is ________.

Question 24

Describe and explain the dramatistic pentad.

Question 25

Burke asserts that without identification, there can be no persuasion. Explain what he means by identification and why it is so important.

Question 26

What does Burke see as the ultimate motivation for all public speaking? Do you agree with him? How would you support your position?

Question 27

What does Burke see as the major differences between humans and other animals?

Question 28

Why did Burke make use of spiritual language in his theory?

Question 29

What is perspective by incongruity? Give an example. Do you find it to be an effective way to communicate?

Question 30

Choose a current debate or controversy on campus, in your community, or in the nation, and describe it in Burkean terms. How well does it seem to conform to the dramatistic pentad and the guilt-redemption cycle?

Question 31

How does Burke's notion of the scapegoat compare to Aristotle's notion that, to evince hatred and promote solidarity, a speaker must refer to a common enemy?

Question 32

In Burke's terms, has Deetz simply transformed a manager into a scapegoat? How well does the Burkean approach apply to the critical theory of organizational communication?

Question 33

Compare Burke's perspective by incongruity with Aristotle's approach to metaphor.

Question 34

How might Burke's theory explain the peripheral route to persuasion of the elaboration likelihood model?