Deck 15: Rhetorical Criticism: How to Interpret Persuasive Texts and Artifacts

Question 1

Ethos, an artistic proof, is defined as:

A) The character or credibility of the rhetor
B) The emotional appeal of an argument
C) The logical reasoning employed in an argument
D) The ethics of the speech

Answer 1

A

Question 2

Which of the following canons best describes style?

A) The arrangement, structure, or general pattern of the various components in a rhetorical speech
B) The language the speaker uses
C) The mode of presentation adopted by the speaker, including vocal and nonverbal behavior
D) None of these

Answer 2

B

Question 3

In genre analysis, the traditional type of rhetoric that was characterized by the legal discourse of courtroom proceedings was known as:

A) Epideictic rhetoric
B) Deliberative rhetoric
C) Forensic rhetoric
D) Celebratory rhetoric

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following warrants would be used to evaluate metaphoric criticism?

A) Validity
B) Adequacy of evidence
C) Coherence
D) Both b and c

Question 5

According to Burke, the setting or situation in which the rhetorical act occurs is called the

A) Place.
B) Context.
C) Topoi.
D) Scene.

Question 6

Which of the following methodologies has "identification" and "purification" as central concepts?

A) Metaphoric criticism
B) Burkean dramatism
C) Genre criticism
D) Narrative criticism

Question 7

Words that operate as vectors of influence are called:

A) Ideographs
B) Jeremiads
C) Image events
D) Apologias

Question 8

The characteristics of rhetorical criticism include:

A) Deductive analysis
B) A narrow focus on spoken messages
C) Interpretation and understanding of the rhetorical process
D) All of the above

Question 9

This approach to criticism attempts to accurately explain how the speaker used various persuasive devices and evaluate how effective the argument appeared to be based rationally on principles of effective argument:

A) Neoclassical
B) Genre
C) Dramatism
D) Narrative

Question 10

Exigence, audience, and constraints compose the components of:

A) Rhetorical theory
B) Rhetorical situation
C) Rhetorical criticism
D) Rhetoric in general

Question 11

Which of the following is an example of an inartistic proof?

A) Logical device or strategies
B) Moral character
C) Testimony from a witness
D) Emotions

Question 12

When a researcher deductively describes how the characteristics of a genre should be applied to a specific rhetorical text to assess whether it is a good or poor fit, the researcher is using:

A) Generic participation
B) Generic application
C) Generic description
D) All of the above

Question 13

As you listen to a podcast of a recent speech by the mayor, you notice that the mayor frequently describes the city's "fight" against drug abuse and its "war" on opioid distribution. You will likely analyze the speech from this rhetorical approach:

A) Neoclassical
B) Metaphoric
C) Dramatism
D) Narrative

Question 14

Finding common ground is the essence of Burke's concept of

A) Transcendence
B) Redemption
C) Purification
D) Identification

Question 15

This approach to rhetorical criticism assumes that life is a continual process of recreating our own stories:

A) Ideographic
B) Metaphoric
C) Dramatism
D) Narrative

Question 16

For a narrative to be judged an effective and satisfactory text, it must demonstrate:

A) Coherence and fidelity
B) Coherence and adequacy of evidence
C) Coherence and credibility
D) Coherence and faithfulness

Question 17

Which of the approaches to rhetorical criticism does not begin with the assumption that reality is socially constructed out of many possible interpretations?

A) Neoclassical
B) Metaphoric
C) Dramatism
D) Narrative

Question 18

A key transformation in the development of rhetorical criticism has involved shifts:

A) Away from empirical and to analytic domains
B) Away from objectivity and to reflexivity
C) Away from analyzing spoken words and to analyzing texts and artifacts that include social media platforms
D) All of the above are key transformations

Question 19

A central ethical concern of rhetorical criticism has been:

A) Ensuring that the texts selected for analysis are representative
B) The development of ethical theory and conversations about global ethics
C) The promotion of cultural relativism
D) The search for one theory of universal ethics

Question 20

Rhetorical theory differs from rhetorical criticism in that:

A) It refers to learning to identify and use the skills of speaking persuasively
B) It refers to the study of any communication message expressing meaning
C) It refers to the explanations and interpretations of the ways in which messages or texts are symbolic and persuasive
D) It refers to the systemic application of theory to symbolic and persuasive texts and messages
Essays:

Question 21

Compare and contrast the claims, data, and warrants of neoclassical criticism and metaphoric criticism.

Question 22

Describe the basic steps common to doing any form of rhetorical criticism. Then give an example of how you would apply those steps from a narrative analysis approach.

Question 23

Discuss how your favorite television show or movie could be analyzed by doing a cluster analysis or pentadic criticism.

Question 24

Discuss how the assumptions of a critic who analyzes a presidential candidate's campaign speech from a neoclassical approach would differ from a critic who analyzes the speech from an ideographic approach.