Rhetoric Devices

In the most elementary cases rhetoric is equivalent to persuasion. To make people contemplate ideas suggested through media and social influence. The most obvious example of this is a rhetoric question, a question where the answer is apparent to everyone before it is asked. These are more of statements formulated as a question where an answer is unnecessary. Rhetorical tropes (metaphor/metonym/synecdoche/irony) all rely on the language they have in common, in the understanding between the signifier and the signified. It is the contrast between what is literal and how the literal has been changed that gives rhetoric tropes the ability to persuade. - Christopher Hewitt

A Topic of Authority

The decision to add an authoritative figure to the beginning of our video was based on the idea that the average Joe is more likely to listen to an important message from a higher authority level. This idea plays on the Pathos element of rhetoric and the set-up of introducing the video as a ‘Broadcast Message’ from the Department Of Health is a form of pre-persuasion to make the video seem important and a must-watch. Also, another reason we chose to make the video from the DoH was the credibility of source; referenced from Pratkanis’ 107 social influence tactics. Using a High Status voice of the video should generate views and potential action from the audience. However, authority isn’t always listened to as Police and Armed Forces are seen as authoritative figures; but there are some people that will not work along-side them, or listen to them. This could be a problem with our authority idea.