Writing a rhetorical analysis essay can be tricky if you aren’t clear on exactly what the rhetorical situation is and how to analyze it.
When you have a clear idea of the rhetorical situation, you can read more confidently, spot key details in a passage more easily, write with clarity, and produce a more sophisticated analysis.
What is the Rhetorical Situation?
When writing a rhetorical analysis essay, you will be reading and analyzing a speech, letter, or longer work of nonfiction. In order to write an effective rhetorical analysis essay, you will need to identify and analyze the rhetorical situation.
The rhetorical situation includes the following elements: the writer or speaker, the audience, the (historical) context, the exigence (i.e. what prompted the writer to write), the purpose, and the message or argument.
A sophisticated rhetorical analysis essay doesn’t just list the elements of the rhetorical situation. Instead, a polished essay offers an analysis that connect’s the rhetorical choices to the rhetorical situation.
How do you analyze the rhetorical situation?
The key to analyzing the different elements of the rhetorical situation is by asking the right questions. Let’s look at each element and the questions you can ask to craft a deeper analysis.
#1 Analyzing the Writer or Speaker
You will use the writer or speaker’s name frequently in your essay, but that does not mean you are revealing any key information about who they are as a person. Use information from the prompt and the passage to examine the writer/speaker. Consider the following:
- Why is this person the “right” person to write this piece?
- What are his/her credentials?
- What are his/her beliefs, needs, and/or values?
- What is her/her relationship with the audience?
#2 Analyze the Audience
While some passages have a clear audience, others will require some inferencing. Typically with letters and speech, the audience is very clear. However, articles and memoirs may have an undefined audience at first glance. As you examine the audience, think about the following questions:
- Who would likely read this source?
- Who would be interested in or opposed to this message?
- How is the message tailored towards the audience?
- What are the audience’s beliefs, needs, and/or values?
#3 Analyze the Context
When you think about context, you want to think about the historical time frame. However, be sure that any historical events you are connecting to the passage have relevance. The prompt will offer key information such as when the speech was delivered or when the letter was written. Think about the following:
- What was happening locally, nationally, or globally at the time this text was written?
- What relevant historical events might have influenced this writer or situation?
- What, if any, specific events are mentioned in the text?
- Why is this message or argument appropriate for this time period?
#4 Analyze the Exigence
The exigence is the catalyst. In other words, what prompted the writer to write? You may find some information in the prompt to help you analyze the exigence, such as labeling a passage as a commencement speech. Consider the following questions:
- What was the catalyst for the passage?
- What event, need, or concern does this passage address? Why is this event, need, or concern relevant to the speaker and the audience?
- What is a particular choice the writer makes appropriate for this occasion?
#5 Analyze the Purpose
Your entire essay is built on analyzing the author’s purpose, so this element is key to the rhetorical analysis. You want to address why the author makes the choices they do, but also the overall purpose of the passage or article. Be careful not to repeat the same verbiage throughout your essay.
- What was the motivation behind the passage?
- What does the writer hope to achieve?
- What is the writer calling the audience to do?
- Why does the writer make this choice?
#6 Analyze the Message or Argument
In this component, you are examining the main takeaway the author wants the reader to have or the main point the writer is trying to make. Sometimes the prompt will give you the message or argument. However, you don’t want to simply take these words and plug them into your essay – this will result in a service level message. Use these questions to dig deeper:
- What choices does the writer make to make his/her message more convincing? (What choices does he/she not make?)
- What does the message/argument reveal about the writer’s beliefs, desires, or values?
- Why is this message appropriate for this audience on this occasion?
- What happens if the audience listens to the message? What if they don’t?
Now that you know how to analyze the rhetorical situation, let’s look at how you can apply it to your body paragraphs. Here is an example where I examine the question, “what does the author value or believe?” (Key: analysis, commentary, audience)
Although he does not condone the murder his clients committed, Darrow, who remains vehemently opposed to the death penalty, argues not only were there other factors that contributed to the crime but also the death would be harsh punishment for his clients’ families; therefore, he appeals to Judge Caverly’s sense of morality, noting that a life sense would be a difficult by merciful running.
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