Rhetorical Analysis Guide for Humanities Courses
A guide for GCU students on deconstructing arguments and writing effective analyses for English and Communications.
Get Writing HelpFrom “What” to “How”: Deconstructing Persuasion
I remember watching the 1984 Apple ad in class. My first reaction: “It’s a weird ad.” My professor pushed back: “Don’t tell me what it is. Tell me how it works. Why that song? Why the gray drones? What is it doing to the audience?”
That was my introduction to rhetorical analysis. It’s the process of deconstructing a text, image, or speech to understand how it persuades, not just what it says. It’s seeing the “machine” behind the message. For GCU students in Humanities and Communications, this is a foundational skill. This guide breaks down the core concepts of rhetoric and provides a step-by-step process for writing a powerful analytical essay. This is a critical skill we support with our custom writing services.
The Rhetorical Triangle: Ethos, Pathos, Logos
Your analysis must be grounded in Aristotle’s foundational concepts. He identified three primary “appeals.” Your first step is to identify how a text uses them.
1. Ethos: The Appeal to Credibility
Ethos is how the author establishes trust and authority. It’s why we listen. How do they prove they are trustworthy?
- Authority: Listing credentials (e.g., “Dr. Jane Smith, a virologist…”).
- Tone: Using professional, fair-minded language.
- Shared Values: Aligning with the audience (e.g., “As a parent, I…”).
2. Pathos: The Appeal to Emotion
Pathos is the use of emotion to persuade. It seeks to make the audience feel something. A 2024 article from Scientific Reports discusses how emotional language impacts persuasion.
- Storytelling: A personal, emotional anecdote is pure pathos.
- Imagery: Using vivid, sensory language (“the cold, starving child”).
- Word Choice (Diction): Using loaded words (e.g., “tyranny” vs. “government”).
3. Logos: The Appeal to Logic
Logos is the appeal to reason. It uses evidence to build a coherent argument.
- Data & Statistics: “9 out of 10 dentists agree…”
- Cause-and-Effect: “If we do X, then Y will happen.”
- Precedent: “We’ve done this before, and it worked.”
The Rhetorical Situation (Context)
A message doesn’t exist in a vacuum. The “Rhetorical Situation” is the context. You must analyze this to understand why the author made certain choices.
1. Exigence (The “Why Now?”)
What problem or event sparked the text? What is the author responding to? A social crisis? A new discovery? The exigence is the text’s reason for being.
2. Audience (The “To Whom?”)
Who is the intended audience? Be specific. “The general public” is weak. Is it “undecided voters”? “Disenchanted tech employees”? The audience’s values determine the appeals. A 2025 article on rhetorical situation and audience explores how this is key to effectiveness.
3. Constraints (The “What Ifs?”)
What limitations did the author face? (e.g., A skeptical audience, a 30-second time limit, a polarized political environment).
How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis
Here is a process for turning your analysis into a high-scoring paper.
Step 1: Deconstruct the Text (Active Reading)
Don’t just read for information; read for technique. A great tool is SOAPSTone:
- Speaker: Who is the author?
- Occasion: What is the context?
- Audience: Who is the target?
- Purpose: What does the author want the audience to do, think, or feel?
- Subject: What is the main topic?
- Tone: What is the author’s attitude (e.g., angry, formal, hopeful)?
Step 2: Formulate an Analytical Thesis
This is a common mistake. A weak thesis lists appeals. A strong thesis argues how and why they work.
- Weak Thesis: “The author uses ethos, pathos, and logos.” (This is a fact).
- Strong Thesis: “By establishing a powerful ethos as an insider and using vivid emotional (pathos) descriptions, the author persuades a skeptical audience that their solution is both logical (logos) and a moral imperative.”
This is the key to any good argumentative essay.
Step 3: Structure Your Essay
Each body paragraph must support your thesis. You can structure your paper in two ways:
- By Technique: One paragraph for Ethos, one for Pathos, one for Logos. This is safe and effective.
- Chronologically: Move through the text, analyzing strategies as they appear. This is more advanced.
Each body paragraph must follow the “Claim, Evidence, Analysis” model. Claim: State the technique. Evidence: Provide a direct quote. Analysis: Explain why it’s persuasive and how it affects the audience.
Quick Analysis: “Got Milk?” Ads
Let’s analyze the famous “Got Milk?” ad campaign.
- Exigence: Declining milk sales.
- Audience: General public and families.
- Ethos (Credibility): Celebrity endorsement. Showing Michael Jordan with a milk mustache borrows his credibility.
- Pathos (Emotion): Links milk to feelings of success, strength, and glamour.
- Logos (Logic): The implied “if/then” statement: “If you drink milk, you will be strong like this person.”
Common Pitfalls
- Summarizing vs. Analyzing: The #1 mistake. Your professor knows what the article says. Explain how it works.
- Disagreeing with the Argument: Your job is not to say if the author is “right” or “wrong.” Your job is to analyze if they are persuasive.
- The “Checklist” Approach: “The author uses ethos here, pathos here…” This is weak. Show how appeals work together. “The author’s use of a statistic (logos) builds credibility (ethos) and makes the audience feel afraid (pathos).”
- Vague Analysis: Don’t just say, “The author’s tone is effective.” Say *why*. “The author’s sarcastic tone engages the audience by creating shared frustration.” A 2024 article on the power of language in politics explores the role of tone.
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Our Humanities & Writing Experts
Our writers, with PhDs and Master’s degrees in English, Communications, and Social Sciences, are experts in rhetorical analysis.
Zacchaeus Kiragu
PhD, Research & Writing
Zacchaeus is a master of scholarly writing and communication. He can help you deconstruct any text and build a powerful, well-structured analysis.
Benson Muthuri
Sociology & Social Sciences
Benson’s expertise in sociology is perfect for analyzing the cultural and social context (the “rhetorical situation”) of any speech or advertisement.
Michael Karimi
DBA, Strategic Management
Michael’s background in business is ideal for analyzing corporate communications, advertising campaigns, and the persuasive strategies used in business and leadership.
What GCU Students Say
“I had to write a rhetorical analysis of a speech for my communications class and had no idea where to start. My writer helped me identify the ethos, pathos, and logos and write a perfect thesis.”
– Emily R., GCU Communications
“The feedback on my essay was so helpful. The editor showed me where I was just summarizing and helped me add real analysis to my body paragraphs. My writing is so much stronger now.”
– David K., GCU Student
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Rhetorical Analysis FAQs
Summary vs. Rhetorical Analysis?
A summary answers “What does the text say?” A rhetorical analysis answers “How does the text persuade?” You analyze the techniques used, not the main points.
What is the Rhetorical Triangle?
It’s the three core persuasive appeals defined by Aristotle: Ethos (credibility), Pathos (emotion), and Logos (logic).
Can I analyze a movie, ad, or image?
Yes. Any “text” designed to persuade an audience can be rhetorically analyzed, including films, political cartoons, ads, and social media posts.
What is “exigence”?
Exigence is the “spark” or “catalyst” for the text. It’s the problem or event that motivated the author to write or speak.
Do I have to use Ethos, Pathos, and Logos?
They are the most common tools. However, you can also focus on other elements like tone, diction, imagery, or logical fallacies.
Can I give my opinion on the topic?
No. Your job is not to agree or disagree with the author. Your job is to analyze whether their argument is effective and how they built it. Focus on the *how*, not the *what*.
Master Rhetorical Analysis
Understanding rhetoric helps you see the persuasive messages all around you. Let our humanities and writing experts help you craft a powerful, insightful analysis.
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