Midterm Essays

Essay 3

Homer was not a rhetorician, and neither the Iliad nor the Odyssey are rhetorical treatises.  However, the works of Homer still have a profound impact on the discovery and development of the history of rhetorical use and practice. 

The five canons of rhetoric include invention, arrangement, style, memory, and delivery.  In Homer's epics, we can find examples of each:

Invention

Invention is commonly categorized as finding something to say, or the content of the speech.  Embedded in Homer's writings are numerous examples of individuals seeking to compel other persons or parties to take action, an example being in the Iliad when Odysseus attempts to persuade Achilles to let the army eat before they go to war.

Arrangement

While Homer's stories are not arranged similarly to a classic oration (i.e. introduction, statement of facts, division, proof, refutation, conclusion), we can find aspects of arrangement, such as the appeal to pathos at the conclusion of the Iliad where the Trojans light Hector's pyre at the end of the tenth day.

Style

Ideas are constantly artfully expressed in Homer's poetry, through means of rhyme, meter, and a plethora of literary devices.  A personal favorite is in the Odyssey where Odysseus and his men blind the cyclops.  Listen to the beautiful use of similes!  "As a blacksmith plunges a glowing ax or adze, in an ice-cold bath and the metal screeches steam, and its temper hardens - that's the iron's strength -, so the eye of the Cyclops sizzled round that stake!"  


Memory and Delivery

Perhaps what made Homer's epic poems last for so long is that, throughout time, they were memorized and delivered.  Each giver of the speech had his own liberty in expressing the ideas and stories as he felt they should be conveyed.  This impacted the overall appeal to the audience.

Although Homer's writings are not rhetorical treatises, others have come along and found the rhetorical elements nested subtly between the lines of his works, shaping the history of rhetoric.   

Essay 5

In ancient Greece, politics was the beating heart of the social atmosphere.  To not participate in organized madness that is local government was equivalent to spitting in the face of public virtue.  Politics has been defined by dictionaries and encyclopedias as "the practice and theory of influencing other people" or "the use of intrigue or strategy".  Rhetoric, or the art of persuasion, has as very close relationship with politics, especially in the ancient Greek culture.

One example is the iconic story of Corax and Tisias.  In this story (legend or factually based, we cannot be sure), we see rhetoric as a techne, something that can be bought and sold.  Corax taught Tisias the art of rhetoric with the intention that he would use it in the courts of law.  Little did he know that decision would come back to haunt him...  Nonetheless, at that time, rhetoric was a skill desired by the up-and-coming generation.  The ability to accuse or defend and exhort or dissuade in the public courts was vital to gaining influence and position in the legislature. 

Another example is the Encomium of Helen, where Gorgias employs his rhetorical knowledge in attempt to capture the attention of political audiences and boost his standing in the polis.  Although he stated his efforts were merely to amuse and not to convince, in presenting a carefully crafted case to defend the infamous Helen of Troy, he successfully showcased his understanding of rhetorical principles.  

The brilliant Greek philosopher Pluto wrote a dialogue titled The Republic where he encompassed his ideas of the makings of a just and good society/city-state.  In this classic work, we see strong evidence of rhetorical devices typical of Socratic thinkers.  His rhetorical masterpiece has persuaded and influenced the minds of political theorists centuries after its publication.  

Rhetoric and politics in ancient Greek are tied closely together.  Without successfully employing the use of rhetoric in thinking and analyzing the political spectrum, they would not have made the advancements they did in the creation and execution of government.