Checklist. Rhetorical Appeals in Medea WHAT THIS PAPER WILL ACCOMPLISH BEFORE YOU BEGIN WRITING BEFORE YOU BEGIN DRAFTING DRAFTING

Transcription

1 Checklist BEFORE YOU BEGIN WRITING Medea/chorus dialog OR Medea/Kreon SOAPS Jason/Medea Diction/Imagery You will be writing about one of these passages. SOAPS Diction/Imagery BEFORE YOU BEGIN DRAFTING Organizers 1) Logical/ethical appeals 2) Directions at the end of this packet Submit for grade before you start drafting. DRAFTING Drafts First draft Second draft (after receiving instructor comments) Rhetorical Appeals in Medea WHAT THIS PAPER WILL ACCOMPLISH You will be looking at EITHER Medea s attempt to persuade the chorus of Corinthian women that she has been wronged (lines ), Medea s efforts to change Kreon s mind (lines ), or Jason s first dialog with Medea (lines )-- analyzing how the speaker attempts to convince his or her audience. How you achieve this will be up to you. I will not dictate a structure or tell you how to narrow the topic (and you should narrow it-- I m not looking for a fifteen page, line-by-line analysis of the text). I will only require that you discuss rhetorical appeals (logos, ethos, and pathos-- although you do not have to discuss all of them) and that your analysis must discuss how those appeals are established through the literary techniques and devices used throughout this course (diction, imagery, figurative language, syntax, or details from the text). 1

2 The only other requirement is that you utilize 4-6 quotations from your passage from Medea. You may, of course, use additional quotations from different passages in the play, but it does not count toward this total. The more interesting and ambitious your approach is will help determine how high your grade might be. Papers that are primarily about logos, for example, tend to be boring, obvious, and nearsummaries and will, consequently, earn less credit. Similarly, analyses that focus primarily on details from the text are considerably less technical and demanding to write. It too will earn less credit (compared to, for example, a paper that relied on an analysis of literary elements as evidence). Some suggestions for how to organize the paper will be found later in the instruction packet. SAMPLE PASSAGE For all of my examples, I will be using the following passage from Medea: MEDEA: Jason, I beg you, forgive, forget What I said before. You know my temper; Bear with it, for the sake of our long love. I ve been thinking and my conclusion is, 805 I ve been a fool. Why rant and rave At those who only want to help? Why heap Such hatred on the king, and on you, my lord, Who think only of what is best for us? Of course our children must have brothers. 810 Of course that s why you re marrying. The Gods smile down, and I complain! I too should smile. I should sheathe my rage. I must think about the boys. Exile! We need our friends. 815 So, now: I m grateful for your foresight, All you ve done for us. I was a fool. I should be party to your enterprise, Play the bridesmaid, smile. We women! We are what we are Our natures, how can we help them? Don t bite back, Jason; Don t pay back snarl with snarl. I give in. I was wrong. I know now how I should behave. 2

3 INTRODUCTION Background What you need to establish Speaker Who is giving the speech? Occasion When and why is the speaker speaking? Audience To whom is the speaker speaking? Purpose What does the speaker hope to achieve Subject What is the topic of the discourse? You have already done this, and it s simply a matter of converting the information from your organizer to paragraph form. Language to avoid Medea is a famous play No kidding. Euripides wrote Medea in ca. 431 B.C.E. So what? Euripides, a famous Greek playwright, No kidding. a fantastic play Who cares what you think about the play? Transition to thesis statement (example language) The last sentence of the first paragraph should be your thesis statement (what you will prove). It should not feel disconnected from the background information of the first part of the introductory paragraph. Following are some simple ways (though not necessarily the best ways) to transition the two. Thus, Given this purpose, To that end, In order to achieve this, For this reason, Because of this, For these reasons, Accordingly, Hence, Therefore, Thesis Statement General or specific? There are two chief schools of thought about thesis statements: the general and the specific. I prefer a more general phrasing that gives you room to develop your argument (and, more importantly, leaves you something to talk about in your conclusion that hasn t been said already), but be aware that some instructors prefer a very specific thesis statement that tells the reader exactly what you are going to accomplish. General thesis statement example: To that end, Medea chooses her words carefully in order to build enough trust to convince Jason that she has seen the errors of her ways. Specific thesis statement: To that end, Medea uses diction, imagery, and figurative language to fashion her ethical appeal to Jason. 3

4 To my mind, the second example is mechanical sounding and gives away too much of your argument, whereas the first example gives your argument some room to breathe and allows for a little suspense, but be aware that some instructors would classify the first example as a weak thesis and the second as a strong thesis. My preference, however, is for a strong conclusion that actually concludes something. This would be where I would summarize in more detail the approach Medea uses to create her ethical appeal (to continue with my example). Notice, however, that even in the general example, it is specific enough that I know what the focus of the argument is going to be. You want to avoid thesis statements that say next to nothing about your approach to the topic, e.g., To that end, Medea tries to convince Jason that she was wrong. Example Thesis Ideas emotional/ethical appeals make logical appeal more effective logical/emotional/ethical appeals used to persuade emotional/ethical appeals in the speech diction/imagery/details/figurative language/syntax used to create emotional/ethical appeals rhetorical appeals develop x (some other concept not named in the paper requirements, e.g., conflict, etc.) diction/imagery in the passage (inverting the focus of the requirements) creative approaches that are incidentally about literary techniques and rhetorical appeals (that nonetheless meet the requirements) I strongly suggest the focus of paper not be on logical appeals (unless you are looking at them in terms of something else). These types of papers tend to turn into summaries (which is not acceptable). Example Introduction At the point at which Medea meets Jason for the second time in Euripides Medea, she is faced with a difficult problem. Already she has accused Jason of betraying her trust and demonstrated the extent to which his actions have wounded her pride. Having decided upon the course of revenge, however, she must now convince her husband that she realizes the error of her ways, that she now understands (and even supports) his plans to marry the king s daughter Glauke. Thus, Medea must rebuild her trust with Jason, using a series of ethical appeals that target Jason s prejudices. FORMATTING YOUR QUOTES Introducing Quotes At this point in the year it is not acceptable to drop quotes, not to give the context for a quote that makes it understandable to the reader, or to use ungrammatical quote introductions (e.g., For ex.,. ). To still be doing this shows a lack of engagement with the course and overall mental laziness. It is not okay to write like an eighth grader. Parenthetical References Use the line numbers from the speech following this format: (line number/s). 4

5 Notice the end punctuation (period, comma, etc.) belongs AFTER the parentheses, NOT BEFORE the final quotation mark. Example: CORRECT: Indeed, Medea tells her husband, Bear with it, for the sake of our long love (804), appealing to Jason s desire to see himself as magnanimous. INCORRECT: Indeed, Medea tells her husband, Bear with it, for the sake of our long love, (804) demonstrating his good will. INCORRECT: Indeed, Medea tells her husband, Bear with it, for the sake of our long love, appealing to Jason s desire to see himself as magnanimous. If you use multiple quotes from the same line (and have not used other quotes between the two citations), you only have to use a parenthetical reference for the second quote: Example: CORRECT: Calling herself a fool, Medea points out her tendency to rant and rave (806). INCORRECT: Calling herself a fool (806), Medea points out her tendency to rant and rave (806). I will deduct points each time this is done incorrectly in your paper. I will deduct more points if you do cite line numbers at all. In general, prose is cited by page number, poetry by line number. Exceptions are almost always prose passages in works that are primarily in verse (as in a play by Shakespeare where the prose is also cited by line number according to the edition you are using). Line Breaks Because the play is translated into verse, use a slash ( / ) to indicate line breaks within quotes. CORRECT: For example, Medea says, I should be party to your enterprise, / Play the bridesmaid, smile ( ). INCORRECT: For example, Medea says, I should be party to your enterprise, Play the bridesmaid, smile ( ). HOW EMOTIONAL/ETHICAL APPEALS ARE CREATED Emotional and ethical appeals, like tone, are created through the manner in which the argument is presented. You cannot discuss either of these concepts coherently without establishing the manner in which they are created. So far we have looked at two ways this is accomplished: diction and imagery. Diction Words and phrases with strong emotional connotation 5

6 Language to avoid Medea uses the diction enterprise (817) to describe Jason's marriage to Glauke, using the euphemism to minimize the extent to which the new arrangement hurts her. Diction is plural, not singular. Use diction choices or, better yet, avoid the word altogether except as a generalized label for various word choices. One diction is when Medea uses enterprise (817), a euphemism for Jason s marriage to Glauke. Again, diction is plural, not singular. This also reads like a bad high school paper where the writer is ticking off a list of requirements. Medea uses the word enterprise (817), suggesting that Jason had had a plan all along. Notice how this example just defined enterprise as plan. THIS IS NOT DICTION ANALYSIS. If you are not discussing connotation, you are not analyzing the diction. If you are just telling what the word or phrase means, you are just defining the word or phrase (denotation), and this adds next to nothing to your argument. Medea says, I was a fool. / I should be party to your enterprise, / Play the bridesmaid, smile ( ). Diction is defined as the specific usage of WORDS and PHRASES. Thus, a true diction analysis would ONLY look at those portions of a sentence that have a strong emotional connotation (as opposed to entire sentences). Try instead Rather than call Jason s marriage to Glauke a scheme or plot, Medea uses the softer enterprise (817), using language choices that emphasize the idea of a plan executed in foresight, but without the negative associations of slyness or cunning that could potentially accompany the term. One of the best ways to analyze diction is to compare the connotation of what could have been said with what was actually spoken. Medea is careful not to alienate Jason when referring to his upcoming marriage to Glauke, choosing words and phrases that disguise her true feelings (that she feels betrayed). Notice, for example Medea s use of the word enterprise (817) to de-emphasize any negative associations the marriage might hold. An enterprise suggests planning and forethought, its result invariably positive. In this fuller example, notice that I have chosen a specific word to analyze ( enterprise ), given it a context ( when referring to his upcoming marriage to Glauke ) so that the reader knows how the word was being used, and discussed the connotation ( planning and forethought, its result invariably positive ). All three elements should be present when discussing diction choices. Medea s diction choices reveal how careful she is not to alienate Jason in her appeal. By suggesting that Jason s impending marriage to Glauke is an enterprise (817), Medea implies that the matter is one of direct benefit to all, for whereas a plot or scheme would imply that Jason were taking advantage of circumstances, Glauke, and Medea, an enterprise connotes something much softer, suggesting foresight and wisdom rather than cunning. How could diction be connected to rhetorical appeals? diction analysis transitioning to analysis of the appeal the diction helps create Medea is careful not to alienate Jason when referring to his upcoming marriage to Glauke, choosing words and phrases that disguise her true feelings (that she feels betrayed). Notice, for example Medea s use of the word enterprise (817) to de-emphasize any negative associations the marriage might hold. An enterprise suggests planning and forethought, its result invariably positive. 6

7 Had Medea appeared defensive or bitter, perhaps calling the marriage a plot or scheme, it would betray her true feelings and spoil her chance for revenge. Instead, Medea builds a rapport with Jason, in effect taking on the role of the dutiful wife who defers to her husband s wishes, for by emphasizing only the positive, she minimizes even the suggestion that she has lingering concerns about the arrangement. Given Jason s prior treatment of Medea, where he had claimed women are all alike (524) in their inability to put aside personal feeling and consider an issue impassively, Medea s subservient approach is just what Jason wants to hear, making it more likely that he would trust the sincerity of her approach, since it flatters his male pride. Imagery Language that evokes sensory sensation (sight, sound, taste, touch, smell) Language to avoid One imagery is when Medea compares Jason s potential reaction to an animal bite (822), asking him not to pay back [her] snarl with [his] snarl (823). This is ungrammatical. One image is when Medea compares Jason s potential reaction to an animal bite (822). This reads like a bad high school paper where the writer is ticking off a list of requirements. Try instead Medea compares Jason s potential reaction to her previous behavior to an animal, using the image of a beast that bite[s] back to pay back snarl with snarl ( ). The connotation of such an image would, naturally enough, be distinctly negative, suggesting the abandonment of reason and human dignity. The imagery that Medea uses to describe the reaction she fears from Jason to her words has distinctly negative associations, comparing his hypothetical anger to a beast that bite[s] back to pay back snarl with snarl ( ). This evokes not the wisdom and logic that Jason sees himself as embodying, instead connoting the bestial irrationality that Jason has accused Medea of exemplifying. Medea uses animal imagery to describe Jason s potential anger at her words. Describing any negative emotion on his part as a bite or snarl ( ), she captures the notion of the unreasoning anger of which Jason has been so critical so far, suggesting he would be no better than her were he to react. For example, Medea compares his hypothetical anger to a beast that bite[s] back to pay back snarl with snarl ( ). By using this description, Medea draws the connection between anger and its animal-like characteristics-- a quality that Jason has, to this point, associated only with Medea. Oftentimes the best way to talk about imagery is not to use the words image or imagery at all. How could imagery be connected to rhetorical appeals? imagery analysis transitioning to analysis of the appeal the image helps create The imagery that Medea uses to describe the reaction she fears from Jason to her words has distinctly negative associations, comparing his hypothetical anger to a beast that bite[s] back to pay back snarl with snarl ( ). This evokes not the wisdom and logic that Jason sees himself as embodying, instead connoting the bestial irrationality that Jason has accused Medea of exemplifying. This, in turn, has two implications for Medea s argument. First, to behave as an animal is obviously a 7

8 negative trait, the image more in tune with Jason s insistence that Medea was so raw with jealousy (523) that she could not see the wisdom of the new arrangement, and Medea knows Jason would be unlikely to wish to give up the moral high ground. Second, by tacitly comparing herself to animal (since Jason would be biting and snarling back ), Medea characterizes her previous behavior in an unflattering way. This implies contrition on her part, all but admitting that she had overreacted, precisely as Jason had argued earlier. By telling him, in effect, that she had been wrong and he had been right, she builds trust, as Jason is more likely to believe words that flatter his ability to correctly analyze the conflict. Figurative Language Figurative language is a type of language that varies from the norms of literal language, in which words mean exactly what they say. Figurative language operates according to the logic of comparison and shared characteristics (metaphor) or substitution and shared associations (metonym). Language to avoid One metaphor is when Medea compares her anger to a knife that she has to sheathe (813). This reads like a bad high school paper where the writer is ticking off a list of requirements. Try instead Notice how each one of my two examples takes the time to actually explain how the two concepts are alike. You analyze a metaphor by making the comparison clear. You analyze a metonym by explaining how the two concepts share associations. Medea compares her anger to a knife that she must sheathe (813), using the metaphor to explain how unreasoning rage is similar to a dangerous weapon that must be checked. Just as a knifeblade is dangerous, often cutting the wielder as well as the intended victim, so too Medea s anger has cost her chances of remaining in Corinth. Jason had already accused Medea of letting her unreasoning anger get away from her, complicating her own life as much as those for whom she would direct her anger (420). Medea picks up on this language and develops it as metaphor. Rather than rage, then, Medea admits (at least for the purposes of convincing Jason) that it would have been better to smile as the the Gods [had] smile[d] down, that her anger would have been better sheathe[d] than expressed ( ). Thus, anger is like the knifeblade that unwittingly wounds the one who would yield it against another, her anger having hurt Medea far more than a hypothetical acquiescence. Notice how the bulk of the explanation comes before the quote (with a short summary statement following). This is one way to vary your language choices so that it does not always feel like you re-use the same format each time you make a point. Notice also the structure of the last sentence is like : ; this is a good template for summing up a comparison (although one would probably not want to use it more than once per paper). How could metaphor be connected to rhetorical appeals? explanation of how the comparison/shared associations work transitioning to analysis of the appeal the implication the figurative language creates Jason had already accused Medea of letting her unreasoning anger get away from her, complicating her own life as much as those for whom she would direct her anger (420). Medea picks up on this language and develops it as metaphor. Rather than rage, then, Medea admits (at least for the purposes of convincing Jason) that it would have been better to smile as the the Gods [had] 8

9 smile[d] down, that her anger would have been better sheathe[d] than expressed ( ). Thus, anger is like the knifeblade that unwittingly wounds the one who would yield it against another, her anger having hurt Medea far more than a hypothetical acquiescence. By advancing this idea in this way, Medea admits her culpability in her fate, taking responsibility for her exile-- just as Jason had argued earlier. In this way, she builds trust with her audience, as Jason is hearing from her lips the argument he had earlier made himself, her admission of guilt flattering his already large ego. Since he is already self-righteously convinced of his own position, Medea s submission seems reasonable to him, leading him to trust that she had indeed seen the error of her way. PARAGRAPHING Should you write long, involved paragraphs that incorporate multiple pieces of evidence, or should you break related ideas into multiple, more-focused units? The short answer is: I don t care. To not write in paragraphs, however, is clearly unacceptable. CONCLUSION What have you proved? What does this suggest? How does all of this impact the play? Sum up your arguments and highlight the general trends you have uncovered. Language to avoid In conclusion Seriously, this is the best you can come up with? Example Conclusion To conclude, Medea s plan depends on Jason s belief in her sincerity, a tricky proposition given the extremity of her previous expression of anger. Thus, Medea is, almost by necessity, forced into a strategy of contrition, admitting her complicity in her fate in exactly the same terms that Jason had used earlier in the play. In this way, Jason hears exactly what he wishes to hear, flattering his sense that he is always right as well as building the trust necessary for him to even consider doing her bidding. In the end it is precisely this vanity that undoes Jason, as his judgment proves to be just as motivated by emotion as Medea. For all his talk about dispassionate reason, then, Jason displays precious little, allowing himself to be manipulated to enact his own doom. PLANNING THE ESSAY DIRECTIONS: Before you begin writing a word, finish the logical/ethical appeals organizer and plan your essay (using the directions that follow). Show both to the instructor. Plan your essay, filling in the following information. I. Introduction Speaker: Occasion: Audience: Purpose: Subject: 9

10 Thesis statement (it does not have to be the final wording): II. -? Body Paragraphs For each Roman numeral include the following information. Topic Sentence: Evidence Literary Device Rhetorical Appeal (Quote) (Diction or Imagery) (logos, pathos, ethos) Remember: diction/imagery will not have full sentence quotes V.? Conclusion (Do not plan the conclusion. Write it after you have completed the paper.) Sample thesis and topic sentences (note it is missing the chart for each paragraph): I. Intro Speaker: Medea Occasion: Medea is going into exile and has only a limited window for revenge. Audience: Jason Purpose: convince Jason that she believes she had been wrong to get angry Subject: Jason s attitude to her previous behavior Thesis: Medea uses emotional and ethical appeals to trick Jason into enacting her plan. I. Medea attempts to establish her contrition for her past behavior, using loaded diction choices to appeal to Jason s sense of pity. [insert chart here] II. Next, in order to gain his trust, Medea flatters Jason, attempting him to convince him of her belief in his wisdom. [insert chart here] III. Finally, Medea appeals to Jason s sexist ideas about women so that he will believe that she is truly sorry about her former behavior. IV. Conclusion [insert chart here] 10