Activity 1 on Module 2: Recognizing a Rhetorical Situation
A. Read Lloyd Bitzer’s (1968) essay on “The Rhetorical Situation” and answer the follow ing questions:
1.What is Bitzer’s definition of a rhetorical situation?
Rhetorical situation is defined by Blitzer as a natural context of persons, events, objects, relations, and exigence which strongly invites utterance. According to Blitzers, rhetoric is situational means: (1) rhetorical discourse comes into existence as a response to situation; (2) a speech is given rhetorical significance by the situation; (3) a rhetorical situation must exist as a necessary condition of rhetorical discourse; (4) rhetorical situations mature and decay without giving birth to rhetorical utterance; (5) it needs and invites discourse capable of participating with situation and thereby altering its reality; (6) it functions as a fitting response to a situation which needs and invites it. And lastly, (7) the situation controls the rhetorical response.
2.What are the different aspects of a rhetorical situation?
The following are the three constituents of any rhetorical situation:
1.) Exigence – An exigence is rhetorical when it is capable of positive modification that requires discourse or can be assisted by discourse. It is the imperfection marked by urgency.
2.) Audience – consists only of those persons who are capable of being influenced by discourse and of being mediators of change.
3.) Constraints – this influences the rhetor and can be brought to bear upon the audience. There are two classes of constraints: (1) those originated by the rhetor and his method (which Aristotle called the “artistic proofs”) and (2) the other constraints (which Aristotle called the “inartistic proofs”)
3. Which of the issues you encounter today do you think warrant rhetorical discourse?
As a Political Science student, it is our very nature to be aware of the things around us and I believe there are a lot of pressing issues in the Philippines and abroad that needs to be discussed. In the Philippines, we have the SOGIE Bill, West Philippine Sea dispute, human rights abuses and the killings. Internationally, the issue of the burning rainforest in the Amazon and Africa, violence, climate change and pollution.
B. Watch the following set of videos. Which of these videos do you think contains a rhetorical situation? Identify the similarities and differences between these two situations.
Write down your answers and prepare to discuss them in class.
Video 1: Storm Surge Hits Tacloban City (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxmH-
Nuky0hU)
The video 1 shows TV Patrol News with reporter Atom Araullo reporting about the storm surge that hit Tacloban City. The main purpose of the video is to just to inform about the situation that is happening in Tacloban due to Typhoon Yolanda. The video does not contain a rhetorical situation because a rhetorical situation allows change to happen. The issue (exigence) is in the form of natural phenomenon but it cant be a subject to change. The reporter cant be considered as a rhetor because the audience’s action did not change.
Video 2: Film Director Speaks Out in a Rally (https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=DoByGTN2dqg)
The video 2 shows Joel Lamangan acts as a rhetor as he speaks about an exigence to his audience. He delivered a discourse (speech) which may change the actions of his audience through changing their views as he tries to influence their thoughts and beliefs. Lamangan also included rhetorical questions to emphasize what he is trying to persuade. Constraints may arise only if the audience did not pay attention to what Lamangan had said or disagree to his points.
Both videos has issues tackled. Video 1 only informed the audience what happened in Tacloban City. The situation is sad and tragic. The reporter didnt make a change in the audience in the way they perceive the situation. No rhetorical discourse has been made. In video 2 the act of persuasion is felt as the rhetor (Joel Lamangan) delivers his speech which may change on how his audience feel, believe and view the situation. Video 2 contains a rhetorical situation.
Charles Earl Lyric Ycot 