Book Notes on Rhetoric

(Originally written January 5, 2007 in Book 12)

Book III - Delivery, Style and Arrangement

Lexis - "Way of saying something", Style
Logos - "What is said"
Taxis - "Arrangement/order"

Ch. 1 - Introduction

3 Parts of speech:
1. Pisteis
2. Lexis
3. Taxis

Hypokrisis, or Delivery

Delivery includes volume, tone and pitch of the speaker.

Delivery has great power because of the corruption of the audience.

"Speeches have greater effect through expression [lexis] than through thought"

Chapter 2 - The Arete or Virtue of Good Prose Style; word choice and metaphors

The Virtue of Style - Lexeos arete

Words should be appropriate to the speaker and the subject matter.

Orators should speak in natural, not artificial ways.

One should use strange or rare words sparingly.

Metaphors are useful.

Ch. 7 To Prepow, or Appropriateness, Propriety

"The lexis will be appropriate if it expresses emotion and character and is proportional to the subject matter" (210).

Proportion exists when weighty matters are not discussed casually and when light matters are not discussed ornamentally.

The proper lexis makes the matter seem credible.

"Many overwhelm their hearers by making noise" (210).

There is an appropriate lexis for each genus and moral state.

Genus - boy, man, old man, woman, Spartan, Thessalonian, etc.)

Moral state [hexis] - the principles by which someone is the kind of person he is.

All speakers must preempt criticism in their speech.

Ch. 12 Oral and Written Style - Deliberative, Judicial and Epideictic Styles

Each genus of rhetoric has its own appropriate lexis.

Speeches and written works have different styles. A spoken written work seems flat and written speech seems childish.

Ch. 13 The necessary parts of a speech

2 Parts of a speech:
1) To state the subject
2) Demonstrate the argument

Necessary parts:
1) Prothesis [proposition]
2_ Pistis [proof]

Ch. 14 The Prooimion, or Introduction

The prooemion is the beginning of the speech

Epideictic Prooemia

The Epideictic prooemia is drawn from praise or blame and from offering advice.

Ch. 15 Ways of Meeting a Prejudicial Attack, the Question at Issue

One way to counteract a prejudicial attack is to use arguments to refute an unpleasant suspicion.

Another way is to deny what is at issue.

Another way is to claim that it was a mistake or bad luck.

Another way is to accuse the accuser.

Another way is to use slander.

Another way (which is most artful and most unjust) is to seek to harm by saying good things.