Rhetorical Situation	
Speaker
		Audience
Who was this text written or for? (Be as specific as possible.)		
Subject
What was the topic of the text? 
(phrase)
		Exigence
What triggered the text? What made this subject urgent? (i.e. context)		
Main Point
What was the author saying about the topic? (Complete sentence)		Purpose
What does the author want readers to do? (to what?)		

Name: 

Book:

Directions: As your read your book, consider and complete the questions to the left. Also, identify passages in the book that are particularly persuasive due to rhetorical strategies (see list). The passages should be throughout the book, rather than just in the beginning. Identify what rhetorical strategies make the passages so persuasive and explain the effect and purpose (see commentary chart).

Quotations 
Include quotations with MLA in-text citations.	Paraphrase 
Put the passages in your own words.	Rhetorical Strategies
Identify the strategies being used in the quotations.	Effect/Purpose
What is the effect of these strategies on the audience? How is the audience moved to achieve the author’s purpose?	
EXAMPLE:
“Romans, countrymen, and lovers, hear me for my cause, and be silent, that you may hear. Believe me for mine honor, and have respect to mine honor, that you may believe. Censure me in your wisdom, and awake your senses, that you may be the better judge. If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of Caesar’s, to him I say that Brutus’ love to Caesar was no less than his. If then that friend demand why Brutus rose against Caesar, this is my answer: ‘Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more’ “ (831).	EXAMPLE:
Please listen. Believe me because I am honorable. Judge me and be very aware that you are being wise. If any of you were Caesar’s friend, you should know that I loved him the same. If you want to know why I rebelled against him, this is what I have to say: I had Rome’s best interest at heart.	EXAMPE: 
Direct Address: “Romans, countrymen, and lovers . . .”

Contrast / Antithesis: “Not that I loved Caesar less, but I loved Rome more.”

List: “Romans, countrymen, and lovers…”	EXAMPLE:
By directly referring to the plebeians as his fellow countrymen and lovers, Brutus establishes trust with his audience, highlighting their common interest in the future of Rome. His goal in building this trust is to urge the plebeians to follow his leadership in the aftermath of Caesar’s death. He continues to develop the audience’s trust by contrasting the motivations of hatred for Caesar and loyalty to Rome. Now that the plebeians understand that his actions had honorable motivations, they support his leadership moving forward.	
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