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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. In dealing with just and unjust actions, how did Aristotle indicate the law could be considered?

2. Of the two kinds of witnesses, why did Aristotle think the ancient witnesses were useful?

3. How did Aristotle think the political orator should be able to speak about the good?

4. According to Aristotle, what was the orator's chief goal?

5. How many causes of human action did Aristotle detail in Book I, Chapter 10?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Aristotle explain the good and the useful in terms of political rhetoric?

2. What was the logical appeal that Aristotle referred to and when would it be used?

3. What was Aristotle's explanation of fear and confidence?

4. What distinction did Aristotle make between war and peace and national defense as subjects of political oratory?

5. Besides war and peace and national defense, what other subjects of political oratory did Aristotle include in Book 1, Chapter 4?

6. What benefits might ancient witnesses and recent witnesses have for legal rhetoric?

7. Why was happiness thought to be a key component in political rhetoric?

8. What did oaths add to legal rhetoric?

9. In what ways might indignation be considered the opposite of pity, and how did it differ from envy or emulation?

10. What knowledge of the forms of government did Aristotle think was necessary for a political rhetorician to have?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Feelings and emotions were present in both powerful speaking and rhetoric.

1) Describe ten of the emotions that Aristotle included in the book, their characteristics, and how they can influence a person's actions

2) Explain the origin of feelings and emotions, and why they are important in rhetoric.

3) Analyze the effect that emotion has in rhetoric, its ability to gain the trust of the audience and when it should be included in a speech.

Essay Topic 2

Define narration as it is used in rhetoric or in a speech, including an explanation of which forms of rhetoric were most likely to use narration and why, and the similarities and differences between narration in literature and narration in speaking.

Essay Topic 3

Analyze the five non-technical forms of persuasion and how they should be used in forensic oratory. Also, include a description of just and unjust actions and your opinions about how an action should be labeled and/or approached in rhetoric.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 934 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample