Posted: April 14th, 2016

Which rhetorical strategies do the speeches use, and how do they use them?

Essay 3: Rhetorical Analysis Required Length: 900 words

For this essay assignment you will use what we will learn about argument, close reading and

rhetorical analysis over the next few weeks, as well as our discussions about the American

Dream, in order to write an argumentative essay that analyzes and compares two presidential

announcement speeches. By synthesizing the content of the speeches and your own

interpretations, examine how each speech attempts to appeal to voters, and which speech is

ultimately more effective. Which rhetorical strategies do the speeches use, and how do they use

them? Finally, explore what the speeches might reveal about each speaker’s intended audience, or

the speakers’ assumptions about their audience.

Prompt: Write a 3 page long argumentative essay in which you analyze and compare two

presidential candidates’ uses of rhetorical strategies to support your reasoning of which

speaker more effectively “sells” his or her vision of the American Dream.

Prewriting Steps To Help Brainstorm and Outline:

1) Choose TWO presidential announcement speeches (all four available on the class site)—

Bernie Sanders (D)

Hillary Clinton (D)

Donald Trump (R)

Ted Cruz (R)

2) Closely read and annotate your selections to determine which rhetorical strategies are used

and to what effect.

Logos-appeal to logic