100 + Best Rhetoric Essay Topics & Rhetorical Analysis Outline

A rhetorical analysis is an essay that examines and evaluates a text (or sometimes other types of media, such as video) based on its rhetoric. Rather than focusing on what the actual message is, a rhetorical analysis looks at how that message is created and delivered.

Rhetoric essay studies how writers and speakers have used words to influence their audience. It examines the author’s intent and technique rather than the content of the work being examined.

To complete a rhetorical analysis, you must ask yourself certain questions to determine the purpose of an author’s work and whether it achieved its desired outcome.

The purpose of a rhetorical analysis is to assess the writer’s goal or purpose and the techniques they used to make their argument. Rather than agreeing or disagreeing with the author’s argument, you are describing how they presented their opinion and whether they effectively made their case.

In writing your rhetorical analysis, you’ll examine the author or creator’s goals, techniques, and appeals to their audience.

This article cover rhetorical analysis and provides a list of rhetoric essay topics.

The Key Concepts of Rhetoric

Rhetoric is the art of effective or persuasive writing, especially the exploitation of figures of speech and other compositional techniques to figure out how they are designed to persuade the readers.

Here are a few important rhetoric concepts that you should know about.

Text and Context

When analyzing text in terms of rhetoric, a text is not necessarily a piece of writing but a piece of information that needs to be analyzed. This means that a text can be a piece of writing, an advertisement, a speech, or a sarcastic image.

So, in rhetoric, you will examine not only the language but also the visual components of the piece of information.

Take into consideration all the elements surrounding the text, including the information about the author (or creator, designer, maker, etc.), the audience the text was developed for, and where, when, and why the text was developed.

Keeping these elements of the text in mind can help you produce an informed rhetorical analysis essay.

For example, the iconic “I Have a Dream” speech from Martin Luther King, Jr.’ remains one of the most powerful and influential speeches. However, a person who doesn’t know the civil rights movement’s context will not understand its power.

Appeals: Logos, Ethos, Pathos

It is the appeals that enable the author to persuade the readers. The three rhetoric appeals, including logos, ethos, and pathos, were defined by famous philosopher Aristotle and referred to as the rhetoric triangle.

Logos

Also known as logical appeal, is the most popular approach to making an argument in academic writing. In rhetoric, it refers to the use of reasoned argument to convince the audience.

Ethos

Also called the ethical appeal, is about the writer painting themselves as a subject expert. For example, if you are making an argument about the quality of distance education, then indicate your qualifications to show you are an expert in the field of education.

Similarly, if you are arguing for the moral permissibility of after-birth abortion, then you could present yourself as a medical expert to enhance your authority and authenticity.

Pathos

Also called the pathetic appeal, evokes the readers’ emotions of anger, love, sympathy, or hate. It involves the use of vivid imagery and emotional speaking to try to induce the audience’s emotions.

All three appeals are essential aspects of rhetoric. The author can use one or all three of them to persuade the readers.

Claims, Supports, and Warrants

Rhetoric always aims to express an argument, whether the readers must deduce one (e.g. from a sarcastic text) or the author who clearly and logically defines one.

The arguments involve claims, support, and warrants.

A claim is a bold statement that the author expresses to grab the attention of the readers.

The argument can be made out of one single claim or out of several.

Claims are generally overtly specified, but they may also just be implied in some kinds of text.

Each claim needs support, which could be anything that enables the author to persuade the audience.

These may appear in the form of hard evidence or responsive appeals.

Claims need support and the warrant act as a bridge between them. A warrant takes the form of an assumption or logic.

The warrant may not be stated outside the boundaries of formal argumentation – the author shoulders the readers will recognize the connection between the claim and the support. Still, it would help if you aimed to establish the implied warranty.

For example, consider the following rhetorical statement:

Rhetoric Statement: Both teams were missing their star performers; the crowd was not entertained.

We can see a claim and support in the above statement, but the warrant is not apparent. It is up to the readers to assume the warrant implied in the statement.

For example, the warrant in the above statement assumes that the presence of star performers in the two teams would have entertained the crowd. Depending on the individual reader’s assumption, they may or may not be convinced by this argument.

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Rhetorical Analysis Outline

The following outline is an example of how you could structure your rhetorical analysis.

To make planning your essay easier, you can simply copy and paste this outline and fill it in with your thesis and supporting examples.

Introduction

• Describe the 4 elements of rhetoric (audience, purpose, medium, and context), and identify the speaker
  • State your thesis

Body Paragraph #1: Ethos

• Describe how the speaker makes an appeal to ethos (the audience’s sense of ethical responsibility)
  • Use specific examples, referring to word choice, tone, anecdotes, and other devices

Body Paragraph #2: Pathos

• Describe how the speaker makes an appeal to pathos (the audience’s emotions)
  • Use specific examples, referring to word choice, tone, anecdotes, and other devices

Body Paragraph #3: Logos

• Describe how the speaker makes an appeal to logos (logic)
  • Use specific examples, referring to word choice, tone, anecdotes, and other devices

Conclusion

• Rephrase your thesis
  • Leave your audience with a call to action, or something to think about (this could be a question or a parting thought

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Five Rhetorical Situations

The rhetorical situation explains the circumstances behind and around a piece of rhetoric. It helps you think about why a text exists, its purpose, and how it’s carried out.

The rhetorical situations are:

1. Purpose: Why is this being written? (It could be trying to inform, persuade, instruct, or entertain.)
2. Audience: Which groups or individuals will read and take action (or have done so in the past)?
3. Genre: What type of writing is this?
4. Stance: What is the tone of the text? What position are they taking?
5. Media/Visuals: What means of communication are used?

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How to Write a Rhetorical Analysis Essay

A rhetorical analysis typically includes five paragraphs and three parts: an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

To begin, break a creative work down into parts and describe how the parts act together to produce a certain result.

The author’s desired effect could be to inform, entertain or persuade.

Follow these steps when writing your rhetorical analysis essay:

1. Gather information

Use the SOAPSTone technique to identify the components of the work and plan your analysis.

SOAPSTone is an acronym commonly used in literary analysis that stands for Speaker, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, Subject, Tone.

• Speaker: The writer or the voice narrating or telling the story
• Occasion: When and where the work takes place and under what context
• Audience: Who the text is written for
• Purpose: The reason behind the work or what the writer wants to achieve
• Subject: The topic of the text
• Tone: The writer’s attitude toward the subject

2. Examine the appeals / Rhetorical Strategies

Writers use appeals, also called persuasive strategies, to get readers to have certain reactions to their work.

The three appeals are:

• Ethos: Ethical appeals that establish the writer’s credibility, such as mentioning one’s qualifications.
• Logos: Logical appeals, such as evidence and data, are used to make an argument.
• Pathos: Pathetic appeals are designed to have an emotional effect, such as personal and relatable details about a crime victim.

3. Identify style choices and details

These are tools the writer can use to generate a certain reaction from the reader.

These include elements such as word choice, word order, tone, repetition, imagery, analogies, and figurative language.

4. Build an analysis

Ask yourself questions about the information you have collected.

Your answers will help you determine the reasons for the writer’s choices and how well they support the writer’s argument.

Focus on what the writer does and why.

Examples include:

• What is the writer’s intention?
• Who is the intended audience?
• What is the argument?
• What is the writer’s strategy to make that argument? Why?
• What appeals does the writer use to persuade the reader? Why?
• What kind of style does the writer use?
• What effect does this work have on the audience?

5. Write the introduction

Your introduction should be one clear and concise paragraph that states the main ideas you are going to discuss in the essay.

Provide a brief background about the author, the relevance of their text and the message they are trying to send.

6. Write your thesis

Your thesis statement should be one sentence at the end of the introduction that summarizes the argument you want to make about the writer’s choices and strategies.

The thesis is one of the most important parts of your essay.

7. Write your body text

Include at least three body paragraphs that provide evidence for your thesis. Each paragraph should be about a new, clearly stated topic.

You can organize your paragraphs by appeals (examples of ethos, pathos, and logos) and their efficacy, by techniques the writer used and their efficacy, chronologically, and more.

Regardless of how you organize your paragraphs, support each one with examples, data, facts, and quotes rather than opinions or emotions. At the end of each paragraph, tie that topic back to your thesis.

8. Write your conclusion

Repeat your thesis and summarize the main points of your essay in a brief conclusion.

Explain why your argument matters and include a call to action or for more research if needed.

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Rhetoric Essay Topics

1. A rhetorical analysis of President Biden’s speech on inauguration day
2. The rhetoric of William Shakespeare and his famous piece, Romeo and Juliet
3. Discuss President Obama’s speech on inauguration as compared to that of President Trump
4. A deep rhetorical analysis of Martin Luther’s speeches that made him famous
5. Explore the different rhetorical devices used by presenters and the impact on the target audience
6. Using your knowledge of rhetorical devices, analyze First Lady Melania Trump’s final speech.
7. What are the limitations of monologues in attracting the audience?
8. What stands out most in the speeches of ladies as compared to those of men?
9. Is there any notable rhetoric device in Franklin D. Roosevelt, The Pearl Harbor Address?
10. Evaluate whether rhetorical devices used in plays suit the purpose of the speech well
11. How can you point out the rhetorical richness of any speech?
12. Analyze the use of rhetoric devices in the USA and Britain
13. Conduct a rhetorical analysis of the Bible
14. The impact of rhetorical devices on a reader’s perceptions of a non-fiction story
15. Is there anything that draws your attention to William Shakespeare’s style of writing?
16. How does the credibility of the author impact the audiences’ perception of the story?
17. Ways in which plot and theme work to create a masterpiece
18. A thematic analysis of the ancient writing of the 19th century
19. Evaluate the rhetorical devices used to portray love and romance in plays
20. A profound rhetorical analysis of The Odyssey
21. Evan’s Two Moms: Different Perspectives of Gay Marriages by Anna Quindlen
22. The issues of rhetoric in Plato’s, Republic
23. Why Martin Luther King’s speech, “I Have a Dream” broke the internet
24. Conduct an in-depth rhetorical analysis of the Black Panther movie
25. The power of speech writing in George Washington’s speeches
26. How does television advertising employ the use of rhetorical devices?
27. An analysis of the rhetorical devices used in the famous portrait, Monalisa
28. Analyze Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill’s last speech that drove many hearts
29. The function of literary devices on poetry and plays
30. Review the main literary devices in the Harry Porter
31. Analyze any impressive speech made on September, 11 with rhetorical devices in mind
32. How do blogs and other online writing content use rhetoric?
33. Analyze a book that impacted your life greatly, and why?
34. An influential political speech that is still referred to in the 21st century
35. How technology has made it possible and easy to manipulate rhetoric devices
36. How do preachers use rhetoric in their sermons to make a meaningful impact on the congregation?
37. What are the popular marks of acceptance speeches?
38. Critically analyze a scene from a favourite movie using rhetoric devices
39. A rhetorical analysis of Charles Spurgeon’s sermons and why they are still popular today
40. Discuss how solitude is used in various works of literature
41. Conduct a rhetorical analysis on Charlie Chaplin’s famous speech, The Great Dictator.
42. Two Sentences: Rhetorical Analysis
43. Obama’s Use of Rhetorical Appeal in His Speeches as A President
44. Waiting For Superman: The Use of Rhetorical Appeals
45. Reasons Why Thomas Mardik Is Telling The truth
46. Black Boy By Richard Wright: Theme of Rhetoric
47. The Importance of School Uniforms
48. The Analysis of Rhetorical Choices
49. Write Any Highly Persuasive Article
50. Mark Antony in Julius Caesar: The Use of Rhetorical Appeals by William Shakespeare
51. George W. Bush: The Use of Rhetorical Appeals
52. I Am Prepared To Die: The Use of Rhetorical Appeals By Nelson Mandela
53. A Rhetorical Analysis of Who you Are and What Brought You Here
54. The Utilization of Ethos When it Comes To Political Campaign
55. The Importance of a Financial Assistant Today
56. New Paradigm in The Ethics of Advertising: The Use of Rhetorical Appeals by John
57. Alan Cohen
58. Othello: The Rhetorical Appeal
59. Cloning: The Impact of Dolly on Science
60. The Use of Rhetorical Strategies By George W. Bush
61. Civil Religion: The Use of Rhetorical Appeals By Robert Bellah
62. John Grisham’s Perspective
63. On The Hands of An Angry God by John Edwards: The Use of Rhetorical Appeals
64. Duty Honour Country: The use of Rhetorical Appeal By MacArthur
65. Men Depicted as Success Objects by William Farrell
66. Game of Shadows: The Use of Rhetorical Appeals
67. The Persuasive Intention of Rhetorical Strategy
68. Julius Caesar’s Rhetorical Appeals
69. Hamlet’s Downfall by William Shakespeare
70. What is Rhetorical Reading
71. The rhetorical Appeals in Sinners In the Hands of NA Angry God
72. Outliers By Malcolm Gladwell: The use of Rhetorical Appeal
73. The Relevance of Rhetorical Appeal in Communication Industry
74. Analyze the Rhetorical Appeal in Growing Up empty
75. Letter From Birmingham Jail: Rhetorical Analysis
76. The issues of rhetoric in Plato’s, Republic
77. Why Martin Luther King’s speech, “I Have a Dream” broke the internet
78. Conduct an in-depth rhetorical analysis of the Black Panther movie
79. The power of speech writing in George Washington’s speeches
80. How does television advertising employ the use of rhetorical devices?
81. An analysis of the rhetorical devices used in the famous portrait, Monalisa
82. Analyze Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill’s last speech that drove many hearts
83. The function of literary devices on poetry and plays
84. Review the main literary devices in the Harry Porter
85. Analyze any impressive speech made on September, 11 with rhetorical devices in mind
86. How do blogs and other online writing content use rhetoric?
87. Analyze a book that impacted your life greatly, and why?
88. An influential political speech that is still referred to in the 21st century
89. How technology has made it possible and easy to manipulate rhetoric devices
90. How do preachers use rhetoric in their sermons to make a meaningful impact on the congregation?
91. What are the popular marks of acceptance speeches?
92. Critically analyze a scene from a favourite movie using rhetoric devices
93. A rhetorical analysis of Charles Spurgeon’s sermons and why they are still popular today
94. Discuss how solitude is used in various works of literature
95. Conduct a rhetorical analysis on Charlie Chaplin’s famous speech, The Great Dictator.
96. The Gettysburg Address: The Use of Rhetorical Appeals
97. The Use of Rhetorical Appeals in The Real Scandal
98. The Advantages of Abortion Vs. the Disadvantages
99. The Different Aspects of Rhetoric in Social Isolation
100. Analyze the Use of Rhetorical Appeals in The Argument Culture
101. Swami Vivekananda: The Use of Rhetorical Appeals in Her Speech
102. The Effects of Teen Smoking
103. John Smith: Analyse the use of Rhetorical Appeal in A Modest Proposal
104. Use of Rhetorical Appeal in Audacity of Hope
105. Professions For Women: The Use of Rhetorical Appeals By Virginia Woolf in Her
106. Conduct a rhetorical analysis on the meaning behind Mona Lisa’s smile
107. A rhetorical analysis of songs from pop-culture
108. What rhetorical devices made Pablo Picasso’s Les Demoiselles d’Avignon controversial?
109. How is heroism as a literary theme brought out by different writers?
110. Discuss how authors handle the issues of prejudice and race in their writings
111. Rhetorical strategies used in the Harry Potter series
112. Alexander the Great Speech: A study of the symbols and literary devices used
113. The relevance of the themes of hope and love in most literary texts
114. Rhetorical strategies used by Louisa May Alcott in advancing feminism
115. Rhetorical used devices in the American national anthem
116. Why Rachel Platten’s Fight Song is a mark of both art and creativity
117. How is it that Ted talks tend to attract a large number of listeners?
118. How do advertisers curate language used in billboard and poster advertising?
119. How the use of symbols and vivid description changes the visual impression of a literary work
120. The rhetorical composition of different religious texts
121. Analyze the stylistic devices available in The Picture of Dorian Gray
122. Analyze the speech of your class representative on Memorial Day
123. A review of the main rhetorical devices in Virginia Woolf’s “A Room of One’s Own.”
124. How does the use of stylistic devices in ancient times vary from that of today?
125. Discuss the most valuable rhetorical strategies in The Hunger Games
126. The Relation of Rhetorical Devices To Ambiguity
127. Films: Rhetorical Appeals in American History X
128. Men Have Forgotten God: The Use of Rhetorical Appeals by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

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Related FAQs

1. What are good rhetorical analysis essay topics?

Good rhetorical analysis essay topics aim to compel action through oral, written, visual, and sound forms. Rhetorical analysis compels the reader or the present audience to reassess their perspectives based on what you are saying or have written.

2. What are the different rhetorical strategies?

The three most commonly known rhetorical strategies are known as rhetorical appeals. Ethos (ethics) refers to credibility and trustworthiness. Pathos (passion) refers to engaging an audience’s emotions. Logos (logic) refers to engaging an audience’s brain through logical organization and use of evidence and arguments.

3. What is rhetoric and why is it important?

Rhetoric is Defined As… Before we get to the rhetorical analysis essay prompts (a.k.a. tons of ready-to-analyze texts at your fingertips), let’s take a time-out to lay the groundwork. Put simply, rhetoric refers to any technique an author uses to persuade an audience. Or, the behind-the-scenes choices an author makes to give you all the feels.

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