1. Download and read both “Enemies from
Within”https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/coretexts/_files/resources/texts/1950%20McCarthy%20Enemies.pdf and
“A Declaration of Conscience.”https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/resources/pdf/SmithDeclaration.pdf
Remember, you will see questions about both of these speeches on your self-check, unit quiz, and final exam.
2. Choose one speech on which you will complete the rhetorical analysis.
3. Do a quick “get to know you” second read-through of it.
4. Find three different colors of highlighters, pens, or colored pencils.
5. Read it again, more thoroughly. Slow down and mark sections where the speaker uses ethos in one color,
pathos in another, and logos in the last. Annotate the speech while you read, analyzing the rhetoric and
underlining and identifying the other rhetorical devices reviewed in this lesson.
6. Write the rough draft of your Rhetorical Analysis Essay. Analyze each of the following elements of the
speech in separate paragraphs:
introduction: State the purpose of the document you are analyzing. You must also include a thesis statement
that makes a claim about the rhetoric in the document. Consider these questions to help guide you as you
make your claim. Does the speaker use rhetoric effectively? Why or why not? Does the speaker use one
rhetorical strategy more effectively than the others?
ethos: Analyze the ethos of the document. (Hint: What does the speaker say to establish his or her credibility?)
Include specific examples of powerful ethos in the speech.
pathos: Analyze the pathos of the document. (Hint: What does the speaker say that inspires emotion—passion,
fear, moral outrage—in his or her audience?) Include specific examples of powerful pathos in the speech.
logos: Analyze the logos of the document. (Hint: What statistics or specific information does the speaker
include?) Include specific examples of powerful logos in the speech.
rhetorical devices: What rhetorical devices does the speaker use most effectively? Identify three that you found
and explain why they are effective.
conclusion: Analyze the effect