Discussion Questions

  1. What specific contributions did classical theorists make to the study of rhetoric?
  2. How have contemporary rhetorical theorists challenged the canon?
  3. Compare and contrast classical rhetorical theories versus contemporary ones.
  4. What idea has been at the center of most definitions of rhetoric?#Do you think rhetoric should refer only to persuasion? What are the limits and advantages to such an approach?
  5. What role do you think the study of rhetoric can play in today's social world? The political context?
  6. What are some examples of the use of classical rhetorical theory in contemporary rhetorical discourse?
  7. What sort of research question would you, as a scholar interested in the rhetoric of popular culture, ask?
  8. What might some of the limitations of rhetorical criticism as a method?
  9. What are the elements of Burke's pentad? Give an example of how you would apply it to the study of a particular body of discourse.
  10. What kind of research question would you want to ask using the method of feminist criticism?
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