When people hear the term “rhetoric,” they often think of words full of sound and fury signifying nothing. Yet that is a woeful misunderstanding of the beauty and power of persuasive language and argument. In this episode rife with back-to-school vibes, Temple Law Professor Marian Grace Braccia breaks down the where, how, and why rhetorical devices belong in oral and written advocacy; reveals why rhetorical devices have an massive impact, even on the cellular level, on finders of fact; refreshes your recollection on devices you already know while introducing others that belong in your repertoire; and totally geeks out about how fun, easy, and powerful they are to use.

Topics

3:30     The road to rhetoric

7:50     Definition of rhetoric and the Queen Philosophy

10:56     What are rhetorical devices?

11:59     The OGs of ancient rhetoric

18:43     Recent rhetoricians

20:59     Aesthetics of rhetoric

27:10     Where to deploy rhetoric at trial

29:12     Rhetoric in oral and written advocacy

33:00     Taking rhetoric too far

35:55     Easiest rhetorical devices to use

40:23     Obama the rhetorician

45:20     Tricolon and antanagoge

50:33     Sources of inspiration

54:09     Favorite devices

55:19     Wait . . . Taylor Swift?

57:40     Pop villains on trial

1:06:23   Signoff questions

Quote

“On an artistic level, rhetoric and the effective deployment of rhetorical devices give us emotional resonance and memory enhancement and aesthetic pleasure, and even surprise and novelty. Some rhetorical devices like irony or puns introduce the element of surprise and novelty, and they can be amusing or thought provoking, and they make the message more engaging, more memorable.” Marian Grace Braccia

Resources

Marian Grace Braccia (bio)

The Queen Philosophy (webpage)

Henry V: St. Crispin’s Day (video)

Renaissance Man: St. Crispin’s Day (video)

Rhetorical devices worksheet (available for download from Episode 58's show notes under Resources > Podcasts at nita.org)