PERSUASIVE SPEAKING (with Sauron) Types of Appeal and Persuasive Techniques

 

PERSUASIVE SPEAKING
Types of Appeal and Persuasive Techniques

Sauron’s Speech

I Lead in. Discuss the questions with other students.

a)    What do you think is the most effective way to influence someone and make them change their beliefs or attitudes?

b)    What are some common barriers to changing someone's beliefs or attitudes, and how can you overcome them?

c)    You are going to watch a video clip from the TV series Rings of Power(Season1). What do you know about the characters i the series, namely  Galadriel and Sauron?

 

II Watch the video and choose the correct option to complete the sentences.

 

1.  What is the general purpose of the speech Sauron gives in the video?

a) to inform    b) to entertain    c) to persuade

 

2.  Which appeal (mode of persuasion) does Sauron use saying: "You know who I am. I am your friend"? The appeal is reinforced by mentally transporting Galadriel to the moment on a raft when she first encountered Sauron (who was using a different name at the time).

a)  logos (convincing through the power of reason)

b)  ethos (appeal to character or authority)

c)  pathos (appeal to values and  emotions)

 

3.  Which audience involvement strategy does Sauron use saying: “When Morgoth was defeated, it was as if great, clenched fist had released its grasp on my neck. And in the stillness of that first sunrise, at last, I felt the light of the One again. And I knew if ever I was to be forgiven… That I had to heal everything that I had helped ruin.”?

a) sharing a personal story   

b)  using inclusive pronouns: we, us, our         

c) asking a question

 

4.  Which emotions might Sauron be appealing to saying: “When Morgoth was defeated, it was as if great, clenched fist had released its grasp on my neck. And in the stillness of that first sunrise, at last, I felt the light of the One again. And I knew if ever I was to be forgiven… That I had to heal everything that I had helped ruin.”?

 

a)  pride           b) guilt               c) pity

5.  Sauron presents his version of Galadriel’s beliefs and summarises them in the form of an argument. What kind of reasoning does Sauron use in his statement: “This is not what you believe. ...You told me. After our victory, you said that whatever I’d done before I could be free of it now… I told you that I had done evil, and you did not care. Because you knew that our past meant nothing, weighed against our future.”?

 

a)  deductive reasoning (the speaker moves from general principle to specific example)    

b)  analogical reasoning (the speaker compares two similar cases)

c)  inductive reasoning (the speaker moves from specific example to general conclusion)

 

6.  Which audience involvement strategy does Sauron use in his statement: “This is not what you believe. ...You told me. After our victory, you said that whatever I’d done before I could be free of it now… I told you that I had done evil, and you did not care. Because you knew that our past meant nothing, weighed against our future.”?

a)   telling a story      

 b)  using inclusive pronouns: we, us, our        

c) rhetorical question

 

7.  Galadriel rejects Sauron’s argument caliming: “There is no such future”. However, Sauron proceeds with the speech and responds: “Isn’t there?” Which audience involvement strategy does Sauron use?

a)   telling a story      

b)  using inclusive pronouns: we, us, our      

c) rhetorical question

 

8.  Which appeals does Sauron combine in his statement: “I alone can see your greatness. I alone can see your light.”?

a)  ethos (appeal to his character and competence)

b)  logos (appeal to Galadriel’s logic and reason)

c)  pathos (appeal to Galadriel’s emotions)

 

9.  Sauron tells Galadriel: “You bind me to the light. And I bind you to power. Together we can save this Middle-earth.” Which appeal does Sauron use in his statement?

 a)  ethos (appeal to his character and competence)

b)  logos (appeal to Galadriel’s logic and reason)

c)  pathos (appeal to shared values)

 

10.          Sauron tells Galadriel: “You have no choice. Without me your people will fade. And the shadow will spread and darken to cover all the world. You need me”. What error in reasoning/logical fallacy is exemplified by the Sauron's statement?

 

a)  false cause  (presuming that a relationship between two things  means that one is the cause of the other)

b)  invalid analogy (claiming that some items which have only a few minor similarities are practically the same in almost everything else)

c) appeal to popularity (assuming that because something is   popular, it is therefore good, correct, or desirable)

d) either-or/false dilemma (asserting that the audience must choose between two things, when in fact they may have more alternatives)

 

11.          Sauron tells Galadriel: “You have no choice. Without me your people will fade. And the shadow will spread and darken to cover all the world. You need me”. What appeal is implied but not explored or developed further in  Sauron’s statement?

 

a)  pathos (appeal to Galadriel’s emotions, trying to win her over with flattery)

b)  logos (appeal to Galadriel’s logic and reason, presenting evidence and arguments)

c)  ethos (appeal to speaker’s  character and competence, trying to establish his own moral authority)

12.          Sauron states: “A sea you were on because the Elves cast you out. They cast you out for deigning to beg them for a few petty soldiers.” How does Sauron appeal to pathos in his statement?

a)  by using his personal example    

b)  by using emotional language

c)  by using shocking facts

 

13.          Sauron asks Galadriel: “What will they do if you tell them that you were my ally? When you tell them that Sauron lives because of you?” What appeal is used in Sauron’s questions?

 

a)  pathos (appeal to Galadriel’s emotions)

b)  logos (appeal to Galadriel’s logic and reason)

c)  ethos (appeal to speaker’s  character and competence)

III OVER TO YOU. Get ready to discuss the characteristics of Sauron’s persuasive speech with other students. Use the questions below to organize your ideas:

a)    Which appeals or modes of persuasion does Sauron build his speech on?

b)    Which of the appeals are used more often than others?

c)    Sauron fails to persuade Galadriel. Why do you think his speech was not successful?

IV Follow-up. Choose a short video of a character giving a persuasive speech in a popular TV series or film. Analyse the types of appeal (ethos, logos, pathos) and the persuasive strengths of arguments used in the speech. Did the speech achieve the goal of changing the audience’s beliefs or attitudes? Why or why not? Share your findings with other students.