In Cicero’s On Duties, Cicero conveys his message through an epistolary format, pathos, and inductive reasoning (rhetorical advice) by showing the audience how a man’s duties are to be conducted with moral guidance and supreme goodness.
Cicero writes On Duties in an epistolary format; in other words, he writes it in a letter. There are historical and family implications to his message. First, there was a major civil war going on after the assassination of Julius Caesar. Cicero, a supporter of the Roman Republic, was constantly persecuted by political enemies, such as Mark Antony. Although Cicero does not specifically talk about Antony in the text, the former describes how to settle a dispute: “first, by discussion; second; by physical force...we must resort to force only in case we many not avail ourselves of discussion”
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Primarily, the letter is written to his son; however, the audience is expanded to the people of Rome as well. It is very observable to see this emotional appeal as there is father-son bonding in the text. Cicero states: “most of our moral obligation is due, country would come first, and parents … next come children and the whole family” (Cicero 8). During times of war, the primary objective is the country -- overall, it unites the people. The next obligations are parents and children (which is third); this part of the text applies to Cicero and his son. The former explains that parents serve their children, while children look to their parents for support and protection. The pathos plays a role in the message on the people’s duties and obligations. In addition, it makes the message more effective by striking the hearts of the people -- their family. As a son, my parents have greatly supported me throughout my life. When the author implies that we also have an obligation to our parents, I realized that his logic is correct. Someday, I will have to repay my