Rhetorical Analysis On Gorgias

Rhetoric is the art of persuasion through the use of compelling writing or speaking. In Plato’s “Gorgias”, famed philosopher Socrates argues the truth and how rhetoric can influence a conversation. He claims that rhetoric is a false knowledge; knowledge that is detracted from reality. False knowledge that is only to be used to manipulate people. However, Gorgias, a rhetorician, argues that rhetoric should be used to effectively control people through speaking only. Throughout the debate, Socrates seizes his knowledge of rhetoric and uses it against Gorgias. His understanding of rhetorical appeals and devices allows him to conspire a plan to trap Gorgias in his own contradictions. Through the use of Ethos, Logos, and Pathos, Socrates adequately

The passage shows how Socrates is able to definitively appeal to the audience while he’s talking to Gorgias. He undermines Gorgias claims of rhetoric and uses them against him, showing how easily it is to influence people in general. Unknowingly to Gorgias, he was already trapped in his own convictions. Socrates sees the crowd can be used as tool to against Gorgias .Using ethos, Socrates successfully appeals to the audience trapping Gorgias using a mode of rhetoric.

In the debate, Socrate uses another mode of rhetoric, logos, the ability to logically appeal to an audience. While pursuing the truth of rhetoric, Socrate also disparages Gorgias use of rhetoric. While questioning Gorgias, Socrates invokes a logical appeal towards the audiences. Shunning Gorgias and his knowledge of rhetoric, he is able to logically trap Gorgias through the use a logical questioning: Socrates: Now, isn’t a person who’s come under stand building a builder? Gorgias: Yes.

Socrates: And a person who’s come to understand medicine is a doctor, and so on and so forth. By the same token, anyone who has come to understand a given subject is described in accordance with the particular character his branch of knowledge confers. Do you

In the dialogue, Socrates pulls Gorgias in using an emotional appeal. Socrates said “ I thought you were being inconsistent and so I said what I said about how our discussion would be if you were like me and saw proof of being proved wrong, but other we should just forget it…” (Plato 22). Through this quote, Socrates is able to attract Gorgias using a emotional appeal. He mentions how Gorgias is already showing inconsistencies within the argument. This allows Socrates to bring an emotional response within Gorgias because he would have to defend himself in front of the crowd. Appealing to his emotions using the crowd, Socrates drags Gorgias beneath his own emotions. Using his emotions Socrates appeals to the crowd, displaying his knowledge of rhetoric and how easily it is to influence others. He proves how Gorgias is unable to define rhetoric while Socrates uses rhetoric against him to win the