Ethos, Pathos, Logos
Aristotle's three modes of persuasion — character, emotion, and reason.
In Book I of the Rhetoric, Aristotle identifies three modes by which a speaker persuades an audience. Ethos works through the speaker's perceived character and credibility. Pathos works through emotional engagement with the audience. Logos works through the logical structure of the argument itself.
Most enduring speeches use all three. King's 'I Have a Dream' establishes ethos by quoting Lincoln and Isaiah; builds pathos through repetition and concrete imagery; supplies logos through the contractual logic of the Declaration of Independence.
When evaluating a famous quote, asking which mode it relies on can reveal why it works. A maxim leans on logos. An aphorism often pivots on ethos — the line is memorable because of who said it. A wartime speech runs on pathos.
“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty.”
Keep reading the glossary
The art of persuasive speaking and writing — the discipline behind every great quoted line.
The deliberate repetition of a word or phrase at the start of successive clauses.
An ABBA word-order reversal — 'ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country'.
A grammatical balance of two opposed ideas — 'to be or not to be'.