Persuasion in Ancient Greece
Andrew Scholtz, Instructor
Informational Pages. . .
Epideixeis, or "Show" Orations. . .
- This is the page for epideixeis, brief speeches to be delivered orally by students and handed in as brief, written papers. For group oral reports, click here. Major papers, here.
Summary
Students will compose and deliver orally ONE SOLO EPIDEIXIS (sample speech, 10% of grade) on topics of their choice, that in partial fulfillment of both "O" and "C" (oral and composition) components of this "J" (joint) course.
- 700 words = about 5 minutes for oral delivery
- "Topics of their choice." These epideixeis, and the topics they treat, are meant to provoke relfection on the substance and style of debate. They can be on controversial topics, but THEY'RE NOT TO PROVOKE DEBATE ITSELF. Topics must, therefore, be relatively innocuous. If it seems reasonable persons could be offended, avoid it. If you have questions, more below or contact me
Note that I reserve the right to halt an epideixis if I deem it inappropriate as per the above.
These can be viewed as "demonstrations" (epideixeis) of rhetorical skill and agile reasoning. This isn't so much about cogent, well documented arguments as much as about attractive yet plausible arguments. THAT STILL REQUIRES CRITICAL THINKING! Aim for a rhetorically astute proem (intro section) with topoi of captatio benevolentiae, etc. — butter us up, get us interested. As to style, a tastefully "Gorgianic" approach is your goal.
So don't go and ape sophistry as it's parodied in Aristophanes' Clouds — no ludicrous self-indulgence, please! No offensive themes or language, either. Rather, I mean something like Gorgias' Helen: a discourse demonstrating argumentative and rhetorical panache applied to a given theme, topic, or issue.
Written versions of epideixeis are to be submitted/uploaded by midnight two days after oral, in-class delivery.
| EPIDEIXIS ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION DATES | |
| If you present on this date, | upload via myCourses word Doc by midnight this date: |
| 18-Apr | 20-Apr |
| 20-Apr | 22-Apr |
| 25-Apr | 27-Apr |
Requirements, Procedures
Topic Area, Position Argued
Your Choice. You are certainly invited to try to make the weaker argument stronger. But you must avoid anything offensive, tasteless, insensitive. Sex, religion, personal-physical issues, individualized comment off limits. (I don't want to hear/read anything about anyone I know.) Controversy OK, but too much will distract from the project. Otherwise, politics, fashion, pop culture fine. Likewise, arguments should not strain the limits of taste or plausibility. Challenge us, give us a jolt. Don't shock, outrage, or scare us.
- If you're not sure a topic is suitable, run it by me. I reserve the right to nix delivery of anything unsuitable; more below
Research, Documentation
No more than you wish, not too much. You don't have to research this, but if you do, you must document as per usual MLA: usual citation req's, no unacknowledged borrowings. If no research, obviously no "Works Cited," etc. But academic honesty still must be observed!
When you deliver your oration orally, mention your sources, authorities, etc. as you see fit. But leave out the documentation, works cited, etc. — we don't want to hear that. I do, however, want to see that in your submitted text.
Length, Timing, Format, etc.
Oral delivery: 5 mins. tops! 700 words (+/–) for all elements. Written presentation:
- Double-spaced Times-style font, MLA top matter, etc., as per MLA
- Citations, "Works Cited" as per MLA (if you have research)
- Research is optional, and the accent is on the rhetoric. But honest acknowledgement of sources still applies — more here
Style, Argument
Stylistically, you should aim for something more vivid rhetorically than the typical expository essay — something Gorgianic, though not over-the-top. Thus to receive any sort of a good grade, you'll need to deploy topoi associated with captatio benevolentiae, plus tastefully applied figures of thought and speech such as we find in Gorgias. For that, consult the following:
- Gorgias' Epitaphios, with Instructor's Preface (this site)
- Terms page
- U of Kentucky Classics rhetorical figures site
As to argument, it should make sense, though you have license here to show off a bit:
It's meant to be fun, a paignion, or "amusement," not unlike Gorgias' Helen. At the same time, it's meant to be a serious exploration on your part (as it was for Gorgias) of what persuasion is all about: the power of logos, and how that might relate to rhetorical challenges we face today.
- Note that I don't want to rule out sophisms, as this is, after all, a sophistic exercise. At the very least, arguments must offer attractive, whether or not (in the final analysis) wholly convincing, logic.
This will all become clearer as we go along.
Due Dates, Performance, Revision, Submission
- FIRST, deliver live — note comments/advice of audience. (In class you will provide me with a copy of your performance script)
- THEN, revise accordingly and submit electronically by stated date
- Single electronic submission
- Uploaded via myCourses course site > ORAL PRESENTATIONS > UPLOAD EPIDEIXIS
Assessment Criteria
Assessment (grading) will be based 50% on oral delivery, 50% on written copy, criteria as follows:
- Does the writer follow MLA as to format, citation, etc.?
- Does the orator use correct grammar, syntax, punctuation, etc., as per Owl, "Writing Issues" page, etc.?
- HUPOKRISIS ("delivery") Does the orator deliver her / his speech with conviction, and in an engaging manner?
- Is the orator looking at us?
- Can we hear the orator?
- Does the orator perform the speech engagingly and with feeling?
- RHETORIC. Does the orator use language engagingly?
- figures of speech and thought?
- turns of phrase?
- etc.
- ARGUMENT. Does the orator offer us engaging, attractive argument?
More on Topics
Perhaps it will help to explore a little further what does and doesn't constitute a permissible epideixis topic. For that purpose, I'd like to introduce the will-it-provoke-a-dean's-letter test.
Think of it this way. If I, the professor, were to come into class and joke about deep-fried turkey, while that COULD annoy those who'd rather their professors not waste time with frivolity, I don't think it would constitute grounds to send the instructor a letter of reprimand for inappropriateness in the classroom.
What if, though, I were to come into the classroom and joke insensitively about those who had suffered loss in hurricane Sandy?
First, I MIGHT be within my constitutional rights as to free speech (that is, not liable to prosecution or lawsuit — maybe). Yet it would, if nothing else, be extremely unprofessional. A student would be well within her or his rights to complain to the Dean.
That also means that I have to control the ebb and flow of student discourse in my classroom. There's MUCH for which a student (or student's instructor) simply CAN'T be held criminally or civilly liable if said in the classroom, but which is still validly off limits because of its potential to offend and therefore to undermine an atmosphere conducive to learning.
Now, there are going to be obviously harmless topics (the virtues of afternoon naps) and obviously forbidden topics (ethnic-religious-racial attacks).
But there are also going to be gray-area topics.
Take marijuana legalization. It's controversial, but we can at least reasonably assume that most won't find it prohibitively offensive. There are ways to address it in class without provoking a letter from my Dean.
What if, however, someone wants to attack not drug use but drug users? That is off-limits - why? It carries the potential to offend at a personal level; we don't do that.
Other topics, while they might under certain circumstances be valid areas of debate, will likely provoke strong feelings difficult to channel constructively when conducting an exercise of this sort. Threatening to undermine the proceedings, they should be avoided. Those include:
- Sex — by itself, not a proper focus of this exercise
- Euthanasia, whether of animals or humans
- Abortion
- Vivisection
- Execution
And the list goes on. If you have questions, please contact me.