General Introduction of the RT

Rhetoric and all it in tails is hard to place into a single definition simply because it is always changing. It has been called the practice of oratory, the study of the strategies of effective oratory, the study of the persuasive effects of language, and many more. Each of these definitions are true, as each touch on a point of what rhetoric has been, currently is, and will be in the future. The general introduction of the RT covers the changes that have been made in rhetoric over time, starting with the origin of rhetoric at the end of the 4th century B.C., all the way to what we now call modern and post modern rhetoric. During the time of classical rhetoric, Aristotle came up with specific rhetorical elements that were used in the preparation of writing a speech. These are; invention, arrangement, style, memory and delivery. These elements have been used from the time of their birth until present as the fundamental building blocks of rhetoric, though the means of application have changes. For example, Boethius has taken Aristotles' classical element of invention and expanded on it so that it applies to more things than just speech, such as writing. A reason for this could be due to the importance of invention itself, as it appeals to the logic of the audience and logical appeals are considered to be more important than emotional an ethical appeals. Rhetoric seems to change along with culture, as it originated in a culture where hardly anyone was literate, and the best way to get something across to someone was through the spoken word.