Apply the framework of neo-Aristotelian criticism (as outlined by Foss, Ch. 3 and discussed in lecture) to the video belowJoe Biden’s 2021 inaugural address. Use this copy of the speech transcript to follow along as you watch the video and take notes based on your understanding of the rhetorical canons. Then, create a thread that follows the instructions at the end of this post.
Artifact video link: https://youtu.be/dqCwKf8QjA0
Instructions for your thread:
Respond to each of the following prompts/questions, providing evidence (direct quotes or vivid descriptions) from the speech and explanations/reasoning to support your interpretations (please include the questions in your response).
1. What information should we know about the rhetorical situation/sociopolitical context of Biden’s speech? What should we know about Joe Biden as a person/rhetor prior to and leading up to the 2020 presidential election?
2. Identify at least three key topics/issues that Biden discusses in his inaugural address and summarize his main claim(s) about each. Why, based on the sociopolitical context, did Biden address these topics (invention: logos) and what values is Biden appealing to (invention: pathos)?
3. How would you characterize the organization/structure of Biden’s speech, and why do you think his speech was organized in this way?
4. Discuss the style of Biden’s speech. What word/language choices are significant, what stylistic devices (e.g. metaphor, repetition, etc.) were used, how would you characterize Biden’s overall style in this speech, and how do his stylistic choices contribute to Biden’s overall message?
5. What elements of Biden’s verbal & nonverbal delivery are significant, and why?
6. How does Biden construct his (first) persona in this speech (what type of person does he present himself to be)? How does Biden construct his ideal audience (second persona) in this speech (who does he seem to be talking to, and what characteristics do those people have)?
7. Based on your responses to the above questions and your overall analysis of this speech, what do you believe the goal of Biden’s inaugural address was? Did Biden use the best available means of persuasion to reach that goalwhy or why not?
