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1. Aristotles definition of rhetoric.

Ehninger, Gronbeck and Monroe: One of the earliest definitions of communication came from the Greek philosopherteacher Aristotle (384-322 B.C.). a. Rhetoric is the faculty of observing in any given case the available means of persuasion (Rhetoric 1335b). b. Aristotles speaker-centered model received perhaps its fullest development in the hands of Roman educator Quintilian (ca. 35-95 A.D.), whose Institutio Oratoria was filled with advice on the full training of a good speaker-statesman.

2. Aristotles model of proof. Kinnevay also sees a model of communication in Aristotles description of proof: a. b. c. Logos, inheres in the content or the message itself Pathos, inheres in the audience Ethos, inheres in the speaker

3. Bitzers Rhetorical Situation. Lloyd Bitzer developed described the Rhetorical Situation, which, while not a model, identifies some of the classical components of a communication situation (The Rhetorical Situation, Philosophy and Rhetoric, 1 (Winter, 1968):1-15.). Bitzer defines the rhetorical situation as a complex of persons, events, objects, and relations presenting an actual or potential exigence which can be completely or partially removed if discourse, introduced into the situation, can so constrain human decision or action so as to bring about significant modification of the exigence. See more of Bitzer's approach here.

Aristotle was the first to take an initiative and design the communication model.

Let us first go through a simple situation.

In a political meeting, the prospective leader delivers speech to the audience urging for more votes from the constituency. He tries to convince the crowd in the best possible way he can so that he emerges as a winner. What is he actually doing ?

He is delivering his speech in a manner that the listeners would get convinced and cast their votes only in his favour, or in other words respond in the same manner the speaker wanted to. Here the leader or the speaker or the sender is the centre of attraction and the crowd simply the passive listeners.

The example actually explains the Aristotle model of communication.

According to this model, the speaker plays a key role in communication. He is the one who takes complete charge of the communication. The sender first prepares a content which he does by carefully putting his thoughts in words with an objective of influencing the listeners or the recipients, who would then respond in the senders desired way. No points in guessing that the content has to be very very impressive in this model for the audience or the receivers to get convinced. The model says that the speaker communicates in such a way that the listeners get influenced and respond accordingly.

The speaker must be very careful about his selection of words and content in this model of communication. He should understand his target audience and then prepare his speech. Making eye contact with the second party is again a must to create an impact among the listeners. Let us again go through the first example. The politician must understand the needs of the people in his constituency like the need of a shopping mall, better transport system, safety of girls etc and then design his speech. His speech should address all the above issues and focus on providing the solutions to their problems to expect maximum votes from them. His tone and pitch should also be loud and clear

enough for the people to hear and understand the speech properly. Stammering, getting nervous in between of a conversation must be avoided. Voice modulations also play a very important role in creating the desired effect. Blank expressions, confused looks and similar pitch all through the speech make it monotonous and nullify its effect. The speaker should know where to lay more stress on, highlight which words to influence the listeners.

One will definitely purchase the mobile handset from that store where the sales man gives an impressive demo of the mobile. It depends on the sales man what to speak and how to speak in a manner to influence the listeners so that they respond to him in a way he actually wants i.e. purchase the handset and increase his billing.

The Aristotle model of communication is the widely accepted and the most common model of communication where the sender sends the information or a message to the receivers to influence them and make them respond and act accordingly. Aristotle model of communication is the golden rule to excel in public speaking, seminars, lectures where the sender makes his point clear by designing an impressive content, passing on the message to the second part and they simply respond accordingly. Here the sender is the active member and the receiver is passive one.

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