Context:

This is a rhetorical analysis that I completed in my Understand Rhetoric class. At this time, we were playing the Threshold of Democracy, a game that recreates the history of the great rhetoricians of ancient Greece. It is described as recreating "the intellectual dynamics of one of the most formative periods in the human experience." (Barnard). Each member of the class was assigned a role within the fake society. I was assigned to be Thucydides, an unbiased scribe whose sole job was to record what happened within the fake society. The assignment was to give a rhetorical analysis on my character's historical upbringing, political views, and how I performed during "The Game". 

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Rhetorical Analysis:

Throughout the creation of this document, I couldn't help but think about the incorporation of delivery, or the idea of how something is said versus what is being said. In ancient Greece, orated delivery was really the only way to convey a message to the greatest amount of people; there were no forms of mass publications or effective visuals. The way that one emphasized, drew from key points, and furthermore arranged their speeches were their only mechanisms. Because of the rhetorical situation my paper was situated in, I made sure that the arrangement of my piece could be delivered in a manner that would be pleasing to my audience and inform them of my (fake) persona as Thucydides.

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One place I feel that my ideals of delivery really work is through the usage of the hierarchy of information. I ordered my information from the level of most important to least important. I believe that this works in a rhetorical context because it immediately grabs the reader's attention. By placing the most important information first, the audience is immediately captured, and may listen more intently to the rest of the oration. But, placing the most important information at the end may encourage an audience to pay attention and furthermore absorb the information more in hopes of obtaining the most valuable piece of information by the end

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Reflection:

Not only did this piece teach me about the importance of knowing the rhetorical situation even throughout different decades (though not every may be trying to appeal to ancient Greek rhetoricians), I learned the importance of utilizing the concept of delivery, regardless of whether or not you are orally presenting your piece. Just as a speech, a written document can be integrated with the same characteristics: utilizing tone, focal points, and the manipulation of emphasis. 

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