Rhetoric Society Quarterly Sep 2001

Reading and the “written style”; in Aristotle'srhetoric

Richard Graff Twin Cities Orthopedics

Abstract

Abstract At Rhetoric 3.12 Aristotle describes differences between a “written”; style, which he associates with the epideictic genre, and a “debating”; style suited to deliberative and forensic oratory. This paper argues that this seemingly unproblematic distinction constitutes a crucial indicator of the orientation of Aristotle's style theory as a whole. Passages throughout Rhetoric 3.1–12 offer precepts oriented toward the medium of writing and the reading of texts‐that is, they describe a specifically “written “ style of prose. In contrast, Aristotle largely neglects the agonistic style of practical oratory, a fact that can be taken as another indication of the literary, and literate, bias pervading Aristotle's account of prose lexis. In addition to disclosing nuances in the text of Rhetoric 3, this study contributes to our understanding of the ways in which early rhetorical theory responds to and is constrained by the circumstances of written composition and oratorical performance.

Journal
Rhetoric Society Quarterly
Published
2001-09-01
DOI
10.1080/02773940109391213
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Topics
classical rhetoric modern rhetorical theory rhetorical criticism genre theory literacy studies public rhetoric
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Cited by in this index (6)

  1. Johnstone et al. (2018)
    Situating Deliberative Rhetoric in Ancient Greece: The Bouleutêrion as a Venue …
    Advances in the History of Rhetoric
  2. Kennerly (2013)
    The Mock RockTopos
    Rhetoric Society Quarterly
  3. Bruss (2012)
    Searching for Boredom in Ancient Greek Rhetoric:
    Philosophy & Rhetoric
  4. Hawhee (2011)
    Looking Into Aristotle's Eyes: Toward a Theory of Rhetorical Vision
    Advances in the History of Rhetoric
  5. Graff (2005)
    Prose versus Poetry in Early Greek Theories of Style
    Rhetorica
Show all 6 →
  1. Bruss et al. (2005)
    Style, Character, and Persuasion in Aristotle's Rhetoric
    Advances in the History of Rhetoric

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