Rhetoric Classical English Rhetoric: Study Guide

Rhetoric
By Aristotle
Classical English Rhetoric

By Farnsworth
Study Guide
Answer Key
A Kolbe Academy Publication
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam

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Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam

Instructions: Answer the questions and indicate the page where the
answer was found.
Week 1
Introduction: Chapter One, Aristotle’s Rhetoric
1. Every person practices dialectic and rhetoric in their

everyday life. TRUE
2. According to Aristotle, rhetoric is an art. TRUE
3. Aristotle believed the writers of his day focused too much

on enthymemes, which were of no importance in rhetoric.
FALSE
4. Political oratory was said to be the most noble by Aristotle.

TRUE
5. Enthymeme is the form that demonstration takes in

dialectic. FALSE
6. List the four uses of Rhetoric given by Aristotle:

(1) Truth is naturally superior, this it should prevail;
(2) There are people who cannot be instructed with facts,
rhetoric benefits them in finding the truth;
(3) To help us see clearly what the facts of the other side are,
and what points are opinion; (
4) Rhetoric can be used as a weapon and we must be
prepared to defend ourselves, as we would in a battle of
limbs.
(Answers found p. 5, 1355a)
7. If a Judge rules improperly, who does Aristotle say is at

fault? Judge or Speakers? SPEAKERS
Copyright Kolbe Academy 2020 All Rights Reserved
1 RhetoricSGAK2020.00
8. A ‘sophist’ according to Aristotle is defined by his moral
purpose, whereas a ‘rhetorician’ may be defined by his
moral purpose and/or his understanding of the art itself.
TRUE
9. Expanding on number 8, this means “the honest rhetorician

does not have a name to distinguish him from the
dishonest.” TRUE
10. Aristotle ends the chapter by stating that he will move on

without defining rhetoric because it needs no definition.
FALSE
RhetoricSGAK2020.00 2
Week 2
Figures of Repetition, pp.1-31, Farnsworth’s Classical English
Rhetoric:
1. The term associated with repeated phrases is

called_EPIMONE_.
2. DIACOPE_and_CONDUPLICATIO are repetitions with other

words in between.
3. Epizeuxis is repetition consecutively, often with the classic

form of 5 in a row. FALSE (3 in a row).
4. “A Horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!” (Shakespeare,

Richard III) is an example of _EPIZIEUXIS_.
5. List some (2-3) of the reasons conduplicatio is used.

To strengthen a statement
To expand a statement or further define it
To add explanation
Churchillian usage
6. “…Hear me for my cause, and be silent, that you may hear:

believe me for mine honor, and have respect to mine
honor, that you may believe….” (Shakespeare, Julius Caesar)
This quote is an example of _Epanalepsis_.
7. Winston Churchill and Martin Luther King, Jr. both used

this figure in famous speeches. King, in his clauses
beginning, “I have a dream…” and Churchill with “We shall
fight…” The repetition in the beginning of successive
clauses is called Anaphora_.
8. List a few (2-3) ways Anaphora can be used according to
Farnsworth.
Repetition of the subject with changes in the verb
Repetition of the subject with different complements
Repetition of the subject and verb with different objects
Elaborate on a single word
Repeating descriptive language at the start
“Miniatures”
Consecutive cases
“Regularity and Relief"
Week 3
Aristotle 2-3
1. ___________ may be defined as the faculty of observing in

any given case the available means of persuasion. (Rhetoric)
2. True or False: Rhetoric is the only art that can look upon
the power of persuasion on almost any other subject.
(TRUE)
3. Also known as Ethos, Pathos, and Logos. Aristotle lists the

three modes of rhetoric and upon what they depend.
1. (Ethos) Depends on the personal character of the
__________(speaker),
2. (Pathos) The frame of mind of the
__________(audience),
3. (Logos) Depends on the words of the ____________
(speech) itself. pg. 7
4. In dialectic, there is induction on one hand and syllogism in

the other. In rhetoric, there is ______________ and
_______________. (example and enthymeme).
5. True or False: An enthymeme has more propositions than a

transitional syllogism. (FALSE)
6. List the three ELEMENTS in speechmaking:

_____________,_______________,________________ (speaker,
subject, and person addressed).
7. List the three DIVISIONS of oratory:

_________________,_____________________,__________________
(Political, Forensic, and Ceremonial)
8. The propositions of rhetoric are: _______________,

_______________, and ____________(complete proofs,
probability, and signs) p. 14
9. True or False: Propositions in rhetoric must be possible and

impossible, particular and universal. (TRUE).
10. Study the following chart, print it, and know it well!
Week 4
Farnsworth 32-54
1. Epistrophe is sometimes referred to as ____________.

(Antistrophe).
2. True or False: Epistrophe is the repetition of a word or

phrase at the end of a series of sentences or clauses.
(TRUE)
3. List the ten ways Epistrophe can be used:

Different actions, same objects
Same action, different doers or recipients
Changes in tense or mood
Things sharing the same quality repeated at the end
Same general condition, different details
Different acts done in the same way
Different conditions, identical outcomes
Anaphora + Epistrophe (Repetition at the beginning, then
at the end).
Use of Variety: Establish the pattern, then abolish it.
Lincoln’s use
4. Which use does this example fit into: “I hate to be poor,

and we are degradingly poor, offensively poor, miserably
poor, beastly poor.” –Dickens, Our Mutual Friend
(Farnsworth 37). (Same general condition, different details)
5. Which use does this example fit into: “Slavery shrinks from
the light; it hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest
its deeds should be reproved.” –Douglass, speech at
London (Farnsworth 43). (Use of Variety)
Week 5
Aristotle 4-5
1. In order for the political speaker to offer counsel he must

understand what is __________ and __________. (good and
bad).
2. True or False: The political speaker must deal with things

that can men can deliberate on, things that can be changed.
(TRUE)
3. List the five main things upon which men deliberate:

Ways and means
War and peace
National defense
Imports and exports
Legislation
4. What would need to be known under the title of ways and

means?
Revenue of country
Expenses of country
Where to increase and where to decrease spending
5. What would be discussed under the title of war and peace?

Strength of military
Past wars
Facts of neighboring countries
6. What would need to be known under the title of national

defense?
Methods of defense used
Strategies
7. What would need to be known under the title of imports

and exports?
Agreements
Needs
8. What would need to be known under the title of
legislation?
Constitution
History of Law in country
9. (Chapter 5) According to Aristotle, the end that all men

have in common is ____________. (Happiness)
10. Define happiness using Aristotle’s definition on page 17.

“We may define happiness as prosperity combined with
virtue or as independence of life; or as the secure
enjoyment of the maximum pleasure; or as a good
condition of property and body and making use of them.”
11. List some of the constituent parts of happiness.

Good birth
Plenty of friends
Good friends
Wealth
Good children
Plenty of children
Old age
Health
Beauty
Strength
Fame
Honor
Virtue
Week 6
Farnsworth 55-62
1. An ABBC pattern can be found when using the figure of

speech______________. (anadiplosis)
2. True or False: Anadiplosis is defined as using the same

language at the end of one sentence or clause and at the
beginning of the next. (TRUE)
3. List the four ways Anadiplosis is commonly used:

Chains of causation
Chains of reasoning
Ascension and climax
For emphasis
4. “We love our families more than our neighbors; we love our
neighbors more than our countrymen in general.” –
Hamilton (Farnsworth 58) This quote is an example of
which use from question three? (Ascension and climax).
5. True or False: In chains of reasoning use, the speaker is

explaining their reasoning through repetitious figures as
opposed to describing causation. (TRUE)
Week 7
Aristotle 6-8
1. The political speakers aim is_________ . (utility)
2. Since utility is good, we must understand what constitutes

a good thing. How does Aristotle define a good thing?
“…that which ought to be chosen for its own sake.”
(Aristotle 21).
3. True or False: Justice, Courage, Temperance, Magnanimity,

Magnificence, Health, Beauty are all considered “goods.”
(TRUE).
4. List a few more reason a thing can be considered “good”

according to Aristotle on page 23. These will help us if a
good is being disputed as such.
Annoys our enemies
Is contrary to evil
That which all men seek
Things chosen by those we admire
Easily affected
Praised
Not in excess
5. True or False: Greater and Smaller are comparison with

normal magnitude, whereas Great and Small are based
upon a comparison with something smaller or less. (FALSE)
p. 24
6. List at least ten reasons Aristotle gives for one thing being
greater than another. (You will use this reasoning to
complete your composition assignment this week).
Greater number of goods
Largest member of one class surpasses the largest number
of another
When one thing accompanies the other, but the other
does not always accompany it, it is the greater than
the other.
Produces a greater good
If it is an end, and not a means to an end, it is greater
When one thing does not exist or cannot exist without the
other
What is rare is greater than what is plentiful
The more praiseworthy is the greater
What is natural is greater than what is acquired
That which is chosen by a better man (more just or
virtuous)
7. Government structure and purpose is another key aspect

of political speech. What are the four types of government
structures: (Democracy, Oligarchy, Aristocracy, Monarchy)
8. List the authority, method of selection, and end of each

form of government:
Democracy:
Authority-people
Selection Process-lot
End- freedom
Oligarchy:
Authority-wealthy class
Selection Process- by class
End-wealth
Aristocracy:
Authority-educated class
Selection Process- most educated
End-education/preservation of customs
Monarchy:
Authority-most powerful
Selection Process-organized succession
End-preservation of monarchy
Tyranny:
Authority- Tyrant (most powerful)
Selection Process- taking of power
End- preservation of tyrant.
Week 10
Farnsworth 63-73
1. Repetition of the same word with a different ending is

called_______________. (Polyptoton)
2. True or False: Reciprocity refers to repeating a word in

active and passive tenses to demonstrate how an action
can be done to one and by one. (TRUE)
3. “The actor and act” usage of polyptoton refers to the

_________ and the __________ of an act. (Doer/Doing)
4. “For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and

will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” –
Corinthians 1:19 (Farnsworth 67). This example
demonstrates which usage of polyptoton? (TWO NOUNS)
5. Polyptoton can also be used to:

Express variations in tense
To modify with superlatives and comparative forms
Matching noun and modifier
Changing the form of adjacent words
6. “All form is formless, order orderless” –King John, 3,I

(Farnsworth 72). This example demonstrates which usage
of polyptoton? (Changing form of adjacent words).
Week 11
Aristotle Ch. 9
1. What does Aristotle consider noble?

(Page 31- “This Noble is that which is both desirable for its
own sake and also worthy of praise; or that which is both
good and also pleasant because good.”)
2. According to this definition, ___________ is noble. (VIRTUE)
3. According to Aristotle the nine forms of Virtue are:

(Justice, Courage, Temperance, Magnificence,
Magnanimity, Liberality, Gentleness, Prudence, Wisdom,
p. 32)
4. Write a brief description of each of the nine virtues.

(Consult page 32, or a dictionary to form your answers.)
5. The highest kind of virtue is that which is

_______________________. (helpful to others).
6. When preparing to write your own speeches, bookmark

page 33, so you can consult which things are considered
“Noble” or praiseworthy according to Aristotle. Below are
few examples. List as many in your notes as you would like.
Those which give more pleasure to others than their
possessors
Victory & Honor
Things that deserve to be remembered
Possessions that bring no profit
7. According to Aristotle, audience is everything in rhetoric. If

the audience esteems a given quality, we must say that our
hero_______________. (Has that quality).
8. We must try to prove that our hero’s noble acts are

________________. (Intentional)
9. True or False: Praise refers to a man’s good qualities,
whereas encomium refers to what he has actually done.
(TRUE)
10. True or False: We can praise a man even if he has not

actually done a good thing. (TRUE)
11. List five ways of heightening praise (pg. 36):

Pointing out that a man is the only one
The first
Almost the only one
The person did it better than anyone else
Make the most of the season or occasion of the action
COMPARISON with other noble men.
Week 12
Farnsworth 74-96
1. Define Isocolon: “Successive sentences, clauses, or phrases

similar in length and parallel in structure” (Farnsworth 74).
2. Which famous speech is the classical example of this

figure? This speech uses it “so constant that the results
seems a little over polished and off-putting…” (Farnsworth
74). (Julius Caesar, Brutus’s funeral oration.)
3. “The louder he talked of his honor, the faster we counted

our spoons” –Emerson (Farnsworth 76). This is an example
of which use of isocolon? (Two claims about same subject).
4. True or False: Isocolon is sometimes referred to as tricolon

when there are three elements arranged in this parallel
way. (TRUE)
5. List the other four to eleven usages of isocolon and list

your favorite examples:
Internal Repetition of words, “Render therefore unto
Caesar the things which…”
Commands and instructions, “Heal the sick, cleanse the
leper…”
Dialogical, (Hamlet Example)
Antithesis with Isocolon (contrast of ideas), “What he
most dreaded, that I most desired…”
Forced choice, “Had you rather Caesar were living and die
all slaves…”
Successive cases, “As Caesar loved me, I weep for him; as
he was fortunate, I rejoice…”
Abandonment- abandon structure in the end
Lengthening and Shortening, “America is false to the past,
false to the present, and solemnly binds herself to be
false to the future.” Douglass (Farnsworth 93).
Week 13
Aristotle 10-12
1. Define wrongdoing. “Injury voluntarily inflicted contrary to

law.”
2. Law is either ___________or _____________. (Special or

General)
3. ____________law refers to written law that pertains to

particular communities. (Special)
4. ____________law refers to unwritten principles which are

supposed to be acknowledged everywhere. (General)
5. All actions of man that are not due to himself are due to
__________or _____________. (chance or compulsion)
6. List the ten vices mentioned by Aristotle and the crimes

they lend themselves towards. Example: Meanness- wrongs
concerning money. (Aristotle 37)
Meanness- wrongs concerning money
Profligacy- matters of physical pleasure
Effeminacy- matters of comfort
Cowardice- where danger is concerned
Ambition- matters concerning honor
Quick-temperedness- from anger
Pride- for the sake of victory
Embitteredness- wrongs done for the sake of revenge.
Stupidity- misunderstanding of right and wrong
Shamelessness-no regard for what others think
7. In as much detail as possible explain each of the seven

causes of human action: chance, compulsion, nature, habit,
rational impulse, anger, and desire. (Aristotle 38)
1. Chance (involuntary): The things that happen by
chance are all those whose cause cannot be determined,
that have no purpose, and that happen neither always
nor usually nor in any fixed way.
2. Compulsion (voluntary): This takes place contrary to
the desire or reason of the doer, yet through one's own
agency.
3. Nature (involuntary): The things that happen naturally.
4. Habit (voluntary): Men have habits because they have
often done them before.
5. Rational impulse (voluntary): Those which we are
induced to have; there are many things we desire to see
or get because we have been told of them and induced
to believe them good.
6. Anger (voluntary): Inflicted for the sake of the person
punished, and revenge for the person to satisfy one's
angry feelings.
7. Desire (voluntary): Cause of all actions that appear to
be pleasant.
8. List three reasons men do wrong to others as stated on

pages 42-43 of Aristotle (Chapter 11).
Man is fond of himself
Man likes to have power over others
Man is ambitious
(More listed in the reading.)
Week 14
Farnsworth 97-114
1. Define Chiasmus in your own words: It occurs when words

or other elements are repeated with their order reversed.
2. John Kennedy’s famous example of chiasmus is: “Ask not

what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for
your country.” (Farnsworth 97)
3. List the three typical purposes of a good chiasmus.

Reinforce reciprocity
Closed loop- no room for dispute
Memorable
4. “Beauty is truth, truth beauty,--that is all Ye know on earth,

and all ye need to know.”- Keats (Farnsworth 104). This is
an example of which use of chiasmus? (Stating Identity)
5. Which use of chiasmus does Lincoln use in the Gettysburg

address when he speaks of the work to be “dedicated here”
and “here dedicated”? (Farnsworth 109). (The structure
chiasmus)
Week 15
Aristotle 13-15
1. Just and Unjust actions can be divided into two classes.

Those against __________ and those against _____________.
(the whole community; its members)
2. The readings this week spoke a lot about how to judge a

criminal act and how to determine the "level of wrong"
committed. How do you determine if a wrong has been
committed and how the magnitude of a wrong is judged?
According to Aristotle, there are a few ways by which to
determine the level of wrong committed by a person.
Firstly, whether or not they are going against the general
law or the particular law. The going against the general
law entails a higher level of wrong because it comprises
more serious and universal wrongs. The other and more
important way to determine level of wrong is the amount
of intentionality by the doer. A higher level of
intentionality is productive of a higher level of wrong
because there is more commitment to the wrong action.
3. List the five non-technical means of persuasion:

Laws
Witnesses
Contracts
Tortures
Oaths
4. Which witnesses are the best because they cannot be

corrupted? _______ (Ancient)
5. If you have no witnesses, you should argue from what is

____________ (probable).
6. In this chapter Aristotle teaches us how to argue depending
on our circumstance. Explain the four circumstances
regarding oaths on pages 55-56 of Aristotle’s Rhetoric.
Offer an oath, and Accept an oath
Not offer an oath, and Not accept an oath
Offer and oath, and Not accept an oath
Not offer an oath, and Accept an oath
Week 16
Farnsworth 115-127
1. Anastrophe is synonymous with _____________. (hyperbaton)
2. True or False: Anastrophe occurs when words appear in an

expected order. (FALSE--unexpected)
3. List the four standard purposes of anastrophe. (Farnsworth

115)
Calls attention to the words
Attractive rhythm
Compresses meaning
Climactic ending
4. Matthew 5:3-5 is an example of which usage of anastrophe?

(The inverted complement).
5. The ___________verb is another use of anastrophe as

demonstrated by this example: “Whatever other business he
has to attend to, waking or sleeping, breathe he must, or die he
will” –Melville (Farnsworth 123). (early)
SEMESTER 2
Week 1
Book II: Chapters 1-3, Aristotle’s Rhetoric
1. This chapter Aristotle will teach us the importance of

putting the audience in the right ________________ . (frame
of mind)
2. The character of the speaker is particularly important in

______________ rhetoric. (Political).
3. List the three things that inspire confidence in an orator’s

character: (good sense, good moral character, and goodwill).
4. What three things does Aristotle state we must discover

about each emotion? (what the state of mind is, who the
people are with in feeling the emotion, and on what grounds
they feel the emotion. (Aristotle 60)
5. Define anger. (“…an impulse, accompanied by pain, to a

conspicuous revenge for a conspicuous slight directed without
justification towards what concerns oneself or towards what
concerns one’s friends.” Aristotle 60).
6. Take notes on the three kinds of slighting: contempt, slight,

and insolence. (page 61).
7. List three things that make a man feel anger.

P 62-63
Being laughed at, mocked, or jeered/treated with insolence
Being spoken ill of/treated with contempt
Being slighted
8. List three persons towards whom a man feels anger.p. 62-63
Those who usually treat him with regard and then behave
otherwise
Those who oppose him even though they are inferior
Those who rejoice at his misfortunes
9. While anger is felt when a man is in____________, calmness

is felt when a man is enjoying the freedom from __________.
(pain, pain) (page 65 Aristotle).
Week 2
Farnsworth 128-146
1. Polysyndeton is the use of repeated _______________.

(conjunctions)
2. List its six purposes:

To create rhythm
To regulate pace
Sounds like it is effortless and made up on the spot
Every item in the list holds equal weight.
Emphasizes large number of items in list
Surprise and interest
3. The quote by Emerson on page 133, “Is it so bad then to be

misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and
Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and
Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that
ever took flesh. To be great is to be misunderstood,”
demonstrates which use of Polysyndeton? (completeness)
4. The best known use of this, according to Farnsworth on

page 136, is found in the __________. (Bible)
5. Polysyndeton is also used to suggest _____________ and a

flow of___________. (excitability/ events; 137).
6. List ways eight through twelve to use Polysyndeton:

Stringed alternatives
Pairings between items
To review explanations
As an aid to abuse
To enumerate horrors
Week 3
Aristotle, Book II, 4-6
1. A friend is someone who “shares your pleasure in what is

__________ and your pain in what is ___________, for your
sake and for no other reason.” (good, unpleasant; 66
Aristotle)
2. List several persons we feel friendly towards. Those who

have… (page 67).
Have treated us well
Those who wish to treat us well
Those liked by those we like
Those who treat us well where money and safety are
concerned.
Hard workers
Those who are morally good
3. List things that cause friendship.

Doing kindnesses
Doing them unasked (68).
4. Anger is concerned with individuals, whereas hatred is

directed towards ________(classes).
5. Anger can be cured by ________, hatred cannot. (time)
6. Define fear according to page 69.

“A pain or disturbance due to a mental picture of some
destructive or painful event in the future.”
7. Take notes on pages 70-71 about the specific conditions

under which fear is felt.
8. True or False: To appeal to fear, the orator must make the
audience feel that they are really in danger of something,
pointing out that it has happened to someone stronger, or
persons like themselves, in an unexpected way or time.
(True).
9. What is the opposite of fear? (Confidence)
10. True or False: Next Aristotle addresses Shame and

Shamelessness. Shame is often felt when we lack traits of
those on our level. (True).
11. List the conditions under which we feel shame, according

to Aristotle on page 75.
Having people related to us towards whom we feel
shame
Having those we admire lose respect for us
When we have exploits or acts in our past that are
shameful
When we are looked down upon by our models or
rivals
12. The opposite of shame is ____________. (shamelessness).
Week 4
Farnsworth 147-156
1. Asyndeton means leaving out an expected ____________.

(Conjunction).
2. List the classic purposes of asyndeton.

Emphasis
Each item has similar force
To show restatements
To show a close relationship between the words
Acceleration
Musicality
Creating a mood of solemnity
3. True or false: When you change a verb in an asyndeton

sequence for a stronger one. It makes the sentence boring
and flat. (False)
4. “But, in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot

consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground.” –Lincoln,
Gettysburg Address (Farnsworth 151). This quote
demonstrates which use of asyndeton? (Verb and
combinations)
5. True or False: Asyndeton can be used with anaphora or

Epistrophe. (True).
Week 5
Aristotle Book II 7-11
1. Rather than completing study guide questions this week, fill

in the chart on the following page with notes from
Chapters 7-11. (No study guide this week)
Week 6
Farnsworth 157-165
1. An _____________ is an omission of expected words with

various consequences. (ellipsis)
2. What are the four consequences of this figure?

Reader fills in missing language
Small surprise
Brevity
Later phrase borrows from an earlier word
(Farnsworth 157)
3. “It often happens that the sicker man is the nurse to the
sounder” –Thoreau (Farnsworth 158). This quote is an
example of which use of ellipsis. (Omitted noun).
4. The omitted verb usage of ellipsis is also known as

__________. (zeugma)
5. “Books are the best of things, well used; abused, among the
worst.” –Emerson (Farnsworth 162). This example
demonstrates which use of ellipsis? (Omission of Subject and
Verb).
Week 7
Aristotle, Book II: 12-17
1. In discussing character, Aristotle breaks men into three

classes according to age. What are these three classes?
(Youth, Old Age, and Prime of Life)
2. List some traits of the young.

Strong passions
Fickle in desire
Impulsive
Hopeful
Rather do noble deeds than useful ones
Fond of fun
Witty
3. List some traits of the old.

Cynical
Small-minded
Not-generous
Reasonable
Care for what is useful, rather than noble
Cowardly
4. List some traits of those in the prime of life.

Level-headed
Neither too optimistic, nor too cynical
Neither too much confidence, nor too little.
5. True or False: According to Aristotle in Chapter 17, those

who are powerful are more ambitious than the wealthy
because they aspire to do great deeds which their power
permits. (True).
6. Responsibility makes the powerful more__________.
(serious).
7. Unlike the rich who Aristotle describes as arrogant, the

powerful are______________.(dignified)
Week 10
Farnsworth 166-181
1. Paralipsis is another name for the which popular figure of

speech? (Præteritio)
2. Define Præteritio.
Occurs when the speaker describes what he will not
say, and so says it, or at least a bit of it. (Aristotle 166)
3. List the purposes of Præteritio.

Credit for discretion
Leave something to the reader’s imagination
To limit debate over a controversial utterance.
Amusement
4. List the uses of Præteritio.

I will not speak of…
Never mind that… (disclaimer comes later)
The short-lived promise
Withheld details
I will not call him a fool
Matters deferred to another time, place, or speaker
The thing already known
No offense
The speaker claims to have no choice
5. “The proceedings opened with a speech from my colleague,

of which I will say nothing. It was deplorable”-Chesterton
(Farnsworth 172). This quote is an example of which use of
Præteritio? (The short-lived promise)
6. “There are many other modes of retaliation, which, for
several reasons, I choose not to mention…” –Paine
præteritio? (Withheld details)
7. “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears; I come

to bury Caesar, not to praise him.”-Shakespeare
præteritio? (no offense)
Week 11
Aristotle, Book II: 18-20
1. In chapter 18, Aristotle mentions lines of argument which

all orators are bound to. What are these lines of argument?
(Possible/Impossible; to show that a thing has happened or
that it will in the future; the topic of size)
2. Aristotle lists several ways a possible/impossible argument

can be made. One line of argument goes: “If the beginning
of a thing can occur, so can ___________. (The end). (In your
notes, list other possible/impossible arguments.
3. “That if a man had the power and the wish to do a thing, he

has done it” is an example of Questions of __________ facts.
(Past; Aristotle 91)
4. “That a thing will be done if there is the power and wish to

do it.” Is an example of Questions of ______________ facts.
(Future).
5. The ___________is part of enthymeme. (maxim)
6. Example has the nature of _________________ (Induction).
7. Invention of facts by the speaker comes in two varieties:

____________________________and
____________________________. (Illustrative parallel and fable).
8. True or False: An analogy is similar to an illustrative parallel.
(TRUE)
9. True or False: Fables are NOT suited for popular

assemblies. (FALSE)
10. True or False: Fables are relatively easy to invent. (TRUE)
11. True or False: If we can argue by enthymeme, we should
use our examples as subsequent supplementary evidence.
(TRUE).
Week 12
Farnsworth 182-193
1. Breaking off a sentence and leaving it unfinished is

called______________. (Aposiopesis)
2. In your own words, six purpose of aposiopesis are:

Suspense
Saying half is enough
Drama
Discretion
Imagination
Sounds genuine and unrehearsed
3. In your own words, nine ways aposiopesis are written are:

Loss for words
Incapacity
Thinking better of it
Why proceed?
Goading the audience
Punctuate an utterance
Or else
Narrative device
Confusion
4. “Bear with me, My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar,

And I must pause till it come back to me.” –Shakespeare
aposiopesis? (Incapacity)
5. “Well, that is very decided indeed—that does seem as if—

but, however, it may all come to nothing.” – Austen
aposiopesis? (Confusion).
Week 13
Aristotle, BOOK II, 21-22
1. Define maxim according to page 95.

It is a statement; not a particular fact, but of a general
kind; nor is it about any and every subject, but about
questions of general conduct.
2. An ________________ is a syllogism dealing with these

practical subjects. (Enthymeme)
3. Maxims that express paradoxical views must have a

_____________ first, or the maxim must be the conclusion.
(supplement)
4. According to Aristotle, maxims are appropriate only to

______________, and in speaking of subjects the orator is
_____________. (elderly men; experienced)
5. True or False: Contradicting popular proverbs or sayings is

an effective rhetorical technique. (TRUE, Aristotle 97).
6. True or False: One use of maxims is to get a “head nod” of

sorts from the audience. For example, “Nothing is more
annoying than a speaker without a point.” (TRUE)
7. True or False: Maxims have the power to enhance the

moral purpose of a speech. (TRUE)
8. In Chapter 22, Aristotle claims “Uneducated men argue

from __________________________ and draw obvious
conclusions. (common knowledge)
9. What are the two kinds of enthymemes found on page
100?
Affirmative (Demonstrative)
Negative (Refutative)
Week 14
Farnsworth 194-203
1. Metanoia mean______________ oneself. (correcting)
2. The “attractive consequences” of Metanoia are:

Disruption & Attention
Say something and take it back
Persuasive value
Natural working out of words, changes tone of speech
An appearance of scrupulosity
3. “I am old and infirm. I have one foot—more than one foot—

in the grave.” –Pitt (Farnsworth 196). This quote
demonstrates which effect of Metanoia?
To make a point more strongly
4. “He says this Dred Scott case is a very small matter at

most—that it has no practical effect; that at best, or rather, I
suppose, at worst, it is but an abstraction.” This quote is an
example of which use of Metanoia?
To state an opposite.
5. List ways five through eight of Metanoia’s use.

Clarification or redefinition
Shift in perspective
Correction in advance of a statement
Questioning oneself
Week 15
Aristotle Book II 23-26
*No study guide; instead use these lists to check your speech for
proper lines of argument.
Positive Proofs (Chapter 23)
a. Is the opposite true?

b. What can be said of the one can be said of the
other
c. If one gave, the other received
d. If a quality does not exist where it is more likely, it
certainly does not exist where it is less likely
e. Apply to the other speaker what has been said
against you.
f. Defining your terms
g. Argue based on different sense of a word
h. Use logical division
i. Use induction
j. Compare to a decision that is already pronounced
k. Use the consequences—good or bad
l. People often approve publicly what they disapprove
privately and vice versa.
m. See more proofs and arguments in Chapter 23.
Decide which are most relevant to your argument.
Fallacies (Chapter 24)
a. The whole is true of the parts and the parts are

what is true of the whole
b. Indignant language
c. Using signs as certain evidence
d. Using the accidental as essential
e. Arguing from consequence
f. Using causes as proof, when they are not truly the
causes
g. Leaving out time and circumstance
h. See other examples in Chapter 24 (Find any false
claims in your speech and revise)
Refutation (Chapter 25-26)
a. Attacking the opponent’s statement itself

b. Object from the contrary statement
c. Object from a like statement
d. Use “well-known” men as examples
Week 16
Farnsworth 204-249
1. Litotes occurs when a speaker avoids making an

___________ claim directly and instead denies its opposite.
(affirmative)
2. “She was not quite what you would call refined. She was
not quite what you would call unrefined. She was the kind
of person that keeps a parrot.” –Twain (Farnsworth 205).
This is an example of which use of Litotes?
Literal accuracy
3. “No change, no degradation, no perversion of humanity, in

any grade, through all the mysteries of wonderful creation,
has monsters half so horrible and dread” –Dickens
(Farnsworth 210) This is an example of definition by
_____________. (negatives)
4. The simple paradox is demonstrated through the quote,

“The golden rule is that there are_________________.” (no
golden rules)
5. Define Erotema.
A question that does not call for reply
6. Define Hypophora.
Asking a question and answering it.
7. “If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of
Caesar’s, to him I say, that Brutus’ love to Caesar was no
less than his. If then that friend demand why Brutus rose
against Caesar, this is my answer: Not that I loved Caesar
less, but that I loved Rome more.” –Shakespeare
(Farnsworth 229). This quote demonstrates which use of
Hypophora?
Explicitly raising the question
8. True or False: Lincoln used Hypophora in his First Inaugural

Address when he gave the same answer to different
questions in his speech. (TRUE)
9. Anticipating a point and meeting it is called _____________.

(Prolepsis; Farnsworth 246)
10. “You hope to place me in the dock. I tell you that I will
never stand in the dock. You hope to beat me. I tell you
that you will never beat me.” –Doyle (Farnsworth 247). This
is an example of _______________ where the speaker
“recapitulates the adversary’s position and his own.”
(prolepsis)

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Rhetoric

Classical English Rhetoric

A Kolbe Academy Publication

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam

Kolbe Academy Home School

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam

1. Every person practices dialectic and rhetoric in their

2. According to Aristotle, rhetoric is an art. TRUE

3. Aristotle believed the writers of his day focused too much

4. Political oratory was said to be the most noble by Aristotle.

5. Enthymeme is the form that demonstration takes in

6. List the four uses of Rhetoric given by Aristotle:

7. If a Judge rules improperly, who does Aristotle say is at

Copyright Kolbe Academy 2020 All Rights Reserved

9. Expanding on number 8, this means “the honest rhetorician

10. Aristotle ends the chapter by stating that he will move on

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1. The term associated with repeated phrases is

2. DIACOPE_and_CONDUPLICATIO are repetitions with other

3. Epizeuxis is repetition consecutively, often with the classic

4. “A Horse! A horse! My kingdom for a horse!” (Shakespeare,

5. List some (2-3) of the reasons conduplicatio is used.

6. “…Hear me for my cause, and be silent, that you may hear:

7. Winston Churchill and Martin Luther King, Jr. both used

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Copyright Kolbe Academy 2020 All Rights Reserved

1. ___________ may be defined as the faculty of observing in

3. Also known as Ethos, Pathos, and Logos. Aristotle lists the

4. In dialectic, there is induction on one hand and syllogism in

5. True or False: An enthymeme has more propositions than a

6. List the three ELEMENTS in speechmaking:

7. List the three DIVISIONS of oratory:

8. The propositions of rhetoric are: _______________,

9. True or False: Propositions in rhetoric must be possible and

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1. Epistrophe is sometimes referred to as ____________.

2. True or False: Epistrophe is the repetition of a word or

3. List the ten ways Epistrophe can be used:

4. Which use does this example fit into: “I hate to be poor,

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1. In order for the political speaker to offer counsel he must

2. True or False: The political speaker must deal with things

3. List the five main things upon which men deliberate:

4. What would need to be known under the title of ways and

5. What would be discussed under the title of war and peace?

6. What would need to be known under the title of national

7. What would need to be known under the title of imports

9. (Chapter 5) According to Aristotle, the end that all men

10. Define happiness using Aristotle’s definition on page 17.

11. List some of the constituent parts of happiness.

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1. An ABBC pattern can be found when using the figure of

2. True or False: Anadiplosis is defined as using the same

3. List the four ways Anadiplosis is commonly used:

5. True or False: In chains of reasoning use, the speaker is

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1. The political speakers aim is_________ . (utility)

2. Since utility is good, we must understand what constitutes

3. True or False: Justice, Courage, Temperance, Magnanimity,

4. List a few more reason a thing can be considered “good”

5. True or False: Greater and Smaller are comparison with

7. Government structure and purpose is another key aspect

8. List the authority, method of selection, and end of each

2. Law is either _or ___. (Special or