Rhetorical Triangle for Evaluating the Effectiveness of Messages - Essay Example

The Rhetorical Triangle is used for analyzing the quality of messages in terms of ‘reasoning and argumentation (Cooper 2009, p.52). Different views seem to exist in regard to the elements of the rhetorical triangle. According to Cooper (2009), the Rhetorical triangle incorporates ‘the speaker, the audience and the purpose’ (Cooper 2009, p.52). In its most common form, the Rhetorical triangle includes ‘the speaker, the audience and the message’ (Magedah 2010, p.7). The above terms could be analyzed as follows: the speaker is the person that delivers the message (Magedah 2010, p.7). The means used for the delivering of the message is not standardized (Magedah 2010, p.7). The audience is a term used for describing the individual or individuals ‘who receive the message’ (Magedah 2010, p.7). It should be noted that the audience cannot be precisely defined in advance; for example, if a message targets a person but it is finally delivered to many persons, then the audience is extended even if the speaker did not have such intention (Killingsworth 2005, p.26). As for the third element of the Rhetorical triangle, i.e. the message, this is used for showing ‘the information that the speaker aims to convey to the audience’ (Magedah 2010, p.7). In order for a message to be successfully delivered all the above elements need to be taken into consideration (Magedah 2010, p.7). The first of the videos analyzed in this paper, i.e. the video entitled ‘How to Make Sugar-Free Lemonade’ can be considered quite successful in terms of delivering the message involved.

The success of the video can be made clear by referring to the three elements of the Rhetorical triangle: the presenter describes clearly the phases of the process; in this way, the identity of the speaker is revealed to the audience, a fact that can increase the trust of the audience to the message (Andrews 2012). In this way also, the message becomes clearer (Andrews 2012). The delivery of the message is also supported through the text following each phase of the process. The audience of the message is defined in the video’s introductory notice: it is made clear that the video aims to help all of those who wish to prepare delicious lemonade (How to Make Sugar – Free Lemonade, Introductory paragraph).

Under these terms, the specific video has been developed by taking into consideration the three elements of the Rhetorical Triangle, a fact that increases the chances of the video’s success. The video entitled ‘How to Make a Flat Spiral Bracelet’ has been also developed using the rhetorical triangle: in this video also, a presenter is used for explaining the phases of the process. At this point, the specific video is proved as effective as the previous one, as defining effectively the speaker of the message (Babin & Harrison 1999).

The audience, like in the previous video, can be assumed by referring to the introductory text of the video: the audience can include those people who are interested in involving with a particular hobby. In regard to this point also this video is as effective as the previous one. However, this video has not managed to cover all aspects of the message: the presentation of the message is not as clear as in the first video; the delivery of the message is not supported by an explanatory text and the presentation of the process is rather quick, a fact that could prohibit certain of the viewers to understand fully the process (Andrews, R., & Haythornthwaite 2007). According to the issues discussed above, the video ‘How to Make Sugar-Free Lemonade’ manages to deliver the message more effectively than the video ‘How to Make a Flat Spiral Bracelet’. The former focuses equally on all elements of the Rhetorical Triangle, a term which is necessary so that the delivery of the message to be considered as successful (Babin & Harrison 1999). The video ‘How to Make a Flat Spiral Bracelet’ is appropriately developed in terms of speaker and audience but it lacks in regard to the presentation of the message, as described above.

For this reason, just the first of the above videos can be characterized as successful in regard to its alignment with the three elements of the rhetorical triangle.