Rhetorical Triangle

The Rhetorical Triangle represents the three rhetorical appeals created by Aristotle. The Greek terms pathos, logos, and ethos compose the triangle. Pathos means appealing to emotions; ethos means appealing to ethics; logos means logic. The balance of these terms creates a powerful way to convey a message in any communication style.

Examples of each Greek term

• Ethos: "9 out of 10 professors at The University of New Hampshire recommend that students read this book for success in their college career."

This is ethos because it refers to reputable sources.

• Pathos: "If you do not donate to this charity, patients could go without necessary care to treat their illnesses."

This is pathos because it appeals to emotions of readers.

• Logos: "75 percent of customers see results within the first two months of using this product."

This is an example of logos because it offers statistics to support a claim.