Aristotle's three proofs, sometimes called the rhetorical appeals—ethos, pathos, and logos—are essential tools for writing any speech. In fact, they are one of the main ways of critiquing a speech, and because of that, you’ll need to consider the ways you can strengthen your logos, pathos, and ethos as you prepare to give a speech.
Ethos appeals to the speaker's credibility, pathos appeals to the audience's emotions, and logos appeals to logical reasoning. By integrating these elements into your speech outline, you create a balanced and compelling argument that resonates with your audience.
Here are some examples of ethos, logos, and pathos:
Ethos (the appeal of character)
Overall preparation and expertise/confidence
Physical appearance
Speaking delivery and dynamism
Context provided by the situation
Logos (the appeal of reason)--Logical flow of the argument and speech structure
Sources and evidence that support the claims being made
Supports the informational needs of the audience
Pathos (the appeal of emotion)
The audience feels what the speaker intends
The audience’s preferences and beliefs
Correlation between the speaker’s demeanor and their intent for the audience
Here is an example of how this works in a persuasive speech:
Speech Topic - The Importance of Renewable Energy
Ethos
Pathos
Logos