Conducting a rhetorical analysis asks you to bring to bear on an argument your knowledge of argument and your repertoire of reading strategies. The chart of questions for analysis below (1 – 10) can help you examine an argument in depth. Although a rhetorical analysis will not include answers to all of these questions, using some of these questions in your thinking stages can give you a thorough understanding of the argument while helping you generate insights for your own rhetorical analysis essay.

1.

What to Focus On:
The kairotic moment and writer’s motivating occasion

Questions to Ask
■ What motivated the writer to produce this piece?
■ What social, cultural, political, legal, or economic conversations does this argument join?

Applying These Questions
■ Is the writer responding to a bill pending in Congress, a speech by a political leader, or a local event that provoked controversy?
■ Is the writer addressing cultural trends such as the impact of science or technology on values?

2.

What to Focus On:
Rhetorical context: Writer’s purpose and audience

Questions to Ask
■ What is the writer’s purpose?
■ Who is the intended audience?
■ What assumptions, values, and beliefs would readers have to hold to find this argument persuasive?
■ How well does the text suit its particular audience and purpose?

Applying These Questions
■ Is the writer trying to change readers’ views by offering a new interpretation of a phenomenon, calling readers to action, or trying to muster votes or inspire further investigations?
■ Does the audience share a political or religious orientation with the writer?

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3.

What to Focus On:
The kairotic moment and writer’s motivating occasion

Questions to Ask
■ What motivated the writer to produce this piece?
■ What social, cultural, political, legal, or economic conversations does this argument join?

Applying These Questions
■ Is the writer responding to a bill pending in Congress, a speech by a political leader, or a local event that provoked controversy?
■ Is the writer addressing cultural trends such as the impact of science or technology on values?

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2.

What to Focus On:
Rhetorical context: Writer’s purpose and audience

Questions to Ask
■ What is the writer’s purpose? 
■ Who is the intended audience? 
■ What assumptions, values, and beliefs would readers have to hold to find this argument persuasive? 
■ How well does the text suit its particular audience and purpose?

Applying These Questions
■ Is the writer trying to change readers’ views by offering a new interpretation of a phenomenon, calling readers to action, or trying to muster votes or inspire further investigations? 
■ Does the audience share a political or religious orientation with the writer?

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3.

What to Focus On
On Rhetorical context: Writer’s identity and angle of vision

Questions to Ask
◊ Who is the writer and what is his or her profession, background, and expertise?
◊ How does the writer’s personal history, education, gender, ethnicity, age, class, sexual orientation, and political leaning influence the angle of vision?
◊ What is emphasized and what is omitted in this text?
◊ How much does the writer’s angle of vision dominate the text?

Applying These Questions
◊ Is the writer a scholar, researcher, scientist, policy maker, politician, professional journalist, or citizen blogger?
◊ Is the writer affiliated with conservative or liberal, religious or lay publications?
◊ Is the writer advocating a stance or adopting a more inquiry-based mode?
◊ What points of view and pieces of evidence are “not seen” by this writer?