For my Rhetorical Analysis Essay, I want to analyze a monologue from a movie or a book. Academic and political speeches don’t hold my interest, so I want to look at the rhetorical devices used in a work of fiction instead. As an avid reader, I enjoy watching how authors engage their readers. I also enjoy watching how filmmakers adapt books for the big screen. The different mediums make use of different rhetorical devices to convey certain messages to the audience. There are certain methods of rhetoric that can only be utilized in writing or video. I think it would be really cool to compare a speech given in a book and its movie adaptation.
I haven’t completely decided what I want my essay topic to be, but I want to write about something that I am interested in. I am thinking about analyzing a speech given by Sam in The Two Towers, the second installment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I have seen all of the movies many times, and I have always admired the way the movies convey the strong emotions felt by the characters. At the end of The Two Towers, Sam gives a very emotional speech inspiring Frodo to continue on in his quest to destroy the ring. The movie uses tone, expression, music, intermittent clips and visual reminders to illustrate Sam’s message, while the book uses only words to do the same. I want to compare and contrast the effectiveness of the different types of rhetoric and how the different mediums use logos, ethos and pathos to influence their audiences. I don’t know if I definitely want to write about this particular speech, but I do want to examine the varying effects of rhetoric as a piece is adapted from print to video.
You have a fantastic idea–especially as you examine how rhetoric changes as something moves from print to video. As I was reading your ideas, I was thinking of my trip to New Zealand when we drove from Christchurch to Queenstown–through the Remarkables–it really was just like driving through the movie. I will look forward to seeing what you come up with for your essay!
You have a really great idea for your essay! Sam’s speech in The Two Towers is definitely one of my favorite scenes in the entire trilogy. It is definitely something that you can get 4-5 pages out of! And also I think comparing the book to the movie would also provide you with a strong basis to write your paper on! Good luck!
I think you have a great idea for the essay! Hopefully writing about a scene that you know so well will be an advantage for you! I think it will be cool to analyze a film because the visuals will be so strong and the delivery so precise! Especially in a film such as Lord of the Rings there will be a ton of visuals and surroundings to analyze as well. I’m interested to see if analyzing the scene will make you see it in a different light. Perhaps taking it apart will give you a new appreciation for the film and the speech in question. Good luck with your essay! It seems like you are off to a great start!