Los Tres Reyes Magos, Pero Like…Different
When you read the title, “Los Tres Reyes Magos,” one of two things must have gone through your mind. The first, “what the heck does that mean?” The second, you know Spanish and read it like… well normal. Although, just to clarify any confusion, “Los Tres Reyes Magos” translated to English is the “Three Kings.” Quick Sunday school lesson, they’re the three wise men that traveled to bring Jesus gifts the day he was born. Why a baby needs only three gifts, one of them being gold, is beyond my knowledge. In rhetoric, there are also “Three Kings:” ethos, pathos, and logos. They are often used as a way to augment persuasion to a targeted auditor(s).
Let us examine the three appeals in depth. Ethos, the credibility the author gives to their auditor(s), allowing them to trust what they are saying. When a doctor is informing you of your health, you believe them, one because if they determine that you have the flu, it’ll have you concerned. Second, being their credentials as M.D. allows you to feel certain in what they’re informing you.
Pathos, the way an author expresses emotion aiding their argument. Always think passion, when an author is using pathos, they’re putting passion behind their words, for the auditor(s) to feel connected, plus passion is an emotion. Take for instance the incentive of protecting and freeing circus animals. Regularly these arguments contain a real-life example of how animals have been suffering, often describing to their auditors the grueling images of abused animals. Setting off a set of emotions, such as anger towards circus trainers. For animal lovers, this argument would be greatly effective in starting a movement, while if directed towards circus owners…anger ignited.
Lastly, logos, the logical appeal, pretty self-explanatory. When authors use logos, it’s used as a ‘duh’ factor for the audience. When there are small ice flakes are falling from the sky, it’s snow…duh. Your finger grazes over a sharp edge of a knife, a small cut is created…duh. The argument relies on simplicity and facts…Logic. Engages the audience to expect what’s next.
The three appeals are often, if not always, used intertwined. Let’s circle back to the doctor and flu situation. Your symptoms are runny nose, chills, fever, and fatigue. Allowing you to come to the logical conclusion that you’re sick. Following up with a doctor allows for a more depth approach determining your illness, while allowing the trust you have in the doctors’ experience to prescribe you medicine. As the Backstreet Boys would say…Bye, bye flu.
When crafting an argument, you’re creating a complex word structure, perfecting an art per se. When to use the “Three Kings” of rhetoric pertains to the audience you’re directing your argument. How to use them solely relates to the genre of your persuasion. Ethos, logos, and pathos are the backbone of all arguments. It captures the audience’s attention, allows them to feel apart of something. Using the “Three Kings” allows you to create an empire.
