Rhetorical Analysis Of Kenneth Burke's A Grammar Of Motives

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How do we understand and evaluate human motivation is the subject of Kenneth Burke's A Grammar of Motives (Bizzel and Herzberg, 2001, p. 1298). To analyze people's motives, Burke developed his pentad; the five terms he claims are present when investigating motive. The pentad consists of: • Act: names what took place, in thought or deed • Seen: the background of the act, the situation in which it occurred • Agent: the person or kind of person who performed the act • Agency: what means or instruments was used • Purpose: why the act was committed (Herrick, 2013, p.213). Burke admitted that rhetoricians using his pentad may disagree on how to apply each element to a specific subject, but argued any complete statement about motives must include these five areas. Further, the five elements do not work in isolation and influence each other. His pentad is applicable to analyzing texts, movies, personal actions, and pictures. …show more content…

• Act: In the ad, a young woman dances in front of a box of Prozac. She appears to be happy and enjoying life. • Seen: The box resembles that of laundry detergent, and uses terms normally associated with laundry. Underneath Prozac is the phrase, “Mood Brightener,” and above that is the slogan “America's #1 Selling Drug.” Behind the box are the words “Fresher!”, “Cleaner!” and the phrase “Better than ever!” Underneath the box are the words, “Wash Your Blues Away!” • Agent: The woman is dressed as a 1950s or 1960s housewife, complete with an apron and high heels. She can easily represent an entire generation of women. She appears to be joyfully dancing in front of the Prozac box, looking up and smiling at the

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