The Guilt Redemption Cycle

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Completed Consubstantiality. Consubstantiality is the completion of naming an object, then associating or disassociating with an opposing factor. The speaker now shares a commonality with the audience which he called “shared substance.” In the subconscious of the audience, there is a desire to identify and relate to people, and through the process of naming and associating, that desire has been met (Quigley 1998). The audience has now identified with the speaker through a shared substance as their interests are joined or, the audience perceives as similar because they have been persuaded to believe they are similar (Hitt 2013).
Guilt Redemption Cycle The guilt redemption cycle is the third concept in Burke’s Dramatism. Burke defines guilt …show more content…

In the ancient times of Aristotle, rhetoric was meant to persuade someone through the use of knowledge, logic and emotional appeals. The theories of Kenneth Burke expanded on the concept of persuasion through reasoning. His theories looked at rhetoric from not only a form of reasoning, but the reasons behind how and why people use persuasion. Burke defined rhetoric as the use of words, language, and symbols to create attitudes or actions in others, which he named Dramatism. Dramatism sees life and communication as a drama, where people are actors. Dramatism is an examination of the actors and their actions which reveal their motives for acting. Burke termed this new rhetoric, as it is the addition of discourse and action to the classic definition of …show more content…

Ultimately, people are motivated to relieve themselves of guilt, a broad term Burke used to cover negative feelings and emotions which cause a person discomfort. Guilt is caused due to the conflict of rules and norms in different hierarchies found in society. To remove this guilt, a person must identify with characteristics of a different person or group of people, to form a common ground between the two and create a division with a different group or person. The guilty person then uses this connection to others in an attempt to remove the guilt by accepting blame for the guilt or placing blame on someone else. If the audience accepts the reasons for the guilt, a new hierarchy is set and the process restarts.
Burke’s theory of dramatism led him to be one of the most well-known theorists of the 20th century, writing multiple books on his theories which have been referenced and cited since their release. These theories allow one to see the symbolism and meaning behind language, and how it motivates people to act. These theories did not limit themselves to only literature and speaking but delved into psychological and sociological concepts as they apply to the actions and motivations of a

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