This paper traces Machiavelli's debt to classical rhetoric while outlining the rhetorical tenor of his comedy, "Mandragola." The paper specifically analyzes Machiavelli's attention to the medieval transmission of Ciceronian rhetoric by Boethius, as interpreted from the setting, characterization, and dialogue of "Mandragola."…

Discusses the scope of rhetorical studies, how they are distinctive, and what method of criticism is likely to reveal their essence. Contends that the shift from public address to public communication has taken the field away from traditional concerns and directed intellectual energy and scholarly effort to peripheral matters. (MS)

The long career of a single college professor reflects the way the entire profession has been shaped over the past several decades. Edward Corbett began his teaching career in 1948 at Creighton University, where he taught five courses per semester. His background in rhetoric derived from his graduate education at the University of Chicago, where…

Teachers read student papers with both eager and anxious expectancy about discourse they have caused but not written. Whatever the teachers may have said about what they will look for as they read, they still measure each paper against their ideas about appropriate performances in each of the categories of textual analysis. They are not reacting…

This paper describes an elective literature course that examines the cultural and historical context of Western United States literary works for insights into the whole of United States culture. From a definition of the "West" that has both geographical and mythical dimensions, the following major images emerge for study: Eden, El…

Literally defined, topoi are places in the mind where items of information (ideas, arguments, etc.) may be stored. The purpose of this paper is to conduct a critical analysis of a number of studies which have appeared in communication literature on the concept of topoi and to discuss the function of topoi in communication. Utilizing the…

The purpose of this paper is to extend Gage Chapel's application of Kenneth Burke's dramatistic pentad to the persuasive aspects of television programs and to examine its relevance to television criticism. The five concepts underlying a Burkeian analysis are discussed: act, scene, agent, agency, and purpose, and the elements within Burke's…

This paper discusses the misuse of historical data in attacks on educational revisionism and describes the contributions made by revisionists. Maintaining that the works of historical revisionists must be critically analyzed and their inadequacies recognized if they are to have lasting value, the author presents a textual criticism of a recent…

The four papers in this compilation were drawn from a conference designed to encourage scholars to continue the rhetorical tradition. The first paper, by Robert S. Cathcart, was the opening address of the conference and discusses the "technologization" of rhetoric. Specifically, the paper discusses the application of rhetorical analysis…

The two papers in this compilation were drawn from a conference designed to encourage scholars to continue the rhetorical tradition. The first paper, delivered by Todd Sorenson and Carrie Stopek, was the paper most highly commended by a panel of critics at the conference. The paper uses fantasy theme analysis, specifically the three fantasy theme…

To parallel Lester Asheim's doctoral thesis that compared the endings of 24 novels with their 1935-1945 filmed adaptations, this study examined the endings of 88 films produced between 1946 and 1977, comparing the literary endings with the filmed endings by the same criteria that Asheim used. The data indicate both similarities and differences to…

A dialectical heuristic that can be used to guide students through the stages of writing about a literary experience is discussed in this paper. The first section of the paper provides a working definition of literature as an area of discourse and divides the process of reading and writing about literature into three general phases: progressive,…

Over 200 participants from 10 states and 17 universities attended "The First National Symposium on Chicano Literature and Critical Analysis." Five of the papers presented at the symposium are given in this publication. The papers cover Chicano poetry, novel, drama, and popular folklore humor. "National Character vs Universality in…

Offering a rhetorical perspective of uncertainty reduction, this paper (1) discusses uncertainty reduction theory and dramatism; (2) identifies rhetorical strategies inherent in C. W. Berger and R. J. Calabrese's theory; (3) extends predicted outcome value to influenced outcome value; and (4) argues that the goal of uncertainty reduction and…

Educational criticism, based largely on a paradigm of the arts, is an evaluation mode which relies heavily on metaphor, other tropes, and artistic language in general, to convey the quality of educational experiences. Recently educational criticism came under fire by Patton, largely for its use of metaphor which Patton believes the critic brings…