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Oxymorons
Definition of Pathos
Pathos, along with logos and ethos, is one of the three "modes of persuasion" in rhetoric (the art of effective speaking or writing). Pathos is an argument that appeals to... read full definition
Pathos, along with logos and ethos, is one of the three "modes of persuasion" in rhetoric (the art of effective speaking or writing). Pathos is... read full definition
Pathos, along with logos and ethos, is one of the three "modes of persuasion" in rhetoric (the art of effective... read full definition
Chapter 18
Explanation and Analysis—Renfield's Argument:
In an intense passage towards the end of Chapter 18, Dr. Seward's inmate, Renfield, uses ethos, logos, and pathos as he argues for his freedom. At first, Renfield appeals to Seward's logical side as a man of science:
'You, gentlemen, who by nationality, by heredity, or by the possession of natural gifts, are fitted to hold your respective places in the moving world, I take to witness that I am as sane as at least the majority of men who are in full possession of their liberties. And I am sure that you, Dr. Seward, humanitarian and medico-journalist as well as scientist, will deem it a moral duty to deal with me as one to be considered as under exceptional circumstances.
In this passage, Renfield appeals to both Seward's logic and ethics, asking him to perceive Renfield's sanity with his own two eyes, and furthermore make the ethical choice to comply with Renfield's wishes. After he is made desperate, Renfield resorts to an emotional argument (pathos) to make his case:
'By all you hold sacred - by all you hold dear - by your love that is lost - by your hope that lives - for the sake of the Almighty, take me out of this and save my soul from guilt!
This emotional appeal is the most extreme of Renfield's argumentative techniques, bringing the tension in this chapter to its climax. It is by all means quite extraordinary, given the assumptions Seward and the other men have made about Renfield, that he would express himself so clearly with both logic and emotion. As Renfield becomes more articulate, the sense of foreboding increases, cluing the reader in to the fact that something sinister will soon occur.
Related Themes:
