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Paradox
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
Part 2: Book 6, Chapter 3: From Talks and Homilies of the Elder Zosima
Explanation and Analysis—Prayer and Suicide:
Zosima the elder uses pathos in his argument to the other monks and theologians that it is spiritually acceptable to pray for the souls of those who have committed suicide:
I regret, my brothers and friends, that I cannot express it clearly. But woe to those who have destroyed themselves on earth, woe to the suicides! I think there can be no one unhappier than they. We are told that it is a sin to pray to God for them, and outwardly the Church rejects them, as it were, but in the secret of my soul I think that one may pray for them as well. Christ will not be angered by love. Within myself, all my life, I have prayed for them [...]
The various men, mostly monks living at the local monastery, have gathered around Zosima’s bed in anticipation of his final remarks before his death. Zosima delivers a long, at times rambling, speech regarding various important theological topics, largely advocating for the value of love over judgment. In this emotional passage, he implores the others to pray for those who have committed suicide, even though this is traditionally forbidden by some branches of Christianity, which regard suicide as a grave sin, and moreover as proof of a soul's perdition. In the course of his argument, he wields pathos, emphasizing the suffering of those who “destroyed themselves on earth” and arguing that it is not sinful to pray for their souls, as “Christ will not be angered by love.” They are, he claims, “unhappier” than anyone else, and therefore need greater sympathy.
Related Themes:
Part 3: Book 9, Chapter 6: The Prosecutor Catches Mitya
Explanation and Analysis—Dmitri's Defense:
Dmitri uses pathos and ethos while attempting to refute the accusation that he killed his father to the investigators:
Can you possibly think I’d conceal it from you if I really killed my father? That I’d hedge, and lie, and hide? No, Dmitri Karamazov is not like that, he couldn’t bear it, and if I were guilty, I swear [...] I’d have destroyed myself even before, without waiting for dawn! I feel that in myself now. I’ve found out more in this one cursed night than I’d have learned in twenty years of living … ! [...] Would I look at you and at the world like this, if I really were a parricide, when even the inadvertent killing of Grigory gave me no rest all night—
Dmitri knows that the facts are against him, as almost all evidence points to him as the murderer, even though he is in fact innocent. Nevertheless, he attempts to wield ethos, arguing that “Dmitri Karamzov is not like that.” His use of his own full name here reinforces his authority as a retired military officer and the son of a wealthy man. For Dmitri, it is inconceivable that a gentleman such as himself could have committed a “low” crime such as financially-motivated murder. Further, he appeals to the emotions of the investigators, emphasizing his willingness to commit suicide and his personal suffering during “this one cursed night.” Despite his appeals to authority and emotion, the investigators continue to pursue their investigation and consider Dmitri their primary suspect.
Related Themes:
