what is an example of pathos in an essay

Definition of Pathos

Pathos is a literary device that is designed to inspire emotions from readers. Pathos, Greek for “suffering” or “experience,” originated as a conceptual mode of persuasion by the Greek philosopher, Aristotle. Aristotle believed that utilizing pathos as a means of stirring people’s emotions is effective in turning their opinion towards the speaker . This is due in part because emotions and passion can be engulfing and compelling, even going against a sense of logic or reason.

Pathos, as an appeal to an audience ’s emotions, is a valuable device in literature as well as rhetoric and other forms of writing. Like all art, literature is intended to evoke a feeling in a reader and, when done effectively, generate greater meaning and understanding of existence. For example, in his poem “No Man Is an Island,” John Donne appeals to the reader’s emotions of acceptance, belonging, and empathy:

No man is an island, Entire of itself, Every man is a piece of the continent, A part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less. As well as if a promontory were. As well as if a manor of thy friend’s Or of thine own were: Any man’s death diminishes me, Because I am involved in mankind, And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls ; It tolls for thee.

By describing how all men are connected rather than isolated, Donne utilizes pathos as an emotional appeal to readers of his poem. The feelings evoked by the poet are grief and sympathy for all who die, because all death is an individual loss and a loss for mankind as a whole.

Common Examples of Emotions Evoked by Pathos

Pathos has the power to evoke many emotions in a reader or audience of a literary work. Here are some common examples of emotions evoked by pathos in literature:

Examples of Pathos in Advertisement

Advertisers heavily rely on pathos to provoke an emotional reaction in an audience of consumers, thereby persuading them to take action in the form of patronage or other monetary support. Here are some examples of pathos in an advertisement:

• television commercial showing neglected or mistreated animals
• political ad utilizing fear tactics
• holiday commercial showing a family coming together for a meal
• cologne commercial displaying sexual tension
• diaper ad featuring a crying baby
• ad for cleaning product featuring a messy house and frustrated homeowner
• jewelry commercial showing a marriage proposal
• insurance ad showing a terrible car accident
• ad for a line of toys showing children playing together
• commercial for make-up displaying a woman receiving attention from men

Famous Examples of Pathos in Movie Lines

Many films feature dialogue that generates pathos and emotional reactions in viewers. Here are some famous examples of pathos in well-known movie lines:

• Love means never having to say you’re sorry. (Love Story )
• The jail you planned for me is the one you’re gonna rot in. ( The Color Purple )
• I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take it anymore. (Network)
• The marks humans leave are too often scars. (The Fault in Our Stars)
• I have to remind myself that some birds aren’t meant to be caged. (The Shawshank Redemption)
• And just like that, she was gone, out of my life again. (Forrest Gump)
• There are two types of people in the world: The people who naturally excel at life. And the people who  hope all those people die in a big explosion. (The Edge of Being Seventeen)
• You have to get through your fear to see the beauty on the other side. (The Good Dinosaur)
•   Hate  never solved nothing, but  calm  did. And thought did. Try it. Try it just for a  change . (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri)
• Things change, friends leave. And life doesn’t stop for anybody. (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

Difference Between Pathos, Logos, and Ethos

Aristotle outlined three forms of rhetoric, which is the art of effective speaking and writing. These forms are pathos, logos , and ethos . As a matter of rhetorical persuasion, it is important for these forms (or “appeals”) to be balanced. This is especially true for pathos in that overuse of emotional appeal can lead to a flawed argument without the balance of logic or credibility.

Logos is an appeal to logic. It is considered a methodical and rational approach to rhetoric. In a sense, logos is an appeal that is devoid of pathos. Ethos is an appeal to ethics. As an effective rhetorical form, a writer or speaker must have knowledge and credibility regarding the subject . Ethos, therefore, builds trust with an audience as an ethical and character -driven approach.

Pathos is a common form of rhetoric and persuasive tactic. Emotion and passion can be powerful forces in motivating an audience or readership. However, pathos has minimal effect without the balance of logos and ethos as appeals.

Effect of Pathos on Logos

Aa a logo appeals to logic, and pathos appeals to emotions. It is a well-known fact that not everybody gets convinced by logic and the same is the case of pathos which not everybody gets convinced with pathos only. Therefore, orators and speakers use both in a combination. When a pathos is added to logos, it becomes convincing, persuasive, strong, and touches beliefs and values.

Effect of Pathos on Ethos

Although ethos is itself a strong rhetorical device and works wonders when it comes to persuasion and convincing the audience, when a touch of pathos is added to it, it becomes a lethal weapon. It has happened in I Have a Dream , a powerful rhetorical piece of Martin Luther King and the speech is still a memorable rhetorical piece. The reason is that not only does it enhance the power of argument when added with an ethos, it also increases the trust and credibility of the speaker or orator.

How To Build Arguments Using Pathos  

When using pathos, keep these points in mind.

• What is the touching event for the audience?
• Evaluate how the audiences or readers respond to the gravity of the situation?
• Use pathos with ethos first and then use l0gos to add pathos later.
• Pathos is always the last weapon after ethos and logos.

Fallacy Of Emotion (Pathos) / Fallacious Pathos

As pathos is also called a fallacy of emotion, the use of only pathos is highly damaging for argumentative writing and speaking. The reason is that audiences if they are not directly concerned with the pathetic event or tragedy , become bored with excessive targetting of their emotions and eventually lose interest. At this point, it becomes a fallacy. Therefore, always avoid fallacious pathos. Add a touch of veracity to your pathos and use it in conjunction with ethos first and add logos later.

Three Characteristics Of Pathos

There are three important characteristics of pathos.

• It is relevant to the target audience or readers and is couched in simple and strong language.
• It is intended to achieve a specific purpose.
• It is not excessive that it should become fallacious pathos.

 Using Pathos in Sentences

• The Holocaust has done more harm to the entire Jewish nation than any other such event.
• If you love me, you’ll get me a cell phone for my safety.
• I have to pick up my children from school every day, can you give me a good deal on this car?
• Look at these innocent street children. By seeing this, you can give us good donations.
• If you let me eat chips everyday, it will prove that you love me and I will do the dishes.

Examples of Pathos in Literature

Though Aristotle defined pathos as a rhetorical technique for persuasion, literary writers rely on pathos as well to evoke emotion and understanding in readers. As a literary device, pathos allows readers to connect to and find meaning in characters and narratives. Here are some examples of pathos in literature and the impact this literary device has on the work and the reader:

Example 1:  Funeral Blues by W.H. Auden

He was my North, my South, my East and West, My working week and my Sunday rest, My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song; I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong. The stars are not wanted now ; put out every one, Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun, Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood; For nothing now can ever come to any good.

In his poem, Auden relies on pathos as a literary device to evoke feelings of grief and inspire sympathy in the reader. The poet cannot cope with the loss of his loved one and companion, yet the world around him continues to function as if nothing is different and as if the funeral is not taking place. The poet’s passion for his loved one, that he was all cardinal directions and days and times, followed by the poet’s desperation to remove elements of nature, inspires sympathetic mourning in readers.

Though the poet cannot get the world to pause in grief for his loved one, by utilizing pathos as a literary device in this poem, Auden is able to momentarily capture the reader’s attention and understanding. This pause for grief and sympathy on the part of the reader fulfills, on some level, the emotional need of the poet to be recognized and validated in his mourning. This reciprocal exchange of feeling enhances the connection between the poet and reader through pathos.

Example 2:  I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

If growing up is painful for the Southern Black girl, being aware of her displacement is the rust on the razor that threatens the throat. It is an unnecessary insult.

In her memoir , Angelou focuses on the emotional events of her life from early childhood through adolescence. While recounting her story, Angelou utilizes pathos to appeal to the reader’s emotions and to evoke empathy for her experiences, especially in terms of trauma, abuse, and racism.

In this particular passage from her memoir, Angelou appeals to the reader’s feelings of shame, empathy, and fear by describing her experience and how she felt as a Black girl growing up in the South. This allows the reader to connect with and find meaning in Angelou’s writing and experiences, especially if those experiences are unfamiliar or personally unknown to the reader. In addition, the pathos in this passage is an effective literary device through confronting the reader with the pain, displacement, and insult experienced not just by Angelou as a Southern Black girl, but in a generalized manner for all Southern Black girls. Angelou’s readers are therefore encouraged through pathos to identify this experience and share in the resulting emotional anger and pain.

Example 3:  Romeo and Juliet  by William Shakespeare

Two households, both alike in dignity In fair Verona, where we lay our scene From ancient grudge break to new mutiny Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes A pair of star- cross ’d lovers take their life Whose misadventured piteous overthrows Do with their death bury their parents’ strife.

In the prologue , Shakespeare foreshadows the events that take place in the play between Romeo and Juliet and their families. He also foreshadows the feelings and struggles of the characters, which is an appeal to the pathos of the audience/reader. For example, by stating that “civil blood makes civil hands unclean,” Shakespeare evokes feelings of dread and uncertainty in the audience, knowing that there is impending violence. By categorizing Romeo and Juliet as “star-crossed” lovers, Shakespeare appeals to the audience’s feelings of passion and unrequited love. Finally, in announcing the deaths of the lovers, Shakespeare inspires sadness, grief, and possibly anger or frustration in the audience at the foretold outcome.

With these emotional appeals in his prologue, Shakespeare not only prepares his audience for what is to come in the plot of the play but also sets the tone and prepares the appropriate emotional reactions for the audience to the events that will happen. This is a unique use of pathos as a literary device. Rather than allowing the audience to feel and react to the play’s narrative as it unfolds, Shakespeare “primes” emotional responses through pathos before the play even begins. This technique is effective because the audience is able to focus on the nuances of the play since they are already aware of the main events and outcomes, as well as how to feel about it.

Synonyms of Pathos

Pathos has a few synonyms that follow but they are only distant meanings. Some of them are tragedy, sadness, pitifulness, piteousness, sorrowfulness, lugubrious, poignant, and poignancy.

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Pathos Definition

What is pathos? Here’s a quick and simple 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 an argument that appeals to an audience's emotions. When a speaker tells a personal story, presents an audience with a powerful visual image, or appeals to an audience's sense of duty or purpose in order to influence listeners' emotions in favor of adopting the speaker's point of view, he or she is using pathos .

Some additional key details about pathos:

• You may also hear the word "pathos" used to mean "a quality that invokes sadness or pity," as in the statement, "The actor's performance was full of pathos." However, this guide focuses specifically on the rhetorical technique of pathos used in literature and public speaking to persuade readers and listeners through an appeal to emotion.
• The three "modes of persuasion"— pathos , logos , and ethos —were originally defined by Aristotle.
• In contrast to pathos, which appeals to the listener's emotions, logos appeals to the audience's sense of reason, while ethos appeals to the audience based on the speaker's authority.
• Although Aristotle developed the concept of pathos in the context of oratory and speechmaking, authors, poets, and advertisers also use pathos frequently.

Pathos Pronunciation

Here's how to pronounce pathos : pay -thos

Pathos in Depth

Aristotle (the ancient Greek philosopher and scientist) first defined pathos , along with logos and ethos , in his treatise on rhetoric, Ars Rhetorica. Together, he referred to pathos , logos , and ethos as the three modes of persuasion, or sometimes simply as "the appeals." Aristotle defined pathos as "putting the audience in a certain frame of mind," and argued that to achieve this task a speaker must truly know and understand his or her audience. For instance, in Ars Rhetorica, Aristotle describes the information a speaker needs to rile up a feeling of anger in his or her audience:

Take, for instance, the emotion of anger: here we must discover (1) what the state of mind of angry people is, (2) who the people are with whom they usually get angry, and (3) on what grounds they get angry with them. It is not enough to know one or even two of these points; unless we know all three, we shall be unable to arouse anger in any one.

Here, Aristotle articulates that it's not enough to know the dominant emotions that move one's listeners: you also need to have a deeper understanding of the listeners' values, and how these values motivate their emotional responses to specific individuals and behaviors.

Pathos vs Logos and Ethos

Pathos is often criticized as being the least substantial or legitimate of the three persuasive modest. Arguments using logos appeal to listeners' sense of reason through the presentation of facts and a well-structured argument. Meanwhile, arguments using ethos generally try to achieve credibility by relying on the speaker's credentials and reputation. Therefore, both logos and ethos may seem more concrete—in the sense of being more evidence-based—than pathos, which "merely" appeals to listeners' emotions. But people often forget that facts, statistics, credentials, and personal history can be easily manipulated or fabricated in order to win the confidence of an audience, while people at the same time underestimate the power and importance of being able to expertly direct the emotional current of an audience to win their allegiance or sympathy.

Pathos Examples

Pathos in literature.

Characters in literature often use pathos to convince one another, or themselves, of a certain viewpoint. It's important to remember that pathos , perhaps more than the other modes of persuasion, relies not only on the content of what is said, but also on the tone and expressiveness of the delivery . For that reason, depictions of characters using pathos can be dramatic and revealing of character.

Pathos in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice

In this example from Chapter 16 of Pride and Prejudice , George Wickham describes the history of his relationship with Mr. Darcy to Elizabeth Bennet—or at least, he describes his version of their shared history. Wickham's goal is to endear himself to Elizabeth, turn her against Mr. Darcy, and cover up the truth. (Wickham actually squanders his inheritance from Mr. Darcy's father and, out of laziness, turns down Darcy Senior's offer help him obtain a "living" as a clergyman.)

"The church ought to have been my profession...had it pleased [Mr. Darcy]... Yes—the late Mr. Darcy bequeathed me the next presentation of the best living in his gift. He was my godfather, and excessively attached to me. I cannot do justice to his kindness. He meant to provide for me amply, and thought he had done it; but when the living fell it was given elsewhere...There was just such an informality in the terms of the bequest as to give me no hope from law. A man of honor could not have doubted the intention, but Mr. Darcy chose to doubt it—or to treat it as a merely conditional recommendation, and to assert that I had forfeited all claim to it by extravagance, imprudence, in short any thing or nothing. Certain it is, that the living became vacant two years ago, exactly as I was of an age to hold it, and that it was given to another man; and no less certain is it, that I cannot accuse myself of having really done anything to deserve to lose it. I have a warm, unguarded temper, and I may perhaps have sometimes spoken my opinion of him, and to him, too freely. I can recall nothing worse. But the fact is, that we are very different sort of men, and that he hates me." "This is quite shocking!—he deserves to be publicly disgraced." "Some time or other he will be—but it shall not be by me. Till I can forget his father, I can never defy or expose him." Elizabeth honored him for such feelings, and thought him handsomer than ever as he expressed them.

Here, Wickham claims that Darcy robbed him of his intended profession out of greed, and that he, Wickham, is too virtuous to reveal Mr. Darcy's "true" nature with respect to this issue. By doing so, Wickham successfully uses pathos in the form of a personal story, inspiring Elizabeth to feel sympathy, admiration, and romantic interest towards him. In this example, Wickham's use of pathos indicates a shifty, manipulative character and lack of substance.

Pathos in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

In The Scarlet Letter , Hawthorne tells the story of Hester Prynne, a young woman living in seventeenth-century Boston. As punishment for committing the sin of adultery, she is sentenced to public humiliation on the scaffold, and forced to wear the scarlet letter "A" on her clothing for the rest of her life. Even though Hester's punishment exposes her before the community, she refuses to reveal the identity of the man she slept with. In the following passage from Chapter 3, two reverends—first, Arthur Dimmesdale and then John Wilson—urge her to reveal the name of her partner:

"What can thy silence do for him, except it tempt him—yea, compel him, as it were—to add hypocrisy to sin? Heaven hath granted thee an open ignominy, that thereby thou mayest work out an open triumph over the evil within thee and the sorrow without. Take heed how thou deniest to him—who, perchance, hath not the courage to grasp it for himself—the bitter, but wholesome, cup that is now presented to thy lips!’ The young pastor’s voice was tremulously sweet, rich, deep, and broken. The feeling that it so evidently manifested, rather than the direct purport of the words, caused it to vibrate within all hearts, and brought the listeners into one accord of sympathy. Even the poor baby at Hester’s bosom was affected by the same influence, for it directed its hitherto vacant gaze towards Mr. Dimmesdale, and held up its little arms with a half-pleased, half-plaintive murmur... "Woman, transgress not beyond the limits of Heaven’s mercy!’ cried the Reverend Mr. Wilson, more harshly than before. ‘That little babe hath been gifted with a voice, to second and confirm the counsel which thou hast heard. Speak out the name! That, and thy repentance, may avail to take the scarlet letter off thy breast."

The reverends call upon Hester's love for the father of her child—the same love they are condemning—to convince her to reveal his identity. Their attempts to move her by appealing to her sense of duty, compassion and morality are examples of pathos. Once again, this example of pathos reveals a lack of moral fiber in the reverends who are attempting to manipulate Hester by appealing to her emotions, particularly since (spoiler alert!) Reverend Dimmesdale is in fact the father.

Pathos in Dylan Thomas' "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night"

In " Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night," Thomas urges his dying father to cling to life and his love of it. The poem is a villanelle , a specific form of verse that originated as a ballad or "country song" and is known for its repetition. Thomas' selection of the repetitive villanelle form contributes to the pathos of his insistent message to his father—his appeal to his father's inner strength:

Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Though wise men at their end know dark is right, Because their words had forked no lightning they Do not go gentle into that good night. Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay, Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight, And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way, Do not go gentle into that good night. Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay, Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

It's worth noting that, in this poem, pathos is not in any way connected to a lack of morals or inner strength. Quite the opposite, the appeal to emotion is connected to a profound love—the poet's own love for his father.

Pathos in Political Speeches

Politicians understand the power of emotion, and successful politicians are adept at harnessing people's emotions to curry favor for themselves, as well as their policies and ideologies.

Pathos in Barack Obama's 2013 Address to the Nation on Syria

In August 2013, the Syrian government, led by Bashar al-Assad, used chemical weapons against Syrians who opposed his regime, causing several countries—including the United States—to consider military intervention in the conflict. Obama's tragic descriptions of civilians who died as a result of the attack are an example of pathos : they provoke an emotional response and help him mobilize American sentiment in favor of U.S. intervention.

Over the past two years, what began as a series of peaceful protests against the oppressive regime of Bashar al-Assad has turned into a brutal civil war. Over 100,000 people have been killed. Millions have fled the country...The situation profoundly changed, though, on August 21st, when Assad’s government gassed to death over 1,000 people, including hundreds of children. The images from this massacre are sickening: men, women, children lying in rows, killed by poison gas, others foaming at the mouth, gasping for breath, a father clutching his dead children, imploring them to get up and walk.

Pathos in Ronald Reagan's 1987 " Tear Down This Wall!" Speech

In 1987, the Berlin Wall divided Communist East Berlin from Democratic West Berlin. The Wall was a symbol of the divide between the communist Soviet Union, or Eastern Bloc, and the Western Bloc which included the United States, NATO and its allies. The wall also split Berlin in two, obstructing one of Berlin's most famous landmarks: the Brandenburg Gate.

Reagan's speech, delivered to a crowd in front of the Brandenburg Gate, contains many examples of pathos:

Behind me stands a wall that encircles the free sectors of this city, part of a vast system of barriers that divides the entire continent of Europe...Yet it is here in Berlin where the wall emerges most clearly...Every man is a Berliner, forced to look upon a scar... General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!

Reagan moves his listeners to feel outrage at the Wall's existence by calling it a "scar." He assures Germans that the world is invested in the city's problems by telling the crowd that "Every man is a Berliner." Finally, he excites and invigorates the listener by boldly daring Gorbachev, president of the Soviet Union, to "tear down this wall!"

Pathos in Advertising

Few appreciate the complexity of pathos better than advertisers. Consider all the ads you've seen in the past week. Whether you're thinking of billboards, magazine ads, or TV commercials, its almost a guarantee that the ones you remember contained very little specific information about the product, and were instead designed to create an emotional association with the brand. Advertisers spend incredible amounts of money trying to understand exactly what Aristotle describes as the building blocks of pathos: the emotional "who, what, and why" of their target audience. Take a look at this advertisement for the watch company, Rolex, featuring David Beckham:

Notice that the ad doesn't convey anything specific about the watch itself to make someone think it's a high quality or useful product. Instead, the ad caters to Rolex's target audience of successful male professionals by causing them to associate the Rolex brand with soccer player David Beckham, a celebrity who embodies the values of the advertisement's target audience: physical fitness and attractiveness, style, charisma, and good hair.

Why Do Writers Use Pathos?

The philosopher and psychologist William James once said, “The emotions aren’t always immediately subject to reason, but they are always immediately subject to action.” Pathos is a powerful tool, enabling speakers to galvanize their listeners into action, or persuade them to support a desired cause. Speechwriters, politicians, and advertisers use pathos for precisely this reason: to influence their audience to a desired belief or action.

The use of pathos in literature is often different than in public speeches, since it's less common for authors to try to directly influence their readers in the way politicians might try to influence their audiences. Rather, authors often employ pathos by having a character make use of it in their own speech. In doing so, the author may be giving the reader some insight into a character's values, motives, or their perception of another character.

Consider the above example from The Scarlet Letter. The clergymen in Hester's town punish her by publicly humiliating her in front of the community and holding her up as an example of sin for conceiving a child outside of marriage. The reverends make an effort to get Hester to tell them the name of her child's father by making a dramatic appeal to a sense of shame that Hester plainly does not feel over her sin. As a result, this use of pathos only serves to expose the the manipulative intent of the reverends, offering readers some insight into their moral character as well as that of Puritan society at large. Ultimately, it's a good example of an ineffective use of pathos , since what the reverends lack is the key to eliciting the response they want: a strong grasp of what their listener values.

Other Helpful Pathos Resources

• The Wikipedia Page on Pathos: A detailed explanation which covers Aristotle's original ideas on pathos and discusses how the term's meaning has changed over time.
• The Dictionary Definition of Pathos: A definition and etymology of the term, which comes from the Greek pàthos, meaning "suffering or sensation."
• An excellent video from TED-Ed about the three modes of persuasion.
• A pathos -laden recording of Dylan Thomas reading his poem "Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night"

• PDFs for all 136 Lit Terms we cover
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10 Pathos Examples

Pathos is a rhetorical device that stirs emotions such as pity, sadness, or sympathy in the audience.

Pathos refers to one corner of the rhetorical triangle, which means that it is one of the three main technical means of persuasion .

Aristotle claims that there are three technical means of persuasion:

“Now the proofs furnished by the speech are of three kinds. The first depends upon the moral character of the speaker, the second upon putting the hearer into a certain frame of mind, the third upon the speech itself, in so far as it proves or seems to prove” (Aristotle, Rhetoric, ca. 367-322 B.C.E./1926, Book 1, Chapter 2, Section 3).

Each of these corresponds to the three means of persuasion: 

• Ethos (Appeal to credibility) : Persuasion through establishing the character of the speaker.
• Pathos ( Appeal to emotion ): Persuasion through putting the hearer into a certain frame of mind.
• Logos (Appeal to logic) : Persuasion through proof or seeming proof.

For Aristotle, speech consists of three things: the speaker, the hearer, and the speech. These correspond to ethos, pathos, and logos , respectively. Pathos is the means of persuasion that is concerned with the audience and it is the subject of this article. 

Pathos Definition

Pathos refers to appeals to the emotions of the audience. Whenever the audience is led to feel a certain way, and that feeling influences their judgment of a speech, the speaker is using pathos.

Aristotle’s underlying assumption is that people’s emotional states influence their evaluations, which is quite reasonable to suppose.

The rhetorical method, therefore, requires one to sway the emotional states of the hearers:

“… for the judgements we deliver are not the same when we are influenced by joy or sorrow, love or hate” (Aristotle, Rhetoric, ca. 367-322 B.C.E./1926, Book 1, Chapter 2, Section 5). 

You can appeal to people’s emotions in many ways: through storytelling hooks, passionate speech, personal anecdotes , and so on.

In some sense, most pieces of writing and most speeches that have an agenda to persuade necessarily have some forms of pathos built into them. For example, even a math textbook may give rise to feelings of awe. 

Pathos probably has the worst reputation out of the three technical means of persuasion because people believe that all appeals to emotion are somehow dishonest or manipulative, but this is not so.

There is simply no getting away from elements of pathos, no matter how hard the persuader tries.

Furthermore, the use of pathos to persuade can be just as honest and harmless as the most seemingly objective uses of logos or ethos. 

Pathos Examples

Example 1: advertising.

Pathos is an especially common persuasion tool in advertising. Since emotions influence people’s decision-making, pathos is well-suited to the task of persuading customers to buy products (Ho & Siu, 2012). 

For example, advertising is to appeal to empathy, which would be part of pathos. Animal welfare organizations like the SPCA, for instance, may appeal to people’s empathy by using pictures of stray dogs accompanied by sad music.

In this context, the power of pathos can be leveraged to not only promote immediate action, such as a donation, but also to build long-term brand associations and loyalty, embedding a sense of empathy and compassion in the perception of the organization’s mission.

Example 2: Art

Most forms of art use pathos in some form. This is more apparent in art that has a clear agenda, for example, political cartoons.

In political cartoons, the application of pathos is often used to generate empathy or outrage, thus persuading viewers to consider the artist’s perspective on social or political issues.

Similarly, in paintings, sculptures, or installation art, artists often use symbolic imagery, dramatic contrasts, and evocative themes to arouse feelings of sorrow, compassion, or introspection .

Example 3: In the ad hominem Argument

Arguments that commit the ad hominem fallacy tend to be persuasive because of pathos.

The ad hominem fallacy involves attacking the arguer’s personal situation or traits (Hansen, 2020). There are three commonly recognized kinds of ad hominem: (1) the abusive ad hominem, (2) the circumstantial ad hominem, and (3) the tu quoque. 

The first kind involves arguing that someone’s view should not be accepted because they have some negative property. For example: “Alice’s view that breaking promises is immoral should be rejected because Alice is rude.”

The second kind involves arguing that someone’s view should not be accepted because their view is supported by self-interest. For example: “Bob’s recommendation to exercise regularly should be rejected because Bob owns a gym.”

The tu quoque involves arguing that someone’s view should not be accepted because their actions are inconsistent with that view. For example: “Clarence’s view that people should not drive cars should not be accepted because Clarence drives a car.”

Example 4: In the Slippery Slope Argument

Another form of persuasive but fallacious argument is the slippery slope. It is a fallacy that occurs when one unjustifiably assumes that a small step leads to a chain of related events culminating in some significant effect.

Such arguments may sometimes be reasonable, but they are not deductively correct.

Moreover, they usually rely on generating fear on the part of the audience. Alfred Sidgwick described slippery slope arguments in the following way:

“We must not do this or that, it is often said, because if we did we should be logically bound to do something else which is plainly absurd or wrong. If we once begin to take a certain course there is no knowing where we shall be able to stop within any show of consistency; there would be no reason for stopping anywhere in particular, and we should be led on, step by step into action or opinions that we all agree to call undesirable or untrue.” (Sidgwick, 1910, p. 40)

Example 5: In Music

The use of emotional music in a piece of media the purpose of which is to persuade is an example of pathos.

Such music can intensify the emotional impact of, for example, an advertisement and thereby make it more persuasive.

Since logic is rarely used to advertise products, pathos is often the most important means of persuasion in such cases. 

Example 6: In Political Rhetoric

Word choice in political speech is particularly important for the effective use of pathos.

For example, the conflicting uses of terms like “unborn life” and ”fetus” in women’s reproductive rights debates appeal to people’s emotions in different ways.

Whereas one side would appeal to the emotion of saving life, the other would appeal to the emotion of freedom and bodily autonomy.

It is virtually impossible for an effective political speech not to contain pathos, especially in democratic contexts. How skillfully a politician appeals to the emotions of the voters will, to a large extent, determine the success of their campaign.  

Example 7: In Social Media Campaigns

Pathos is frequently utilized in social media campaigns, often leveraging user-generated content to create a sense of empathy or community around a product or cause.

User stories that feature personal triumphs, challenges overcome, or emotional experiences related to the product or cause in question are designed to invoke emotional responses that foster brand loyalty or advocacy.

The use of pathos in social media campaigns often involves images, videos, and narratives that are likely to resonate emotionally with the target audience, effectively fostering a deeper connection to the brand or cause, and enhancing audience engagement and interaction.

Example 8: In Public Health Campaigns

Pathos is also evident in public health campaigns. For instance, anti-drinking ads often show the severe health effects of drinking, such as patients unable to play with their children due to health issues.

These campaigns are intended to evoke fear or concern, stimulating the public to change their behavior and adopt healthier habits.

By emphasizing the grave consequences and personal costs of unhealthy choices, public health campaigns that use pathos aim to foster a more emotional and personal connection to health issues, making the audience more likely to take preventive actions or change unhealthy habits.

Example 9: In Philanthropy and Fundraising

Pathos is used extensively in philanthropy and fundraising, with organizations sharing stories of individuals or communities in need to evoke empathy and provoke action.

Charitable campaigns that depict the harsh realities of poverty, disease, or disaster aim to stir feelings of compassion, guilt, or responsibility, encouraging donations and aid.

Through the strategic use of pathos, philanthropy and fundraising campaigns can make the plight of those in need feel more immediate and tangible, thereby increasing the likelihood of donations and encouraging more active involvement in the cause or issue at hand.

Example 10: In Literature

In literature, authors often use pathos to create an emotional connection between readers and characters or situations.

This might involve crafting narratives around heart-wrenching tragedies, touching moments, or stirring triumphs to make the readers feel a range of emotions, thereby enhancing their engagement and investment in the storyline.

By evoking deep emotional responses through the use of pathos, authors can make the characters and situations in their works more relatable and real, intensifying readers’ engagement and creating a lasting impact that goes beyond mere enjoyment of the story.

Strengths of Pathos

• Memorability: Appeals to emotion tend to stick. While you’re unlikely to remember the speaker’s logical reasoning or their credentials perfectly, you probably will remember how the speech made you feel.
• Decision-making : appeals to pathos typically affect the actions of the audience more than appeals to ethos or logos.
• Subjective topics: similar to ethos, pathos is an especially powerful persuasion technique in matters that don’t rely on objective criteria. In such a case, logical arguments alone won’t be enough. For example, the orator will make greater use of pathos when speaking about a work of art than when debating the merits of a mathematical proof.

Weaknesses of Pathos

• Manipulation: The use of pathos can be morally questionable since it can exploit people’s emotional vulnerabilities. 
• Insincerity: It is easy for the audience to perceive the speaker’s appeals to pathos as insincere. Some people view all appeals to emotion as attempts to mask or modify the truth, so the orator must know their audience before resorting to pathos.  

The term pathos comes from the Greek word for “experience” or “suffering.” In the context of rhetoric, it refers to appeals to the emotions of the audience. 

See Also: The 5 Types of Rhetorical Situations

Aristotle. (1926). Rhetoric. In Aristotle in 23 Volumes, Vol. 22, translated by J. H. Freese. Harvard University Press. (Original work published ca. 367-322 B.C.E.) 

Hansen, H. (2020). Fallacies. In E. N. Zalta (Ed.), The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Summer 2020). Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University. https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2020/entries/fallacies/

Ho, A. G., & Siu, K. W. M. G. (2012). Emotion Design, Emotional Design, Emotionalize Design: A Review on Their Relationships from a New Perspective. The Design Journal, 15(1), 9–32. https://doi.org/10.2752/175630612X13192035508462

Rapp, C. (2022). Aristotle’s Rhetoric. In E. N. Zalta (Ed.), The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2022). Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University. https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2022/entries/aristotle-rhetoric/

Sidgwick, A. (1910). The application of logic. London : Macmillan and Co., limited. http://archive.org/details/applicationoflog00sidgiala

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Tio Gabunia is an academic writer and architect based in Tbilisi. He has studied architecture, design, and urban planning at the Georgian Technical University and the University of Lisbon. He has worked in these fields in Georgia, Portugal, and France. Most of Tio’s writings concern philosophy. Other writings include architecture, sociology, urban planning, and economics.

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Literary Devices

Literary devices, terms, and elements, definition of pathos.

Pathos constitutes an appeal to the emotions of an audience. It is a popular technique by orators and writers alike to connect with people on an emotional level, which is often far more moving than logic or reason. For this reason, pathos is also sometimes akin to a fallacy when it is used only for the purpose of convincing an audience of something even when there is no evidence to support that conclusion. At times, there can be an element of manipulation when pathos is used because it triggers deeply-held emotions and beliefs on the part of the audience without justifying its use. Whether or not it is used as a manipulative technique, pathos can be extremely powerful.

Pathos is one of the three means of persuasion that Aristotle discussed in his text Rhetoric . The definition of pathos shows that it is an emotive mode of persuasion, whereas logos (the appeal to logic) and ethos (the appeal to ethics) are not emotive. The word pathos comes from the Greek word pathea , meaning “suffering” or “experience.”

Common Examples of Pathos

Most advertising is based on pathos. Advertisers try to appeal to the emotional needs of the audience by showing how a product or service can make them happier, safer, healthier, etc. Advertisers use the emotions of fear, disgust, and hope to trigger reactions in the audience. Consider these examples of pathos:

It’s also very easy to see examples of pathos in famous political speeches. Again, some pathos examples are simply manipulative and false, whereas others call on the audience’s emotions to stir up positive feeling and optimism. Here are some examples of pathos from famous orators that inspire hope:

• “Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends. And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.”—Martin Luther King Jr., “I have a dream” speech
• “We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.”—John F. Kennedy, “We choose to go to the moon” speech
• “It’s the hope of slaves sitting around a fire singing freedom songs; the hope of immigrants setting out for distant shores; the hope of a young naval lieutenant bravely patrolling the Mekong Delta; the hope of a millworker’s son who dares to defy the odds; the hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for him, too.”—Barack Obama, Keynote address at the 2004 DNC

Significance of Pathos in Literature

It is perhaps easiest to recognize examples of pathos in drama , as the characters may appeal directly to other characters’ emotions, and indirectly to the emotions of the audience. However, almost all works of literature, whether drama, poetry, or prose , include at least some moments of pathos. Authors do want to connect the dramatic moments of their stories or poems with the emotions of the audience. This is not usually to manipulate the audience in quite so cynical a way as some advertisers and politicians intend to do. Instead, it is to draw on the empathy of the audience so they are able to understand the world just a little better, and sometimes to provide moments of catharsis , which could have psychological benefits for the reader. Indeed, there has been some research that indicates that people who read novels benefit from reading about other stories, thereby expanding their worldview and broadening their sense of empathy. When a reading audience feels more emotionally connected to a work of literature, that piece of literature has a more long-lasting impression.

Examples of Pathos in Literature

IAGO: Call up her father, Rouse him. Make after him, poison his delight, Proclaim him in the streets; incense her kinsmen, And, though he in a fertile climate dwell, Plague him with flies. Though that his joy be joy, Yet throw such changes of vexation on ‘t As it may lose some color. …. Even now, now, very now, an old black ram Is topping your white ewe. Arise, arise; Awake the snorting citizens with the bell, Or else the devil will make a grandsire of you: Arise, I say.

( Othello by William Shakespeare)

This is an interesting example of pathos from William Shakespeare’s Othello , in that we can see Iago’s clear plan to manipulate Desdemona’s father’s emotions. Iago knows that Brabantio is xenophobic and will disapprove of Desdemona’s marriage to Othello. Thus, in the first excerpt Iago plans to “poison his delight” and in the second excerpt does this exactly by using overtly racist language meant to anger Brabantio. Iago uses pathos throughout the play in very effective and manipulative ways.

For the moon never beams, without bringing me dreams Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes Of the beautiful Annabel Lee; And so, all the night-tide, I lie down by the side Of my darling—my darling—my life and my bride, In her sepulchre there by the sea— In her tomb by the sounding sea.

(“Annabel Lee” by Edgar Allen Poe)

Edgar Allen Poe’s poem “Annabel Lee” recounts the sad tale of a young man who has lost his love. However, Poe does not just draw on sappy sentimentality; in this final stanza he does an excellent job of evoking joy, grief, loss, and love in the audience all at once.

JOHN PROCTOR: Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name!

( The Crucible by Arthur Miller)

This is an incredibly emotional moment in Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible . John Proctor has been accused of witchcraft. In this excerpt, Proctor refuses to sign his confession, which would save him from being executed. Though he understands there is no logic to this decision, Proctor cannot let his reputation be so tarnished and appeals to emotion in his final moments.

JIM: Aw, aw, aw. Is it broken? LAURA: Now it is just like all the other horses. JIM: It’s lost its— LAURA: Horn! It doesn’t matter. . . . [smiling] I’ll just imagine he had an operation. The horn was removed to make him feel less—freakish!

( The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams)

This is a pathos example from Tennessee Williams’s play The Glass Menagerie in which Laura is trying to avoid pity from Jim, her crush, and yet the scene does indeed appeal to pity in the audience. This scene foreshadows a later scene in which Jim’s clumsiness will metaphorically break the fragile Laura, just as he literally broke her favorite glass animal, the unicorn. The audience feels a great amount of pity for Laura here as she is trying to be strong and hope that this is an omen of things getting better for herself.

Test Your Knowledge of Pathos

1. Which of these statements is the best pathos definition? A. An experience which allows the reader to cleanse him or herself of his or her emotions. B. A manipulative lie intended to make people cry. C. An appeal to the emotions of the audience, whether fear, sadness, disgust, or hope.

2. Consider the following quote from the character of Amanda in Tennessee Williams’s The Glass Menagerie :

Well, in the South we had so many servants. Gone, gone, gone. All vestige of gracious living! Gone completely! I wasn’t prepared for what the future brought me. All of my gentlemen callers were sons of planters and so of course I assumed that I would be married to one and raise my family on a large piece of land with plenty of servants. But man proposes—and woman accepts the proposal! To vary that old, old saying a bit—I married no planter! I married a man who worked for the telephone company! . . . A telephone man who—fell in love with long-distance!

What type of emotion is Amanda appealing to? A. Fear B. Optimism C. Pity

3. Which of the following statements is an example of pathos? A. As a medical doctor with twenty years of practice, I’ve seen the effects of smoking firsthand. B. If you don’t quit smoking today, everyone you know and love will die because of your habit. C. Research has linked smoking with a higher prevalence of certain types of cancer, including lung cancer and leukemia.

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Posted on Sep 29, 2023

What is Pathos? Definition and Examples in Literature

Pathos is a literary device that uses language to evoke an emotional response, typically to connect readers with the characters in a story. The emotions associated with pathos in literature include sympathy, compassion, sadness, and occasionally, anger.

The most obvious examples of pathos can be found in tragic narratives where characters’ fates take a dramatic turn for the worse. However, this device also subtly appears in virtually every story that features a negative plot development.

Let’s take a look at the origins of the term and how it can be used to achieve different effects in books.

Pathos persuades by appealing to emotion

Pathos taps into our most primal behavioral responses, making us feel things. As well as a way to appeal to readers’ emotions in literature, it is known as one of the three rhetorical modes of persuasion, along with ethos and logos . All three are outlined in Aristotle’s Rhetoric as ways to appeal to an audience and convince them that the point you’re making has credibility.

• Pathos appeals to the audience’s sense of compassion
• Ethos appeals to their sense of right and wrong
• Logos appeals to their logic

It’s not hard to see why pathos can persuade. Let’s say you’re trying to illustrate how significant clinical depression is. The following two statements would affect your audience in very different ways:

• 18.4% of U.S. adults reported having been diagnosed with depression before, according to a 2020 study .
• “I have no energy, feel drained, and have no interest in anything,” says Steven, who has recently been diagnosed with depression — every sleepless night, he battles the overpowering feeling of self-hatred. 

Statistics rarely lie, but they are hard to relate to. A single individual’s struggles, however, are something everyone can imagine themselves facing.

Pathos as a device appears in rhetoric, literature, and other kinds of writing, like politicians' speeches, but in the rest of this post, we’ll focus on pathos as a literary device in a few novels, novellas, and plays. It’s helpful to remember that pathos was originally a persuasive technique — when you encounter it in books, films, and TV shows, you can take a step back and ask yourself what the writer is trying to show you.

💡 Note that the adjective for language that uses pathos is “pathetic.” In a piece of criticism, if a character is described as a “pathetic figure,” the writer isn’t saying they are a miserable loser. Rather, the audience feels for their suffering. 

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Let’s now take a look at a few different examples of pathos from literature to demonstrate the many ways in which pathos can be used to “persuade” an audience’s feelings one way or another.

It raises the stakes of a story

In tragedies, things must, by definition, go badly — leading to inevitable pathos. Classical tragedies (which follow Freytag’s pyramid structure ) create tension by escalating dramatic events beyond the point of no return, maximizing the stakes as the reader or audience becomes more invested in what happens to the characters.

Take a look at Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet as an example, with its famous family vendetta preventing the two protagonists from marrying with the approval of their families. As the play progresses, more and more devastating developments pose obstacles in the couple’s way. 

“Shall I speak ill of him that is my husband? Ah, poor my lord, what tongue shall smooth thy name, When I, thy three-hours wife, have mangled it? But, wherefore, villain, didst thou kill my cousin? That villain cousin would have kill’d my husband: Back, foolish tears, back to your native spring; Your tributary drops belong to woe, Which you, mistaking, offer up to joy.”   — Juliet in William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet

At a critical point in the play, Romeo (who has recently married Juliet in secret) avenges his friend Mercutio’s death by killing Juliet’s beloved cousin Tybalt. When Juliet learns this news, the audience sees her battle conflicting emotions: 

• grief for her cousin 
• anger toward Romeo
• compassion because she knows that Tybalt would not have hesitated to kill Romeo
• anger toward herself for not being fully on her husband’s side

We know that Juliet is in an impossible situation through no fault of her own, and the fact that Romeo has killed her cousin irrevocably rules out the possibility that their families will reconcile — the stakes, in other words, are higher than ever, and the play reaches its climax. 

There is no way out for Juliet, as all options lead to someone’s betrayal or disappointment. This emotional escalation heightens tension, and structurally signals that the play is snowballing toward its tragic conclusion. Used in this way, pathos delineates the exact point where things get completely out of control, upping the stakes.  

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Of course, the stakes are raised because the audience’s compassion for the main characters is elevated to a new level, which is one of the most powerful effects pathos can create.

It gets readers to sympathize with fictional characters

By definition, pathos tugs at the reader’s heartstrings. When we feel bad for a character’s predicament, we tend to side with them and hope their situation improves.   

Take Barbara Kingsolver’s Demon Copperhead , a modern-day retelling of Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield . The novel’s protagonist, Demon, is an orphan growing up in addiction-stricken rural Appalachia. Told from Demon’s point of view as a child, the book doesn’t often explicitly reflect on his emotions — instead, readers see him as a boy of action, someone for whom practical difficulties leave little room for him to feel sorry for himself. The rare reflective moments readers are privy to take on even greater significance, showing that behind Demon’s confident behavior lie the broken heart and sharp mind of a boy who is conscious of the discomfort other people feel around him.

"Once on a time I was something, and then I turned, like sour milk. The dead junkie's kid. A rotten little piece of American pie that everybody wishes could just be, you know. Removed." — Demon in Barbara Kingsolver's  Demon Copperhead

How can readers not feel for a young boy so devastatingly aware of the fact that his existence is an inconvenience to many although he has done nothing wrong? Moments of acute pathos such as these make readers care deeply about Demon, whose intelligence and vulnerability become even more evident. 

For writers, Demon Copperhead provides a masterclass in characterization. Demon is a flawed character and makes his fair share of mistakes, but when readers see his core need to be loved go so woefully unmet in his early years, they want to know where his story goes next. As Tom Bromley (author, ghostwriter, and head instructor of Reedsy’s three-month course, How to Write a Novel ) points out, creating characters readers care about, as opposed to perfectly likable ones, lends substance and complexity to a story, so don’t let your characters suffer from what Tom calls “nice person syndrome.” Prioritize creating space for empathy, not flawless likeability.

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In addition to caring more deeply for characters, pathos can help us understand them better.

It contextualizes character behavior

Backstory plays a massive role in determining how characters are received by readers. We all carry our pasts, and fictional characters are no different: their pasts continue to affect them, and knowing where they’re coming from can help us understand their behavior.

In Lily King’s Writers & Lovers , the narrator is a 31-year-old woman named Casey Peabody who has recently lost her mother. The book is not about her mother’s death — instead, it describes Casey’s ongoing financial struggles, writerly anxieties, and inability to choose and commit to a romantic partner. Remembering that the loss of her mother lingers in Casey’s thoughts every day helps readers contextualize her emotions and actions.

“But right on the heels of that feeling, that suspicion that all is not yet lost, comes the urge to tell my mother, tell her that I am okay today, that I have felt something close to happiness, that I might still be capable of feeling happy. She will want to know that. But I can’t tell her.”   ― Lily King, Writers & Lovers

In the extract above, Casey shares that she feels better than usual, but this feeling is bittersweet since she cannot talk to her mother about her improving emotional state. As readers, we feel for Casey, who is left unable to make active decisions.

Her reluctance to commit to one of two romantic interests, for example, isn’t as puzzling when readers are reminded that she constantly feels like she is losing control of her life.

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After all, understanding a character brings about increased empathy and helps reinforce a book’s central themes.

It reinforces a book’s central themes

In the same way that Lily King’s novel thematizes grief and coming of age, every work of literature arguably has some key threads that run through its narrative, and instances of pathos help bring these themes to the forefront.

In Tolstoy’s novella The Death of Ivan Ilych, an ill and dying man slowly realizes his life was wastefully spent in pursuit of the wrong things. Tolstoy returns to the themes of morality and death again and again, asking readers what it means to live a good and meaningful life.

After briefly describing a scene from Ivan Illych’s funeral, the book takes readers into his past, showing that he didn’t set out to be bad — he just prioritized what was valued in society. However, as Ivan nears death, he is hit by a terrible realization:

“‘Can it be that I have not lived as one ought?’ suddenly came into his head. ‘But how not so, when I’ve done everything as it should be done?’”   — Leo Tolstoy, The Death of Ivan Ilych

The entire novella hinges on this moment of staggering realization and pathos for its protagonist, and its readers can see the tremendous implications this has: Ivan cannot live his life again and make better choices. He’s stuck with the life he has lived, which is nearly over.

In this pathetic scene, the book’s themes are very painfully reinforced, showing readers that making moral choices is an urgent and pressing issue, with Ivan serving as a reminder that time is running out for all of us. If readers felt no sympathy for Ivan, the book would be dramatically less powerful — so pathos is key here.

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By strengthening themes , pathos can also serve to immerse readers in the mood of a literary work.

It immerses readers in the mood of the writing

When you finish reading a book, what feelings do you come away with? The answer to this question summarizes the book’s overarching mood — which might be, for example, one of hope, depression, apathy, or regret.

When pathos is used, the mood often darkens. With his 19th-century novel The Nether World , George Gissing wanted to highlight the plight of the working class to middle-class readers. Therefore, his book emphasizes the contrast between the beautiful, sunny English countryside and the bleakness of a working-class neighborhood in London:

“At noon to-day there was sunlight on the Surrey hills; the fields and lanes were fragrant with the first breath of spring, and from the shelter of budding copses many a primrose looked tremblingly up to the vision of blue sky. But of these things Clerkenwell takes no count; here it had been a day like any other, consisting of so many hours, each representing a fraction of the weekly wage. Go where you may in Clerkenwell, on every hand are multiform evidences of toil, intolerable as a nightmare.”   ― George Gissing, The Nether World 

Gissing begins by showing readers beauty before quickly ripping it away, leaving them in a place that is the polar opposite of the Surrey hills. The sharp contrast between the two is incredibly pathetic and shows the overarching mood of the novel to be one of disillusionment and gloom. By zooming in on the impoverished workers of London, Gissing sheds light on the misery and struggles prevalent in the city. He also shows how unnecessary and merciless it seems in the context of the wider natural world. 

📚 Got gaps in your reading? Check out our list of 100 must-read classic books .

By using pathos to insist on this mood of gloom and despair, Gissing “persuades” his readers that a better world should be possible. But pathos isn’t just about making readers passively react to something — it can also be used to spur them into action, or to create a sense that something must and will change.

Pathos can signal imminent change

When used consecutively, plot points that evoke pathos will escalate tension, contributing to a story’s rising action . In time, this leads to an emotional climax in the protagonist’s journey.

In Gustave Flaubert’s Madame Bovary , the novel’s titular character longs for a life of luxury and romance — a dream that’s stymied by her marriage to a middle-class health worker. Growing more and more bored by the day, she eventually becomes listless and desperate for change.

“At the bottom of her heart, however, she was waiting for something to happen. Like shipwrecked sailors, she turned despairing eyes upon the solitude of her life, seeking afar off some white sail in the mists of the horizon. She did not know what this chance would be, what wind would bring it her, towards what shore it would drive her, if it would be a shallop or a three-decker, laden with anguish or full of bliss to the portholes. But each morning, as she awoke, she hoped it would come that day; she listened to every sound, sprang up with a start, wondered that it did not come; then at sunset, always more saddened, she longed for the morrow.”    ― Gustave Flaubert, Madame Bovary

These details of Emma Bovary’s desperate hope for a change in her life appeal to the readers’ emotions. Though the pathos in her situation stems from the lack of action in her life, as opposed to a disastrous event, we still feel for her because we see how isolated she feels from her husband and how she struggles to accept her reality. 

Readers witness Emma’s dejected state and empathize with her. Suddenly, we feel what Emma feels: that things have to change. That means that when change does arrive, we’re both prepared and relieved.

Though a simple literary device, pathos can take many forms. Hopefully, now that you’ve joined us in studying some of its manifestations, you’ll encounter it with greater awareness the next time you read a book. Just ask yourself: what’s the author persuading me to feel?

Want to brush up on more literary techniques? Head to our comprehensive list of 60+ literary devices next.

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• Writing Tips

 Ethos, Logos, and Pathos – A Simple Guide

4-minute read

• 12th April 2023

Ethos, logos, and pathos are three essential components of persuasive communication . They’ve been used for centuries by great communicators to influence the beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors of their audiences. In this simple guide, we’ll take a closer look at these three components using examples from famous writing and speeches.

What Is Ethos?

Ethos is a persuasive appeal based on the credibility or character of the speaker or writer. It refers to the trustworthiness, expertise, or authority that they bring to the argument. It’s crucial in establishing the credibility of the speaker or writer and can be built in through a variety of means, such as reputation and sources, or language and tone.

How To Use Ethos

Ethos can be established through the speaker or writer’s reputation: if they are known for being knowledgeable, honest, and trustworthy, this can lend credibility to their argument. For example, in his famous “I Have a Dream” speech, Martin Luther King Jr. established his ethos by highlighting his role as a civil rights leader and his personal experience with racial injustice.

Another way you can achieve ethos in speech or writing is through the use of credible sources. For example, Rachel Carson established ethos in her book Silent Spring by providing extensive scientific evidence to support her argument that pesticides were harming the environment.

Finally, ethos can be accomplished through the use of language and tone . Using a professional and respectful tone can create the impression of credibility and authority. For instance, in his second inaugural address, President Abraham Lincoln employed ethos by using a solemn, reflective tone to convey the gravity of the situation.

What Is Logos?

Logos is a persuasive appeal based on logic and reasoning. It refers to the use of evidence and logical arguments to support the speaker or writer’s position.

How To Use Logos

One way you can implement logos in your speech or writing is through the use of statistics and data. When writing, or constructing a speech, try to incorporate reliable and credible stats or figures to strengthen your claims or argument and persuade your audience.

You can also employ examples and analogies to achieve logos. These can make your argument more accessible and understandable to a wider audience. For example, in his book The Tipping Point , Malcolm Gladwell uses the example of “the broken windows” theory to illustrate his argument that small changes can have a big impact on social behavior.

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Finally, logos can be established through the use of logical arguments . To ensure you have a logical argument, you should have a clear statement with definitions, examples, and evidence to support it. For instance, in his essay “Civil Disobedience,” Henry David Thoreau made a logical argument that individuals have a moral obligation to resist unjust laws.

What Is Pathos?

Pathos is a persuasive appeal based on emotion. It refers to the use of language and imagery that elicits an emotional response. Pathos can be used to create a sense of urgency, inspire empathy, or evoke a particular mood.

How To Use Pathos

Vivid imagery is a great way in which a writer or speaker can implement pathos. Using descriptive language to paint a picture in your audience’s mind is a powerful and persuasive skill. For example, in his poem “Dulce et Decorum Est,” Wilfred Owen used vivid imagery to describe the horrors of war and elicit an emotional response in his readers.

Pathos can also be accomplished by using personal anecdotes. The power of storytelling is an invaluable skill for any writer or speaker because it creates rapport and an emotional connection with your audience. For example, in her TED talk “The Power of Vulnerability,” Brene Brown shares personal stories about her struggles with shame and vulnerability to inspire empathy and connection with her audience.

Finally, pathos can be established through the use of rhetorical questions and appeals to shared values. A good example can be heard in Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. He poses his biggest question to his audience (and the world): “Now, what does all of this mean in this great period of history?” In response to this rhetorical question, he beautifully tries to persuade the audience to work together toward a common goal, stating, “It means that we’ve got to stay together. We’ve got to stay together and maintain unity.”

Ethos, logos, and pathos are powerful tools for persuasive speech and writing. By establishing credibility, using logical arguments, and appealing to emotion, speakers and writers can influence the beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors of their audiences. When used effectively, these elements can help to create meaningful and lasting change in the world.

Interested in learning how to elevate your writing with more literary devices? Check our other articles .

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Pathos in Rhetoric

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• An Introduction to Punctuation
• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

In classical rhetoric , pathos is the means of persuasion that appeals to the emotions of an audience . Adjective: pathetic . Also called  pathetic proof and emotional argument . The most effective way to deliver a pathetic appeal, says W.J. Brandt, is "to lower the level of abstraction of one's discourse . Feeling originates in experience, and the more concrete writing is, the more feeling is implicit in it" ( The Rhetoric of Argumentation ).

Pathos is one of the three kinds of artistic proof in Aristotle's rhetorical theory.

Etymology: From the Greek, "experience, suffer"

Pronunciation: PAY-thos

Examples and Observations

• "Of the three appeals of logos, ethos , and pathos , it is the [last] that impels an audience to act. Emotions range from mild to intense; some, such as well-being, are gentle attitudes and outlooks, while others, such as sudden fury, are so intense that they overwhelm rational thought. Images are particularly effective in arousing emotions, whether those images are visual and direct as sensations, or cognitive and indirect as memory or imagination, and part of a rhetor's task is to associate the subject with such images." (L. D. Greene, "Pathos." Encyclopedia of Rhetoric . Oxford University Press, 2001)
• "Most twenty-first-century direct mail solicitations for environmental groups invoke the pathetic appeal. The pathos exists in the emotional appeals to the receiver's sense of compassion (for the dying animal species, deforestation, the shrinking of glaciers, and so on)." (Stuart C. Brown and L.A. Coutant, "Do the Right Thing." Renewing Rhetoric's Relation to Composition , ed. by Shane Borrowman et al. Routledge, 2009)
• Cicero on the Power of Pathos "[E]veryone must acknowledge that of all the resources of an orator far the greatest is his ability to inflame the minds of his hearers and to turn them in whatever direction the case demands. If the orator lacks that ability, he lacks the one thing most essential." (Cicero, Brutus 80.279, 46 B.C.)
• Quintilian on the Power of Pathos "[T]he man who can carry the judge with him, and put him in whatever frame of mind he wishes, whose words move men to tears or anger, has always been a rare creature. Yet this is what dominates the courts, this is the eloquence that reigns supreme. . . . [W]here force has to be brought to bear on the judges' feelings and their minds distracted from the truth, there the orator's true work begins." (Quintilian, Institutio Oratoria , c. 95 A.D.)
• Augustine on the Power of Pathos "Just as the listener is to be delighted if he is to be retained as a listener, so also he is to be persuaded if he is to be moved to act. And just as he is delighted if you speak sweetly, so is he persuaded if he loves what you promise, fears what you threaten, hates what you condemn, embraces what you commend, sorrows at what you maintain to be sorrowful; rejoices when you announce something delightful, takes pity on those whom you place before him in speaking as being pitiful, flees those whom you, moving fear, warn are to be avoided; and is moved by whatever else may be done through grand eloquence toward moving the minds of listeners, not that they may know what is to be done, but that they may do what they already know should be done." (Augustine of Hippo, Book Four of On Christian Doctrine , 426)
• Playing on the Emotions "[I]t is perilous to announce to an audience that we are going to play on the emotions. As soon as we appraise an audience of such an intention, we jeopardize, if we do not entirely destroy, the effectiveness of the emotional appeal. It is not so with appeals to the understanding." (Edward P.J. Corbett and Robert J. Connors, Classical Rhetoric for the Modern Student , 4th ed. Oxford University Press, 1999)
• All About the Children - "It has become a verbal tic for politicians to say that everything they do is 'about the children.' This rhetoric of pathos reflects the de-intellectualization of public life—the substitution of sentimentalism for reasoned persuasion. Bill Clinton carried this to comic lengths when, in his first State of the Union address, he noted that 'not a single Russian missile is pointed at the children of America.' "Those children-seeking missiles were diabolical." (George Will, "Sleepwalking Toward DD-Day." Newsweek , October 1, 2007) - "A brilliant young woman I know was asked once to support her argument in favor of social welfare. She named the most powerful source imaginable: the look in a mother's face when she cannot feed her children. Can you look that hungry child in the eyes? See the blood on his feet from working barefoot in the cotton fields. Or do you ask his baby sister with her belly swollen from hunger if she cares about her daddy's work ethics?" (Nate Parker as Henry Lowe in The Great Debaters , 2007)
• Stirred, Not Shaken "Hillary Clinton used a moment of brilliantly staged emotion to win the New Hampshire Democratic primary . . .. As she answered questions in a diner on the morning before the election, Mrs. Clinton's voice began to waver and crack when she said: 'It's not easy. . . . This is very personal for me.' "Emotions can be an electoral trump card, especially if one can show them as Mrs. Clinton did, without tears. The key is to appear stirred without appearing weak." (Christopher Caldwell, "Politics of the Personal." Financial Times , January 12, 2008)
• Winston Churchill: "Never give in" "[T]his is the lesson: Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in, except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy. We stood all alone a year ago, and to many countries, it seemed that our account was closed, we were finished. All this tradition of ours, our songs, our School history, this part of the history of this country, were gone and finished and liquidated. Very different is the mood today. Britain, other nations thought, had drawn a sponge across her slate. But instead, our country stood in the gap. There was no flinching and no thought of giving in; and by what seemed almost a miracle to those outside these Islands, though we ourselves never doubted it, we now find ourselves in a position where I say that we can be sure that we have only to persevere to conquer." (Winston Churchill, "To the Boys of Harrow School," October 29, 1941)
• Artful Persuasion: A Pathetic Parody During the 1890s, the following "genuine letter from a homesick schoolboy" was reprinted in several magazines. A century later, British journalist Jeremy Paxman quoted it in his book  The English: A Portrait of a People , where he observed that the letter is "so perfect in its depictions of the horrors and so cunning in its attempts to extract sympathy before the appeal for cash that it reads like a parody ." One suspects that it reads like a parody because that's exactly what it is. My Dear Ma— I wright to tell you I am very retched and my chilblains is worse again. I have not made any progress and do not think I shall. I am very sorry to be such an expence, but I do not think this schule is any good. One of the fellows has taken the crown of my best hat for a target, he has now borrowed my watch to make a water wheal with the works, but it wont act. Me and him have tried to put the works back, but we think some wheels are missing, as they wont fit. I hope Matilda's cold is better. I am glad she is not at schule I think I have got consumption, the boys at this place are not gentlemanly, but of course you did not know this when you sent me here, I will try not to get bad habits. The trousers have worn out at the knees. I think the tailor must have cheated you, the buttons have come off and they are loose behind. I don't think the food is good, but I should not mind if I was stronger. The piece of meat I send you is off the beef we had on Sunday, but on other days it is more stringy. There are black beadles in the kitchen and sometimes they cook them in the dinner, which cant be wholesome when you are not strong. Dear Ma, I hope you and Pa are well and do not mind my being so uncomfortable because I do not think I shall last long. Please send me some more money as io 8d. If you cannot spare it I think I can borrow it of a boy who is going to leave at the half quarter and then he won't ask for it back again, but perhaps you wd. not like to be under an obligation to his parents as they are tradespeople. I think you deal at their shop. I did not mention it or I dare say they wd. have put it down in the bill. —Yr. loving but retched son ( Switchmen's Journal , December 1893;  The Traveler's Record , March 1894;  The Collector , October 1897)
• An instructor's first impulse might be to assign this letter as an editing exercise and be done with it. But let's consider some of the richer pedagogical opportunities here. For one thing, the letter is a smart example of pathos, one of the three categories of artistic proof discussed in Aristotle's Rhetoric. Likewise, this homesick schoolboy has masterfully executed two of the more popular logical fallacies : ad misericordiam  (an argument based on an exaggerated appeal to pity) and the appeal to force  (a fallacy that relies on scare tactics to persuade an audience to take a particular course of action). In addition, the letter aptly illustrates the effective use of kairos —a classical term for saying the appropriate thing at the appropriate time. Soon I'll be asking my students to update the letter, retaining the same persuasive strategies while freshening the litany of horrors. (Grammar & Composition Blog, August 28, 2012)

The Lighter Side of Pathos: Pathetic Appeals in Monty Python

Restaurant Manager: I want to apologize, humbly, deeply, and sincerely about the fork. Man: Oh please, it's only a tiny bit. . . . I couldn't see it. Manager: Ah, you're good kind fine people for saying that, but I can see it. To me it's like a mountain, a vast bowl of pus. Man: It's not as bad as that. Manager: It gets me here . I can't give you any excuses for it--there are no excuses. I've been meaning to spend more time in the restaurant recently, but I haven't been too well. . . . ( emotionally ) Things aren't going very well back there. The poor cook's son has been put away again, and poor old Mrs. Dalrymple who does the washing up can hardly move her poor fingers, and then there's Gilberto's war wound--but they're good people, and they're kind people, and together we were beginning to get over this dark patch. . . . There was light at the end of the tunnel. . . . Now, this. Now, this. Man: Can I get you some water? Manager (in tears): It's the end of the road! (Eric Idle and Graham Chapman, episode three of Monty Python's Flying Circus , 1969)

• Artistic Proofs: Definitions and Examples
• Persuasion and Rhetorical Definition
• Definition and Examples of Ethos in Classical Rhetoric
• Logos (Rhetoric)
• Proof in Rhetoric
• A Rhetorical Analysis of U2's 'Sunday Bloody Sunday'
• Use Social Media to Teach Ethos, Pathos and Logos
• Ethos, Logos, Pathos for Persuasion
• Deliberative Rhetoric
• What is an Appeal in Rhetoric?
• What Is Phronesis?
• What Is Rhetoric?
• Situated Ethos in Rhetoric
• What Is Enlightenment Rhetoric?
• Inartistic Proofs (Rhetoric)
• What Is a Sermon?

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9.11: Pathos

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Learning Objective

• Recognize appeals to pathos

Appeals to Pathos

An appeal to pathos is an appeal to someone’s emotions. For example, ads for unhealthy fast food are meant to appeal to your sense of hunger and your cravings, not to your logic that warns against such cuisine. We are exposed to appeals to emotions on an almost constant basis, so it is easy to become numb to such tactics; however, it is important to be aware of such rhetorical strategies both as readers and writers. As a reader, you should be able to analyze how some artifacts turn up the pathos to persuade; as a writer, you need to be careful not to overly rely on pathos as an attempt to sway readers. Remember that while some people may lean heavily on their emotions, others will not be persuaded by strong appeals to pathos, and you will need to consider how to reach them.

People may be uninterested in an issue unless they can find a personal connection to it, so a communicator may try to connect to his or her audience by evoking emotions or by suggesting that author and audience share attitudes, beliefs, and values—in other words, by making an appeal to pathos. Even in formal writing, such as academic books or journals, an author often will try to present an issue in such a way as to connect to the feelings or attitudes of his or her audience (however, academic writing moves beyond reliance solely on appeals to pathos).

When you evaluate pathos, you are asking whether a piece of writing, a speech, etc. arouses the audience’s interest and sympathy. You are looking for the elements that might cause the audience to feel (or not feel) an emotional connection to the content.

An author may use an audience’s attitudes, beliefs, or values as a kind of foundation for his or her argument—a layer that the writer knows is already in place at the outset of the argument. So one of the questions you can ask yourself as you evaluate an author’s use of pathos is whether there are points at which the writer or speaker makes statements assuming that the audience shares the same feelings or attitudes. For example, in an argument about the First Amendment, does the author write as if he or she takes it for granted that the audience is religious?

Manipulative Appeals to Pathos

Up to a certain point, an appeal to pathos can be a legitimate part of an argument. For example, a writer or speaker may begin with an anecdote showing the effect of a law on an individual. This anecdote will be a means of gaining an audience’s attention for an argument using evidence and reason to present the full case as to why the law should/should not be repealed or amended. In such a context, engaging the emotions, values, or beliefs of the audience is a legitimate tool being used effectively.

An appropriate appeal to pathos is different than trying to unfairly play upon the audience’s feelings and emotions through fallacious, misleading, or excessively emotional appeals. Such a manipulative use of pathos may alienate the audience or cause them to tune out. An example would be the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) commercials featuring the song “In the Arms on an Angel” and footage of abused animals. Even Sarah McLachlan, the singer and spokesperson featured in the commercials, admits that she changes the channel because they are too depressing (Brekke, 2014).

Even if an appeal to pathos is not manipulative, such an appeal should complement rather than replace reason and evidence-based argument. In addition to making use of pathos, authors must establish credibility (ethos) and must supply reasons and evidence (logos) in support of their positions. An author who essentially replaces logos and ethos with pathos alone is risking losing his or her audience.

Pathos and Kairos

Kairos means the right moment or, more simply, timeliness. Appeals to emotion are more likely to be effective work if they are also timely. For example, people were more likely to give to charities related to 9/11 soon after the tragedy than they are now. However, donations still rise nearer the actual date of September 11 each year. This is an intersection of kairos and pathos. In other words, people’s emotions are heightened because of a particular time.

Timeliness and emotion might be tied to an annual event, such as sadness or depression on the anniversary of a loved one’s death or pride in America on the 4th of July. Other examples could have much larger time frames, such as suspicion and fear of one’s neighbors during the Communist witch hunts of the 1940s and 50s. Or they could be on a much smaller scale, like someone being more generous and cheerful than normal on Friday evenings. When writing and considering an appeal to pathos, also consider the timeliness. If you were writing a piece on why present-day Americans should fear a widespread viral infectious disease outbreak, it might seem untimely to use the example of smallpox, which was eradicated decades ago, especially since there have been more recent diseases that present greater threats to the limits of modern medicine.

Contributors and Attributions

• Introduction to Pathos. Provided by : University of Mississippi. License : CC BY: Attribution
• Revision and Adaptation. Provided by : Lumen Learning. License : CC BY: Attribution
• How Kairos Works in Appeals to Pathos. Authored by : Guy Krueger. Provided by : University of Mississippi. License : CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike
• Image of man holding heart. Authored by : Mohamed Hassan. Provided by : Pixabay. Located at : pixabay.com/illustrations/man-love-casual-checked-cheerful-3027743/. License : Other . License Terms : pixabay.com/service/terms/#license
• The Logical Structure of Arguments. Provided by : Radford University. Located at : lcubbison.pressbooks.com/chapter/core-201-analyzing-arguments/. Project : Core Curriculum Handbook. License : Public Domain: No Known Copyright

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How to Use Pathos in an Essay: Connecting Emotion and Persuasion

Table of contents, the power of pathos, techniques for utilizing pathos, balance and ethical considerations.

• Aristotle. (n.d.). Rhetoric. Project Gutenberg. https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/16357
• Edlund, J. R. (2019). The Ethos-Pathos-Logos of Aristotle's Rhetoric. Humanities Commons. https://hcommons.org/deposits/item/hc:24300/
• Perloff, M. (2009). The dynamics of persuasion: Communication and attitudes in the 21st century. Routledge.
• Johnson, R. H. (2005). Imagining the audience in audience appeals: Audience invoked in American public address textbooks, 1830-1930. Rhetoric & Public Affairs, 8(3), 429-453.
• Walton, D. N. (2013). The new dialectic: Conversational contexts of argument. University of Toronto Press.
• Kellner, D. (2009). Critical theory, Marxism, and modernity. In The Routledge companion to social and political philosophy (pp. 381-395). Routledge.
• Gardner, R. C. (2019). Environmental psychology: An introduction. Routledge.
• Pinker, S. (2014). The sense of style: The thinking person's guide to writing in the 21st century. Penguin Books.
• Cialdini, R. B. (2008). Influence: Science and practice (Vol. 4). Pearson Education.
• Sobieraj, S., & Berry, J. M. (2011). From incivility to outrage: Political discourse in blogs, talk radio, and cable news. Political Communication, 28(1), 19-41.

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The Appeal to Pathos

Literally translated, pathos means “suffering.”  In this case, it refers to emotion, or more specifically, the writer’s appeal to the audience’s emotions.  When a writer establishes an effective pathetic appeal, he/she is able to make the audience care about what the writer is saying.  If the audience does not care about the message, then they will not engage with the argument being made.

For example, say that a writer is crafting a speech for a politician who is running for office, and in it he raises a point about Social Security benefits.  In order to make this point more appealing to the audience so that they will feel more emotionally connected to what the politician says, the writer inserts a story about Mary, an 80-year-old widow who relies on her Social Security benefits to supplement her income.  While visiting Mary the other day, sitting at her kitchen table and eating a piece of her delicious homemade apple pie, the writer recounts how the politician held Mary’s delicate hand and promised that her benefits would be safe if he were elected.  Ideally, the writer wants the audience to feel sympathy or compassion for Mary, and thus they will feel more open to considering the politician’s views on Social Security (and maybe even other issues).

When evaluating a writer’s pathetic appeal, ask the following questions:

• Does the writer try to engage or connect with the audience by making the subject matter relatable in some way?
• Does the writer have an interesting writing style?
• Does the writer use humor at any point?
• Does the writer use narration, such as storytelling or anecdotes, to add interest or to help humanize a certain issue within the text?
• Does the writer use descriptive or attention-grabbing details?
• Are there hypothetical examples that help the audience to imagine themselves in certain scenarios?
• Does the writer use any other examples in the text that might emotionally appeal to the audience?
• Are there any visual appeals to pathos, such as photographs or illustrations?

Appealing to Emotions

When an author relies on pathos, it means that they are trying to tap into the audience’s emotions to get them to agree with the author’s claim. An author using pathos appeals wants the audience to feel something: anger, pride, joy, rage, or happiness. For example, many of us have seen the ASPCA commercials that use photographs of injured puppies, or sad-looking kittens, and slow, depressing music to emotionally persuade their audience to donate money. This is a classic example of the use of pathos in argument.

Pathos-based rhetorical strategies are any strategies that get the audience to “open up” to the topic, the argument, or to the author through an emotional connection. Emotions can make us vulnerable, and an author can use this vulnerability to get the audience to believe that their argument is a compelling one.

Pathetic appeals might include:

• Expressive descriptions of people, places, or events that help the reader to feel or experience those events
• Vivid imagery of people, places or events that help the reader to feel like they are seeing those events
• Sharing personal stories that make the reader feel a connection to, or empathy for, the person being described
• Using emotion-laden vocabulary as a way to put the reader into that specific emotional mindset (what is the author trying to make the audience feel? and how are they doing that?)
• Using any information that will evoke an emotional response from the audience. This could involve making the audience feel empathy or disgust for the person/group/event being discussed, or perhaps connection to or rejection of the person/group/event being discussed.

Consider the use of pathos in one of the most common forms of media, the TV commercial, where advertisers use emotionally driven images or language to sway the audience.

Car Commercial: Images of a pregnant woman being safely rushed to a hospital. Flash to two car seats in the back seat. Flash to family hopping out of their Ford Escape and witnessing the majesty of the Grand Canyon.

After an image of a worried mother watching her sixteen-year-old daughter drive away: “Ford Escape takes the fear out of driving.”

The use of examples and language that evoke an appropriate emotional response in the viewer or reader—that gets them to care about your topic—can be helpful in argument.

For academic essays, pathos may be useful in introductory sections, concluding sections, or as ways to link various parts of the paper together. However, if your argument is based solely or primarily upon emotional appeals, it will be viewed as weak in an academic setting, especially when data or ethical sources can disprove your claims. Therefore, college writing often puts more emphasis on logos and ethos.

Understanding “Emotional” Appeal

Pathos does not always necessarily mean that you are appealing to the way your audience “feels.”

Instead, “emotion” in pathos refers to beliefs and values and how you react when those beliefs and values are alluded to, questioned, or threatened. Please note that this is different from the usual way we think of “emotions.”

For example, let’s say that I am the director of some program that is a “worthy cause,” like a food bank. I need your money to keep the place going (a place that provides food for people who are really hungry). The simplest thing to do might be to write you a letter and ask you for the money, perhaps even giving you a figure (“send one single 20-dollar bill for the whole year”). I will probably be successful, up to a point. I might be more successful, however, if I appealed to your pathos. I could do this by including an 8×10 black and white photograph of a big-eyed, sad-faced, raggedly dressed child, with a caption that says, “Amy is hoping you can make the hunger pains go away. Amy is saying ‘help me’.” Now the appeal is to your reaction when your beliefs and values are alluded to, questioned, or threatened.

When writing an academic essay, your essay is probably equivalent to only writing the letter above, not the picture. However, be careful with the next few questions below. A little pathos goes a long way.

Connecting with Your Audience through Appropriate Language

Do i use honorific language.

Make sure your writing includes honorific language – language that is respectful, polite, courteous. Any language that shows respect for other points of view tends to increase the audience’s respect for you.

Do this: While Dr. Alvarez makes a valid point regarding the benefit of GMOs when it comes to increased crop yields for developing countries, he fails to take into account some of the greater risks that are still being investigated, such as antibacterial resistance being transferred from GMO crops to the humans who eat them.

Not this: John Alvarez refuses to see any other side of the issue but his own, even leaving out something as important as antibacterial resistance when making his point about GMOs.

When you have reread your entire essay and inserted honorific language, go to the next question.

Do I use pejorative language?

Pejorative language is language that puts down, belittles, sounds sarcastic. As much fun as it may seem to make fun of an opposing view, it makes your audience suspicious of you, particularly if your audience holds an opposing view. This kind of language should be eliminated from your writing.

When revising your own writing, be sure to eliminate any pejorative language. This may include phrases, punctuation, or the use of qualifiers and adjectives that make you look like you can only make fun of an opposing view, rather than make a serious point.

Do this: Soil scientist, Dr. Linda McAllister, conducted a recent study on the efficacy of glyphosate on commercial crops, and while her findings seem mostly positive and mention very few downsides to crop spraying, it is important to note that Monsanto, one of the largest agricultural companies in the world that regularly uses glyphosate as a pesticide for crops, was a major funder of the study.

Not this: Clearly, “Doctor” Linda is in the bulging pocket of greedy Monsanto, which is arguably the worst culprit of poisoning America’s farmland, thus revealing that her “scientific” study is entirely bogus.

When you have reread your writing and eliminated pejorative language, go to the next question.

Do I use an anecdote?

You could very easily insert a number of anecdotes to highlight what you are claiming, in the same way I included the photograph in the above example of the letter. You could include a single anecdote in your introductory paragraph of an essay. However, most readers of persuasive essays at the college level and higher do not appreciate many direct emotional appeals. It may be best to limit your anecdote to just the one in your Introduction, though the more anecdotes you use, the more emotional the argument. This includes anecdotes you tell yourself and anecdotes you find in other places.

When you are satisfied that you have used a number of anecdotes appropriate for the audience, go to the next question.

Do I use allusions?

Do you allude (or refer) to your anecdotes or other well-known symbols? At most, it may be best if you only allude to your one anecdote in your introduction. Pathos in writing like this should be limited to the kind of language you use, and the way you use it. However, you may also allude to anything that puts you and the audience in the same system of beliefs, or values, or assumptions about life. In a long persuasive essay, it is probably enough to remind the reader of the introductory anecdote by alluding to it indirectly in the conclusion.

Recognizing a Manipulative Appeal to Pathos:

Up to a certain point, an appeal to pathos can be a legitimate part of an argument. For example, a writer or speaker may begin with an anecdote showing the effect of a law on an individual. This anecdote will be a means of gaining an audience’s attention for an argument in which she uses evidence and reason to present her full case as to why the law should/should not be repealed or amended. In such a context, engaging the emotions, values, or beliefs of the audience is a legitimate tool whose effective use should lead you to give the author high marks.

An appropriate appeal to pathos is different than trying to unfairly play upon the audience’s feelings and emotions through fallacious, misleading, or excessively emotional appeals. Such a manipulative use of pathos may alienate the audience or cause them to “tune out”. An example would be the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) commercials featuring the song “In the Arms on an Angel” and footage of abused animals. Even Sarah McLachlan, the singer and spokesperson featured in the commercials, admits that she changes the channel because they are too depressing (Brekke, 2014).

Even if an appeal to pathos is not manipulative, such an appeal should complement rather than replace reason and evidence-based argument. In addition to making use of pathos, the author must establish her credibility (ethos) and must supply reasons and evidence (logos) in support of her position. An author who essentially replaces logos and ethos with pathos alone should be given low marks.

When identifying pathos in written communication, try to locate where the author is trying to convince the reader by strictly using emotions because, if used to excess, pathos appeals can indicate a lack of substance or emotional manipulation of the audience. If the only way in which an author can persuade the readers is by making them sad or angry, does that make for a solid, valid argument?

In the movie Braveheart, the Scottish military leader, William Wallace, played by Mel Gibson, gives a speech to his troops just before they get ready to go into battle against the English army of King Edward I.

See clip here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2vW-rr9ibE

Transcript here: https://www.virginiawestern.edu/eng111/WilliamWallaceSpeech-Braveheart.pdf

Step 1: When you watch the movie clip, try to gauge the general emotional atmosphere. Do the men seem calm or nervous? Confident or skeptical? Are they eager to go into battle, or are they ready to retreat? Assessing the situation from the start will make it easier to answer more specific, probing rhetorical questions after watching it.

Step 2: Consider these questions:

• What issues does Wallace address?
• Who is his audience?
• How does the audience view the issues at hand?

Step 3: Next, analyze Wallace’s use of pathos in his speech.

• How does he try to connect with his audience emotionally? Because this is a speech, and he’s appealing to the audience in person, consider his overall look as well as what he says.
• How would you describe his manner or attitude?
• Does he use any humor, and if so, to what effect?
• How would you describe his tone?
• Identify some examples of language that show an appeal to pathos: words, phrases, imagery, collective pronouns (we, us, our).
• How do all of these factors help him establish a pathetic appeal?

Step 4: Once you’ve identified the various ways that Wallace tries to establish his appeal to pathos, the final step is to evaluate the effectiveness of that appeal.

• Do you think he has successfully established a pathetic appeal? Why or why not?
• What does he do well in establishing pathos?
• What could he improve, or what could he do differently to make his pathetic appeal even stronger?

Information in this chapter was remixed from the following sources:

Frameworks for Academic Writing  by  Stephen V. Poulter  is licensed under a  Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License .

Informed Arguments: A Guide to Writing and Research   by Terri Pantuso, Sarah LeMire, and Kathy Anders, which was published in 2019 by Texas A&M University with an attribution, non-commerical, share-alike creative commons license . It was accessed through the Open Textbook Library.

Let’s Get Writing by Elizabeth Browning, Kirsten DeVries, Kathy Boylan, Jenifer Kurtz, and Katelyn Burton, which was published by Virginia Western Community Colleges and uses a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ,

Pathos Copyright © 2021 by Elizabeth Browning is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Collaboration, information literacy, writing process, using pathos in persuasive writing.

• CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 by Angela Eward-Mangione - Hillsborough Community College

Incorporating appeals to pathos into persuasive writing increases a writer’s chances of achieving his or her purpose. Read “ Pathos ” to define and understand pathos and methods for appealing to it. The following brief article discusses examples of these appeals in persuasive writing.

An important key to incorporating pathos into your persuasive writing effectively is appealing to your audience’s commonly held emotions. To do this, one must be able to identify common emotions, as well as understand what situations typically evoke such emotions. The blog post “ The 10 Most Common Feelings Worldwide, We Feel Fine ,” offers an interview with Seth Kamvar, co-author of We Feel Fine. According to the post, the 10 most commonly held emotions in 2006-2009 were: better, bad, good, guilty, sorry, sick, well, comfortable, great, and happy (qtd. in Whelan).

Let’s take a look at some potential essay topics, what emotions they might evoke, and what methods can be used to appeal to those emotions.

Example: Animal Cruelty

Related Emotions:

Method Narrative

In “To Kill a Chicken,” Nicholas Kristof describes footage taken by an undercover investigator for Mercy with Animals at a North Carolina poultry slaughterhouse: “some chickens aren’t completely knocked out by the electric current and can be seen struggling frantically. Others avoid the circular saw somehow. A backup worker is supposed to cut the throat of those missed by the saw, but any that get by him are scalded alive, the investigator said” (Kristof).

This narrative account, which creates a cruel picture in readers’ minds, will evoke anger, horror, sadness, and sympathy.

Example: Human Trafficking

• Sadness (sorry)
• Sympathy 

Method: Direct Quote

“From Victim to Impassioned Voice” provides the perspective of Asia Graves, a victim of a vicious child prostitution ring who attributes her survival to a group of women: “If I didn’t have those strong women, I’d be nowhere” (McKin).

A quote from a victim of human trafficking humanizes the topic, eliciting sadness and sympathy for the victim(s).

Example: Cyberbullying

Method: empathy for an opposing view.

The concerns of some people who oppose the criminalization of cyberbullying are understandable. For example, Justin W. Patchin, coauthor of Bullying Beyond the Schoolyard: Preventing and Responding to Cyberbullying , opposes making cyberbullying a crime because he views the federal and state governments’ role as one to educate local school districts and provide resources for them (“Cyberbullying”). Patchin does not oppose cyberbullying itself; rather, he takes issue with the government responding to it through criminalization.

Identifying and articulating the opposing view as well as the concerns that underpin it helps the audience experience a full range of sympathy, a commonly held emotion, as a consequence of sincerely investigating and acknowledging another view.

The method a writer uses to persuade emotionally his or her audience will depend on the situation. However, any writer who uses at least one approach will be more persuasive than a writer who ignores opportunities to entreat one of the most powerful aspects of the human experience—emotions.

Works Cited

“Cyberbullying.” Opposing Viewpoints Online Collection . Detroit: Gale, 2015. Opposing Viewpoints in Context . Web. 21 July 2016.

Kristof, Nicholas. “To Kill a Chicken.” The New York Times . The New York Times, 3 May 2015. Web. 20 July 2016.

McKin, Jenifer. “From victim to impassioned voice: Women exploited as a teen fights sexual trafficking of children.” The Boston Globe . Boston Globe Media Partners, 27 Nov. 2012. Web. 20 July 2016.

Whelan, Christine. “The 10 Most Common Feelings Worldwide: We Feel Fine.” The Huffington Post . The Huffington Post, 18 March 2012. Web. 21 July 2016.

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What Are Logos, Pathos & Ethos?

A straight-forward explainer (with examples)

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Reviewer: Eunice Rautenbach (DTech) | June 2023

If you spend any amount of time exploring the wonderful world of philosophy, you’re bound to run into the dynamic trio of rhetorical appeals: logos , ethos and pathos . But, what exactly do they mean and how can you use them in your writing or speaking? In this post, we’ll unpack the rhetorical love triangle in simple terms, using loads of practical examples along the way.

Overview: The Rhetorical Triangle

• What are logos , pathos and ethos ?
• Logos unpacked (+ examples)
• Pathos unpacked (+ examples)
• Ethos unpacked (+ examples)
• The rhetorical triangle

What are logos, ethos and pathos?

Simply put, logos, ethos and pathos are three powerful tools that you can use to persuade an audience of your argument . At the most basic level, logos appeals to logic and reason, while pathos appeals to emotions and ethos emphasises credibility or authority.

Naturally, a combination of all three rhetorical appeals packs the biggest punch, but it’s important to consider a few different factors to determine the best mix for any given context. Let’s look at each rhetorical appeal in a little more detail to understand how best to use them to your advantage.

Logos appeals to the logical, reason-driven side of our minds. Using logos in an argument typically means presenting a strong body of evidence and   facts to support your position. This evidence should then be accompanied by sound logic and well-articulated reasoning .

Let’s look at some examples of logos in action:

• A friend trying to persuade you to eat healthier might present scientific studies that show the benefits of a balanced diet and explain how certain nutrients contribute to overall health and longevity.
• A scientist giving a presentation on climate change might use data from reputable studies, along with well-presented graphs and statistical analyses to demonstrate the rising global temperatures and their impact on the environment.
• An advertisement for a new smartphone might highlight its technological features, such as a faster processor, longer battery life, and a high-resolution camera. This could also be accompanied by technical specifications and comparisons with competitors’ models.

In short, logos is all about using evidence , logic and reason to build a strong argument that will win over an audience on the basis of its objective merit . This contrasts quite sharply against pathos, which we’ll look at next.

Contrasted to logos, pathos appeals to the softer side of us mushy humans. Specifically, it focuses on evoking feelings and emotions in the audience. When utilising pathos in an argument, the aim is to cultivate some feeling of connection in the audience toward either yourself or the point that you’re trying to make.

In practical terms, pathos often uses storytelling , vivid language and personal anecdotes to tap into the audience’s emotions. Unlike logos, the focus here is not on facts and figures, but rather on psychological affect . Simply put, pathos utilises our shared humanness to foster agreement.

Let’s look at some examples of pathos in action:

• An advertisement for a charity might incorporate images of starving children and highlight their desperate living conditions to evoke sympathy, compassion and, ultimately, donations.
• A politician on the campaign trail might appeal to feelings of hope, unity, and patriotism to rally supporters and motivate them to vote for his or her party.
• A fundraising event may include a heartfelt personal story shared by a cancer survivor, with the aim of evoking empathy and encouraging donations to support cancer research.

As you can see, pathos is all about appealing to the human side of us – playing on our emotions to create buy-in and agreement.

Last but not least, we’ve got ethos. Ethos is all about emphasising the credibility and authority of the person making the argument, or leveraging off of someone else’s credibility to support your own argument.

The ethos card can be played by highlighting expertise, achievements, qualifications and accreditations , or even personal and professional associations and connections. Ultimately, the aim here is to foster some level of trust within the audience by demonstrating your competence, as this will make them more likely to take your word as fact.

Let’s look at some examples of ethos in action:

• A fitness equipment brand might hire a well-known athlete to endorse their product.
• A toothpaste brand might make claims highlighting that a large percentage of dentists recommend their product.
• A financial advisor might present their qualifications, certifications and professional memberships when meeting with a prospective client.

As you can see, using ethos in an argument is largely about emphasising the credibility of the person rather than the logical soundness of the argument itself (which would reflect a logos-based approach). This is particularly helpful when there isn’t a large body of evidence to support the argument.

Ethos can also overlap somewhat with pathos in that positive emotions and feelings toward a specific person can oftentimes be extended to someone else’s argument. For example, a brand that has nothing to do with sports could still benefit from the endorsement of a well-loved athlete, just because people feel positive feelings about the athlete – not because of that athlete’s expertise  in the product they’re endorsing.

How to use logos, pathos and ethos

Logos, pathos and ethos combine to form the rhetorical triangle , also known as the Aristotelian triangle. As you’d expect, the three sides (or corners) of the triangle reflect the three appeals, but there’s also another layer of meaning. Specifically, the three sides symbolise the relationship between the speaker , the audience and the message .

Without getting too philosophical, the key takeaway here is that logos, pathos and ethos are all tools that you can use to present a persuasive argument . However, how much you use each tool needs to be informed by careful consideration of who your audience is and what message you’re trying to convey to them.

For example, if you’re writing a research paper for a largely scientific audience, you’ll likely lean more heavily on the logos . Conversely, if you’re presenting a speech in which you argue for greater social justice, you may lean more heavily on the pathos to win over the hearts and minds of your audience.

Simply put, by understanding the relationship between yourself (as the person making the argument), your audience , and your message , you can strategically employ the three rhetorical appeals to persuade, engage, and connect with your audience more effectively in any context. Use these tools wisely and you’ll quickly notice what a difference they can make to your ability to communicate and more importantly, to persuade .

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3 Modes of Persuasion — Ethos, Pathos, and Logos

July 19, 2023

When structuring an argument, whether verbally or in written form, it is important to consider not only the ideas but the ways in which they might be persuasive. This article will explore the three primary modes of persuasion—ethos, pathos, and logos—and demonstrate the various ways you might use them to your advantage. They fall under the heading of rhetoric, which the Oxford English Dictionary defines as “the art of using language effectively so as to persuade or influence others.” These three modes of persuasion were first detailed in Aristotle’s Rhetoric . We’ll begin with the question, what is ethos in persuasion? Then we’ll discuss the pathos persuasive technique and, finally, logos in persuasion.

What Is Ethos in Persuasion?

While the term “ethos” may be unfamiliar you have certainly encountered its use in your day-to-day life. Of the three modes of persuasion, ethos is one that appeals to the speaker’s character or expertise. (The word itself has roots in the Latin and Greek words for “character.”) In this sense the use of ethos is contextual. It relies on some degree of shared knowledge between speaker and listener.

Here are two examples of ethos in practice:

• “As a licensed nutritionist, I strongly recommend you eliminate dairy from your diet.”
• “As a scholar of baroque architecture, I can assure you this local church is nothing out of the ordinary.”

What Is Ethos in Persuasion? (Continued)

Both of these examples use a common construction (“As a…”) in order to establish authority. This construction foregrounds the use of ethos and, as you might notice in the second example, can create a somewhat condescending tone. When we’re looking for it, this particular use of ethos is quite obvious. In everyday usage, however, we often find subtle ways of establishing authority. This might mean citing names or ideas or using a particular linguistic register. Ethos is working on a subtle level far more often than we realize. So, it’s important to keep asking ourselves, what is ethos in persuasion? Whether or not we recognize it for what it is, the persuasive effect is undeniable.

What Is Ethos in Persuasion? — Endorsements

Endorsements—by celebrities, authorities, or other trusted figures—are another example of ethos functioning as one of the modes of persuasion. Do political endorsements ever affect your choice of which candidate to support? How about a blurb on the back cover of a book? If a writer you admire—or a Nobel Prize winner or a former heavyweight champion of the world—describes the book as “life-changing” or a “must-read” or “absolutely spellbinding from start to finish” does it make you want to check out the book for yourself?

Pathos Persuasive Technique

Pathos, the second of the three modes of persuasion, involves an appeal to emotion. This is different from the speaker establishing their own authority. With the pathos persuasive technique, a speaker attempts to stir up emotion in their listener. This is in an effort to bring them to a desired conclusion. There is a wide range of emotions that one might appeal to when using pathos as mode of persuasion. In Rhetoric , Aristotle identified seven emotional dichotomies. These are:

• Anger/Calmness
• Friendship/Enmity
• Fear/Confidence
• Shame/Shamelessness
• Kindness/Unkindness
• Pity/Indignation
• Envy/Emulation

The pathos persuasive technique might involve creating one of these emotions. Thereby the listener might become more receptive to a desired conclusion. On the other hand, the pathos persuasive technique could involve counteracting one of these emotions in the direction of its opposite. It is often effective to move across these dichotomies, activating a nuanced spectrum of emotion in the listener.

For example, if a speaker is attempting to build political support it could be useful to drum up anger towards their opposition. At the same, however, too much reliance on anger will eventually become apparent to an audience. To this end, the speaker will want to fold in moments of calm reflection and create empathy toward the people they are promising to help. This technique would engage with a number of the dichotomies listed above, perhaps most clearly Anger/Calmness and Friendship/Enmity.

Pathos Persuasive Technique — Literary Devices

Literary devices are excellent tools for incorporating the pathos persuasive technique into your writing and speech. Literary devices can create rhythms and emphasize sonic or structural qualities that are particularly compelling. These effects will likely be familiar to you from English classrooms. A rhyme scheme or a metrical pattern, for example, can make a conclusion feel inevitable. Consider for instance the final stanza of John Keats’ “Ode on a Grecian Urn.” (In this context, “thou” refers to the urn.) Keats writes,

O Attic shape! Fair attitude! with brede Of marble men and maidens overwrought, With forest branches and the trodden weed; Thou, silent form, dost tease us out of thought As doth eternity: Cold Pastoral! When old age shall this generation waste, Thou shalt remain, in midst of other woe Than ours, a friend to man, to whom thou say’st, “Beauty is truth, truth beauty,—that is all Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.

Isn’t there a sense that this is the only way the poem could’ve ended? That this is the only adequate conclusion? This early 19th-century literary example is clearly quite different from how you will be using the pathos persuasive technique. It does demonstrate, however, how pathos can operate through the use of literary devices. How language itself (rather than what’s being said) can be inherently persuasive. To this end, there is a wide range of literary devices that it will be helpful to familiarize yourself with.

Logos in Persuasion

Logos in persuasion refers to a mode of persuasion that relies on logic-based reason. This means structuring an argument in terms of premises (which are similar to hypotheses), supporting evidence, and conclusions. Deductive reasoning and inductive reasoning are two types of logic that it will be helpful to understand.

Logos in Persuasion — Deductive Reasoning

Deductive reasoning involves proving that a conclusion is incontrovertibly true. This is based on the truth of its premises and the ways in which they lead to a conclusion. Here is an example.

• Premise 1: Napoleon was human.
• Premise 2: All humans have mothers.
• Conclusion: Napoleon had a mother.

This example is based on the logical rule that if A=B and B=C then A=C. This rule, however, doesn’t imply that the premises are true (i.e. that A=B and B=C). The conclusion can only be proven to be true if the premises are taken to be true as well. In this example, there isn’t much to argue with, but the logical structure also has the potential to give a false impression of validity.

Logos in Persuasion — Inductive Reasoning

The above example of deductive reasoning proves (or at least claims to prove) the truth of a specific statement. Inductive reasoning, on the other hand, often brings us to more general conclusions. Instead of resulting in a definite, provable conclusion, inductive reasoning results in a probable one. This is the form of reasoning that we use most commonly in our day to day lives. While not definitive, inductive reasoning leads to valid conclusions that are often more compelling than those arrived at through deductive reasoning. As mentioned already, deductive reasoning can at times feel manipulative and overly formal.

Logos in Persuasion — Inductive Reasoning (Inference)

Inference is one of the most common forms of inductive reasoning. An inference is defined most simply as “an idea or conclusion that’s drawn from evidence and meaning.” This could mean recognizing a pattern and reaching a conclusion based on that. For example, based on the fact that the sun has risen each morning for as long as I can remember, I can infer that the sun will rise again tomorrow morning. The conclusion here is that the sun will rise tomorrow morning. The logic doesn’t prove this conclusion—the earth could stop rotating or the sun could suddenly extinguish—but, as you can tell, it’s still quite persuasive.

3 Modes of Persuasion — Practical Applications

Having a clear sense of these three modes of persuasion will be helpful when it comes to constructing an argument in a wide variety of contexts. These are good to keep in mind in the context of a job interview or when writing a statement of purpose for graduate school or even when you’re struggling to convey an idea to a friend.

Thinking in terms of ethos, pathos and logos is an especially good way to improve your public speaking skills . A dynamic speech will generally incorporate each of these modes of persuasion. So, if it feels like something might be missing, or if the tone of your speech seems to slacken, one recourse is to identify the modes of persuasion you are using and to find ways of incorporating others.

A speech that relies entirely on the pathos persuasive technique, for example, could start to feel somewhat redundant. If it goes on for too long it could appear to lack a logical argument or sense of authority. Switching to logos in persuasion or asking yourself, what is ethos in persuasion?, are good ways to keep the listener on their toes. When the listener gets the sense that they know exactly what will come next they often tune out. Even a powerful, and morally justified, appeal to anger will begin to seem rote after some time. Just as an excessive reliance on one’s character or authority (ethos) could have the listener rolling their eyes.

3 Modes of Persuasion — Final Thoughts

As a way to remember the three modes of persuasion, it will be helpful to associate one word with each of them. For ethos, think character. For pathos, think emotion. With logos, just change the last two letters and you have “logic.”

For further practice, try going through a piece of persuasive writing and sorting the paper into the modes of persuasion it is employing. You can use a different colored highlighter for each mode. Likewise, this can also be a good way to edit your own writing. Organizing arguments according to the mode they are employing will give you a sense of the piece’s balance. This can offer insight into how you might revise. It’s important to consider the audience and how the piece will likely be received. Depending on context, different balances of ethos, pathos, and logos will be desired. A political speech, for instance, might rely on pathos while an academic paper should be more heavily skewed towards logos.

In addition to ethos, pathos, and logos—which we can think of as rhetorical modes—there are a number of rhetorical devices that it would be a good idea to familiarize yourself with. These devices will offer a plethora of ways to deploy your understanding of the three modes of persuasion, providing a template for how you might keep a reader or listener engaged.

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Emmett Lewis

Emmett holds a BA in Philosophy from Vassar College and is currently completing an MFA in Writing at Columbia University. Previously, he served as a writing instructor within the Columbia Artists/Teachers community as well as a Creative Writing Teaching Fellow at Columbia, where he taught poetry workshops. In addition, Emmett is a member of the Poetry Board at the Columbia Journal , and his work has been published in HAD , Otoliths , and Some Kind of Opening , among others.

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Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Rhetoric — Pathos In The Rhetorical Argument

Pathos in The Rhetorical Argument

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Understand The Difference Between Ethos, Pathos, And Logos To Make Your Point

• What Is Ethos?
• What Is Pathos?
• What Is Logos?
• Examples Of Each
• What Are Mythos And Kairos?

During an argument, people will often say whatever is necessary to win. If that is the case, they would certainly need to understand the three modes of persuasion, also commonly known as the three rhetorical appeals: ethos , pathos , and logos . In short, these three words refer to three main methods that a person can use to speak or write persuasively. As you’re about to find out, the modes of persuasion are important because a speaker who knows how to effectively use them will have a significant advantage over someone who doesn’t.

The terms ethos , pathos , and logos and the theory of their use can be traced back to ancient Greece to the philosophy of Aristotle . Aristotle used these three concepts in his explanations of rhetoric , or the art of influencing the thought and conduct of an audience. For Aristotle, the three modes of persuasion specifically referred to the three major parts of an argument: the speaker ( ethos ), the argument itself ( logos ), and the audience ( pathos ). In particular, Aristotle focused on the speaker’s character, the logic and reason presented by an argument, and the emotional impact the argument had on an audience.

While they have ancient roots, these modes of persuasion are alive and well today. Put simply, ethos refers to persuasion based on the credibility or authority of the speaker, pathos refers to persuasion based on emotion, and logos refers to persuasion based on logic or reason.

By effectively using the three modes of persuasion with a large supply of rhetorical devices, a speaker or writer can become a master of rhetoric and win nearly any argument or win over any audience. Before they can do that, though, they must know exactly what ethos , pathos , and logos mean. Fortunately, we are going to look closely at each of these three ideas and see if they are really as effective as they are said to be.

⚡️ Quick summary

Ethos , pathos , and logos are the three classical modes of persuasion that a person can use to speak or write persuasively. Specifically:

• ethos (character): known as “the appeal to authority” or “the appeal to credibility.” This is the method in which a person relies on their credibility or character when making an appeal or an argument.
• pathos (emotions): known as “the appeal to emotion.” Pathos refers to the method of trying to persuade an audience by eliciting some kind of emotional reaction.
• logos (logic): known as “the appeal to reason.” This method involves using facts and logical reasoning to support an argument and persuade an audience.

What is ethos ?

The word ethos comes straight from Greek. In Greek, ethos literally translates to “habit,” “custom,” or “character.” Ethos is related to the words ethic and ethical , which are typically used to refer to behavior that is or isn’t acceptable for a particular person.

In rhetoric, the word ethos is used to refer to the character or reputation of the speaker. As a rhetorical appeal, ethos is known as “the appeal to authority” or “the appeal to credibility.” When it comes to ethos , one important consideration is how the speaker carries themself and how they present themselves to the audience: Does it seem like they know what they are talking about? Do they even believe the words they are saying? Are they an expert? Do they have some experience or skills that tell us we should listen to them?

Ethos is important in rhetoric because it often influences the opinion or mood of the audience. If a speaker seems unenthusiastic, unprepared, or inexperienced, the audience is more likely to discount the speaker’s argument regardless of what it even is. On the other hand, a knowledgeable, authoritative, confident speaker is much more likely to win an audience over.

Ethos often depends on more than just the argument itself. For example, a speaker’s word choice, grammar, and diction also contribute to ethos ; an audience may react more favorably toward a professional speaker who has a good grasp of industry jargon and enunciates clearly versus a speaker who lacks the necessary vocabulary and fails to enunciate. Ethos can also be influenced by nonverbal factors as well, such as posture, body language, eye contact, and even the speaker’s choice of clothing. For example, a military officer proudly wearing their uniform bedecked with medals will go a long way to establishing ethos without them saying a single word.

Here as a simple example of ethos :

• “As a former mayor of this city, I believe we can solve this crisis if we band together.”

The speaker uses ethos by alerting the audience of their credentials and experience. By doing so, they rely on their reputation to be more persuasive. This “as a…” method of establishing ethos is common, and you have probably seen it used in many persuasive advertisements and speeches.

What are open-ended questions and how can you use them effectively? Find out here.

What is pathos ?

In Greek, pathos literally translates to “suffering, experience, or sensation.” The word pathos is related to the words pathetic , sympathy , and empathy , which all have to do with emotions or emotional connections. Aristotle used the word pathos to refer to the emotional impact that an argument had on an audience; this usage is still mainly how pathos is used in rhetoric today.

As a rhetorical appeal, pathos is referred to as “the appeal to emotion.” Generally speaking, an author or speaker is using pathos when they are trying to persuade an audience by causing some kind of emotional reaction. When it comes to pathos , any and all emotions are on the table: sadness, fear, hope, joy, anger, lust, pity, etc.

As you probably know from your own life, emotions are a powerful motivating factor. For this reason, relying on pathos is often a smart and effective strategy for persuading an audience. Both positive and negative emotions can heavily influence an audience: for example, an audience will want to support a speaker whose position will make them happy, a speaker who wants to end their sadness, or a speaker who is opposed to something that makes them angry.

Here is a simple example of pathos :

• “Every day, the rainforests shrink and innocent animals are killed. We must do something about this calamitous trend before the planet we call our home is damaged beyond repair.”

Here, the author is trying to win over an audience by making them feel sad, concerned, or afraid. The author’s choice of words like “innocent” and “calamitous” enforce the fact that they are trying to rely on pathos .

What is logos ?

In Greek, the word logos literally translates to “word, reason, or discourse.” The word logos is related to many different words that have to do with reason, discourse, or knowledge, such as logic , logical , and any words that end in the suffixes -logy or -logue .

As a mode of persuasion and rhetorical appeal, logos is often referred to as “the appeal to reason.” If a speaker or author is relying on logos , they are typically reciting facts or providing data and statistics that support their argument. In a manner of speaking, logos does away with all of the bells and whistles of ethos and pathos and cuts to the chase by trying to present a rational argument.

Logos can be effective in arguments because, in theory, it is impossible to argue against truth and facts. An audience is more likely to agree with a speaker who can provide strong, factual evidence that shows their position is correct. On the flip side, an audience is less likely to support an argument that is flawed or entirely wrong. Going further, a speaker that presents a lot of supporting evidence and data to the audience is likely to come across as knowledgeable and someone to be listened to, which earns bonus points in ethos as well.

While Aristotle clearly valued an argument based on reason very highly, we know that logos alone doesn’t always effectively persuade an audience. In your own life, you have likely seen a rational, correct speaker lose an argument to a charismatic, authoritative speaker who may not have the facts right.

Here is a simple example of logos :

• “According to market research, sales of computer chips have increased by 300% in the last five years. Analysis of the industry tells us that the market share of computer chips is dominated by Asian manufacturers. It is clear that the Asian technology sector will continue to experience rapid growth for the foreseeable future.”

In this paragraph, the author is using data, statistics, and logical reasoning to make their argument. They clearly hope to use logos to try to convince an audience to agree with them.

Do you need persuading to take this quiz on identifying ethos, pathos, and logos? We think you’ll be a champion at it.

Examples of ethos , pathos , and logos

Ethos , pathos , and logos can all be employed to deliver compelling and persuasive arguments or to win over an audience. Let’s look at a variety of examples to see how different speakers and authors have turned to these modes of persuasion over the years.

“Come I to speak in Caesar’s funeral. He was my friend, faithful and just to me […] You all did see that on the Lupercal I thrice presented him a kingly crown, Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition?” —Marc Antony, Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare

In this scene, Marc Antony is trying to win over the Roman people, so Shakespeare has Antony rely on ethos . Antony is establishing himself as both a person of authority in Rome (having the power to offer Caesar a crown) and an expert on Caesar’s true character (Antony was Caesar’s close friend and advisor).

“During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the world’s first computer animated feature film, Toy Story , and is now the most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I returned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple’s current renaissance.” —Steve Jobs, 2005

Here, Steve Jobs is providing his background–via humblebrag – of being a major figure in several different highly successful tech companies. Jobs is using ethos to provide substance to his words and make it clear to the audience that he knows what he is talking about and they should listen to him.

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“Moreover, though you hate both him and his gifts with all your heart, yet pity the rest of the Achaeans who are being harassed in all their host; they will honour you as a god, and you will earn great glory at their hands. You might even kill Hector; he will come within your reach, for he is infatuated, and declares that not a Danaan whom the ships have brought can hold his own against him.” —Ulysses to Achilles, The Iliad by Homer

In this plea, Ulysses is doing his best to pile on the pathos . In one paragraph, Ulysses is attempting to appeal to several of Achilles’s emotions: his hatred of Hector, his infamous stubborn pride, his sympathy for civilians, and his desire for vengeance.

“I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest—quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality.” —Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., 1963

In this excerpt from his “I Have A Dream” speech, King is using pathos to accomplish two goals at once. First, he is connecting with his audience by making it clear is aware of their plight and suffering. Second, he is citing these examples to cause sadness or outrage in the audience. Both of these effects will make an audience interested in what he has to say and more likely to support his position.

Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream” speech is recognizable and noteworthy for many reasons, including the rhetorical device he employs. Learn about it here.

“Let it be remembered how powerful the influence of a single introduced tree or mammal has been shown to be. But in the case of an island, or of a country partly surrounded by barriers, into which new and better adapted forms could not freely enter, we should then have places in the economy of nature which would assuredly be better filled up if some of the original inhabitants were in some manner modified; for, had the area been open to immigration, these same places would have been seized on by intruders. In such case, every slight modification, which in the course of ages chanced to arise, and which in any way favoured the individuals of any of the species, by better adapting them to their altered conditions, would tend to be preserved; and natural selection would have free scope for the work of improvement.” —Charles Darwin, On the Origin of the Species , 1859

In this passage, Darwin is using logos by presenting a rational argument in support of natural selection. Darwin connects natural selection to established scientific knowledge to argue that it makes logical sense that animals would adapt to better survive in their environment.

“I often echo the point made by the climate scientist James Hansen: The accumulation of carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases—some of which will envelop the planet for hundreds and possibly thousands of years—is now trapping as much extra energy daily as 500,000 Hiroshima-class atomic bombs would release every 24 hours. This is the crisis we face.” —Al Gore, “The Climate Crisis Is the Battle of Our Time, and We Can Win,” 2019

In this call to action, Al Gore uses logos to attempt to convince his audience of the significance of climate change. In order to do this, Gore both cites an expert in the field and provides a scientifically accurate simile to explain the scale of the effect that greenhouse gases have on Earth’s atmosphere.

What are mythos and kairos ?

Some modern scholars may also use terms mythos and kairos when discussing modes of persuasion or rhetoric in general.

Aristotle used the term mythos to refer to the plot or story structure of Greek tragedies, i.e., how a playwright ordered the events of the story to affect the audience. Today, mythos is most often discussed as a literary or poetic term rather than a rhetorical one. However, mythos may rarely be referred to as the “appeal to culture” or the “appeal to myth” if it is treated as an additional mode of persuasion. According to this viewpoint, a speaker/writer is using mythos if they try to persuade an audience using shared cultural customs or societal values.

A commonly cited example of mythos is King’s “I Have a Dream” speech quoted earlier. King says:

“When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men—yes, black men as well as white men—would be guaranteed the ‘unalienable rights’ of ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.’ ”

Throughout the speech, King repeatedly uses American symbols and American history ( mythos ) to argue that all Americans should be outraged that Black Americans have been denied freedom and civil rights.

Some modern scholars may also consider kairos as an additional mode of persuasion. Kairos is usually defined as referring to the specific time and place that a speaker chooses to deliver their speech. For written rhetoric, the “place” instead refers to the specific medium or publication in which a piece of writing appears.

Unlike the other modes of persuasion, kairos relates to the context of a speech and how the appropriateness (or not) of a setting affects how effective a speaker is. Once again, King’s “I Have a Dream” speech is a great example of the use of kairos . This speech was delivered at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the 100th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation at the end of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. Clearly, King intended to use kairos to enhance the importance and timeliness of this landmark speech.

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How to Use Pathos in an Essay

Publication Date: 19 October 2022

The word “Pathos” commonly has a negative meaning. Let’s face it, since childhood we are told to avoid using pathos in our writing, for example, pathos in an essay. However, pathos is a useful literary device, which can do miracles to one’s text if applied correctly. What does it mean to write with pathos and how to use pathos in an essay in the right way – let’s quickly find out!

What is Pathos?

The term “pathos” is a Greek word and it literally means “suffering”, “passion”, “excitation”, in other words – the impact on the feelings of the audience. The human brain operates in such a way that it first reads emotions, and only then logical arguments. Therefore, pathos can help to instantly attract the attention of the readers – a teacher, a customer, a friend, etc. To know how to use pathos in an essay, you need to understand the following basics:

• what kind of emotions do you want to evoke;
• how these emotions are related to our text (e.g. an essay);
• what the reader should do in response.

We all know how to use a smartphone; though only a few know how this complicated device operates in detail. Similarly, most people know how to use argumentation in writing and how to influence other people by appealing to their emotions; however, they may not necessarily know how to use pathos in their favor.

Example of Pathos in an Essay

Now that we know what pathos is and that it is not always a bad feature, let’s provide an example of pathos in an essay to illustrate how you can use it in your own writing.

One of the best examples and a distinct representative of the pathos “family” is empathy. Empathy is a powerful mirror emotion that we evoke in others. It is often associated with compassion and is used to incline the audience to believe our arguments, to share the same feelings and emotions that we had (e.g. in a story), or even to buy an advertised product when it comes to marketing and sales.

It will be easier to illustrate pathos in an essay by attaching it to various topics (essay prompts). It works in the following way – we provide an essay topic and list associated emotions that an author can evoke in their readers.

Essay topic: Bullying in school

You may try to evoke the following emotions in your readers when writing an effective essay on this topic:

• Frustration

Essay topic: A funny episode from my last trip to Egypt

The following emotions from your readers should be your target if you want to use pathos effectively:

Essay topic: Social work outside campus

An example of pathos in an essay will resort to the following emotions:

• Collaboration

The Golden Rule

As with many powerful writing tools, one has to use pathos with caution. The golden rule or the rule of thumb here, if you want to know how to use pathos in an essay, is to show moderation. It means that too much pathos can be detrimental to your writing and instead of helping you to influence the audience it can deter and scare it away. By the way, this is the root cause of the negativity towards pathos among the general public. Those who don’t know how to use pathos effectively would discourage others from using it wherever possible.

So, if you use pathos words and expressions in the introductory part of your essay, be highly cautious not to use too many of those words later in the main body. A good pathos is like good humor – it is only effective in small doses and in the right place and time, otherwise, it would cause an opposite effect.

Tips for Using Pathos in an Essay

Assuming you are desperate to know how to use pathos in an essay the right way, we have prepared a few useful tips for you.

• Appeal to emotions as soon as you can. If the topic of your essay allows, you can use pathos right from the very beginning, or from the first sentences. Experts believe that emotions have a much stronger impact on human choices than rational arguments. For example, start with the following question: “Have you ever felt sorry for the weakest guys at school who were constantly bullied by their stronger counterparts?”
• Fine-tune to the needed emotions. For using pathos effectively, you need to perfectly understand what kind of emotions you want to evoke in your reader. Your arguments will differ drastically if that is compassion that you want to see in your audience, fear, or laughter.
• The audience wants to be entertained. These days, people are spoiled with entertainment and they don’t want to be taught or instructed what to do. A good example of pathos in an essay would be humor, excitement, pride, happiness, and engagement. At the same time, it is much harder to make the reader feel fear, shame, sorry, compassion, etc.
• Versatility vs. one-sidedness. If you want to know how to use pathos in an essay effectively, you should resort to versatility vs. one-sidedness. That means using sarcasm as an addition to humor, or shame in combination with compassion.

Pathos in an Essay Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use quotations as means of pathos in an essay?

Sure, quotations are one of the strongest means of pathos in an essay. When you quote someone famous, you automatically appeal to a wider audience who apparently knows that celebrity.

Is “Ethos” an element of “Pathos”?

No, these are two different linguistic means. Ethos is used to establish your credibility as an author. In other words, the reader must recognize you as a trustworthy and knowledgeable writer. One can use both ethos and pathos in combination to better influence the reader.

What is a good example of pathos in an essay?

The perfect example of pathos in an essay is an entertaining story. There is nothing more convincing and influential than a masterfully crafted story that appeals to the readers’ emotions.

How can I be sure that my pathos will evoke the desired emotion in the readers?

There is no 100% guarantee that your readers will feel what you want them to feel. If you want to know how to use pathos in an essay effectively, a simple workaround is to give your essay draft to be read by someone – a friend, a family member, or a peer student. Once several independent people confirm the effectiveness of your pathos, you can proceed to include it in your final paper.

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An Example for Rhetorical Analysis

A publish.illinois.edu site

What is Pathos? 

Pathos refers to empathy. When the author uses Pathos, they try to make their readers empathize with their words and then persuade them more easily. Usually, the authors create situations familiar to the readers and are probably what they experience themselves and have a strong feeling for.

An Analysis Example:

In the paper, the author points out some potential future crises that are of keen interest to scientists. She argues that genetic erosion can become a more serious problem in the future if some seeds die out without the protection of seed banks (Peres 99).  These visions of future scenarios work well in evoking emotional resonance, especially for researchers who know the stakes.