Comm 10, Activity 4 Recognizing a Rhetorical Situation, Yu, page 1 of 2

1. According to Bitzer, a rhetorical situation is the context in which speakers or writers create
rhetorical discourse. This is when a speaker is able to bring change into the situation with the use
of rhetorical discourse. It engages the audience in thought and action until they become mediators
of change. A rhetor’s response is controlled by the situation.
2. Bitzer’s definition of a rhetorical situation consists of three constituents, namely: Exigence, this is
the flaw or imperfection that has a possibility of being changed, as a rhetorical situation exists only
when there is a problem being addressed; Next constituent is the Audience, these are the individuals
who are the mediators of change called for by the discourse; and lastly, the Constraints, these are
the aspects that shape the discourse, these certain aspects influence the change on the audience to
be able to alter the exigence.
3. One of the current issues encountered by the youth like me that warrant rhetorical discourse is the
question about why is abortion considered a crime here in the Philippines, why not just implement
proper sex education in school curriculums. If abortion is deemed as a crime in the country, won’t
this be unfair to the teenagers who cannot afford to raise a child at a young age? Won’t this only
lead to overpopulation and poverty? Why not just teach proper sex education to the youth and end
the stigma on taboo topics like sex education.

B. Watch the following set of videos. Which of these videos do you think contains a rhetorical
situation? Identify the similarities and differences between these two situations. Write down your
answers.

Based on Bitzer’s definition of a rhetorical situation, only the second video of Greta Thunberg: Our
House is On Fire contains a rhetorical situation. This is because the video provides a discourse that
seeks change into the actions of its audience. She uses different metaphors to emphasize the
message that she is trying to convey through her speech. The exigence in the video is her message
on her global climate movement. The problem being addressed is the worsening of our climate due
to various human activity and if too late, there will be no chance left to undo these mistakes. The
audience is her following, the media, and the viewers of the video. They are the ones she is trying
to persuade. And then the constituents, when classified into two, are first, her influence to the public,
because people look up to her, she has a wide influence. Second, the consequences that may arise
if the audience do not pay proper attention to her message, if they just take for granted the
environment and continue to harm it.
 Comm 10, Activity 4 Recognizing a Rhetorical Situation, Yu, page 2 of 2

Although the first video on Storm Surge Hits Tacloban City does not contain a rhetorical situation,
it still has a few similarities with the second video. One similarity is that both seek to provide
information to their audience. They are both trying to relay a message to the viewers. The purpose
of both videos is to spread awareness to their audience. Another similarity is that both use different
forms of media in their discourse. While their differences are their audience, since the first video
was broadcasted through televisions, they did not have a physical audience, while the second video
has an audience directly in front of the speaker. Another difference is the information that they are
trying to spread, as the first video was to update the people on the typhoon that was happening,
while the second video was to provide information on the speaker’s global climate movement.

References:

WorldEconomicForum. “Greta Thunberg: Our House Is on Fire! | World Economic Forum 2019.”
YouTube, YouTube, 25 Jan. 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7dVF9xylaw.

TheABSCBNNews. “Storm Surge Hits Tacloban City.” YouTube, YouTube, 8 Nov. 2013,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxmHNuky0hU.

Grant-Davie, K. (1997). Rhetorical Situations and Their Constituents. Rhetoric Review, 15(2), 264–
279. http://www.jstor.org/stable/465644
 Comm 10, Activity 4, Recognizing a Rhetorical Situation, Yu, page 1 of 2

Although the first video on Storm Surge Hits Tacloban City does not contain a rhetorical situation,
it still has a few similarities with the second video. One similarity is that both seek to provide
information to their audience. They are both trying to relay a message to the viewers. The purpose
of both videos is to spread awareness to their audience. Another similarity is that both use different
forms of media in their discourse. While their differences are their audience, since the first video
was broadcasted through televisions, they did not have a physical audience, while the second video
has an audience directly in front of the speaker. Another difference is the information that they are
trying to spread, as the first video was to update the people on the typhoon that was happening,
while the second video was to provide information on the speaker’s global climate movement.

References:

WorldEconomicForum. “Greta Thunberg: Our House Is on Fire! | World Economic Forum 2019.”
YouTube, YouTube, 25 Jan. 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7dVF9xylaw.

TheABSCBNNews. “Storm Surge Hits Tacloban City.” YouTube, YouTube, 8 Nov. 2013,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxmHNuky0hU.

Grant-Davie, K. (1997). Rhetorical Situations and Their Constituents. Rhetoric Review, 15(2), 264–
279. http://www.jstor.org/stable/465644