Module 5: Obstacles on the Road to Self-Discovery

Persuasion and the art of rhetoric comes in many forms and are used in various arenas and platforms.  In this module, you observed how persuasion and rhetoric are used effectively and purposely in non-fiction and fiction pieces.  Hillary Clinton’s speech at the annual Women in the World Summit empowered her audience to take action and aid in advancing women in the Twenty-First Century.  However, as you read Mark Antony’s funeral oration in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar, you experienced the crowd empathizing and grieving with Antony as well as becoming angry with the conspirators for their malicious actions.  It is with the effective use of language that these individuals were able to appeal to their audience and cause a reaction favorable to their cause.  As you concluded this module, you learned the skills needed to create your own persuasive writing.  You have come to understand that crafting a persuasive writing takes planning, researching, and technique.  In order to be successful in the art of persuasion, you must realize the skill and diligence it takes to be effective in moving a reader or an audience to believe in your words.