Examples of Ethos, Logos, and Pathos

In class, we have studied rhetorics. Rhetorics are thoughtful, reflective activities leading to effective communication, including a rational exchange of opposing view points. When one carries out such actions, there are many other things that are subconsciously kept on mind. One of such things would be context, which is the time and place something happens, or the occasion at which something happens. Purpose is what it is, which is the main goal the speaker wishes to achieve. More unfamiliar may be persona, which is the character created when a person speaks. They may be speaking of someone else or the "character" part could appeal to the actual speaker. After taking note of such things, there are three other things to which the speaker must appeal to. Those three concepts are called ethos, logos, and pathos.
Ethos is a word that means "character." When a speaker is trying to provoke a positive response from the audience, they usually want to make themselves appear to be credible and trustworthy, often times by emphasizing shared values between the speaker and the audience. Sometimes, the speaker's reputation will establish ethos. An example of what ethos is really about can be seen in your average McDonald's commercial. As discussed in Fast Food Nation, the common theme for their commercials is that they are the viewer's "trusted friend," while stressing such things as the high caliber of their food and other such things that consumers would like to see in about their products. In that way, that is ethos, as McDonald's wishes for those seeing their commercials to view them a certain way.
Logos is a word that means "embodied thought." When a speaker is trying to say anything, they must have at least and idea of what they are saying. Logos is concerned with that very notion. Logos is all about having clear, logical theses and ideas in mind. In order for one to carry this out most effectively, they should bear in mind any counterarguments, or possible opposing arguments. To beat out the counterarguments, the best way to do that would be to agree with opposing views within your argument, but then clean it up a bit by providing logical information that refutes the opposing argument. Currently, much logos can be seen in the primaries. As Barack Obama and John McCain duel with each other over the White House and the role as president, they are constantly going back and addressing the promises that the other candidate has made. They often times point out how such ideas may be beneficial at the same time. Yet, after that, they begin to sling mud at each other, by promising otherwise, and by supporting their views with logical information.
Pathos is in other words, emotion. Whenever a speaker is trying to gain the support of an audience, they must attempt to appeal to their emotions. That is to say that the speaker is charged with making the audience think a certain way about themselves. Often times, the best way to go about this is by using descriptive and figurative language, as such things can get the imaginations of the audience stirring, and ultimately could get them to imaging what they are hoping to imagine. Props can also help to appeal to pathos, as props can give a more realistic look at what is being argued. A concrete example of pathos can be found in most movies, typically tragedies. Throughout the course of the movie, the developers are usually telling the story of a character, who may be real or fictional. As the film progresses, the spectators begin to think a certain way about the characters in the film, based on their composure or the portrayed experiences of that character. When pathos really comes in is when something, especially something with a negative connotation, happens. Say the main character gets eaten alive by a warthog at a zoo. If the audience liked the character from what they learned about them from the film, they may begin to sympathize with them, since they may have been a good person, who did not deserve to fall victim to such a fate.