Even though Aristotle lived in the time of Ancient Greece and over 2,300 years ago his ideas and theories on rhetoric are still relevant today. Aristotle developed a theory that the "available means of persuasion are based on three kinds of proof: logical (known as logos), ethical (known as ethos), and emotional (known as pathos)" (Griffin pg. 280).
This is an audio clip from the movie Legally Blonde proving that even with a small speech that over 2,000 years later Aristotle's views on rhetoric are still prevalent.
Logos is proof of a logical nature that comes from the argument found within a speech and is persuasion based on deductible reasoning. Elle Woods, in the movie Legally Blonde, uses logos in her Harvard graduation speech by first quoting Aristotle and then proving him incorrect by offering her logic from her experience at Harvard.
Ethos is "ethical proof, which comes from the speaker's intelligence, character, and goodwill toward the audience, as these personal characteristics are revealed through the message" (Griffin pg. 283). In the Legally Blonde speech Elle uses ethos because as Professor Stormwell mentions at the beginning of the clip Elle is the graduation class' elected speaker and the professor also mentions that Elle has been invited to be a part of one of Boston's most renowned law firms. The audience of Elle's speech are her peers and it's made obvious that they see the characteristics in Elle that are the same characteristics that build ethos because they choose her to speak and if anyone was weary of her qualifications their doubts should be dismissed because of her job offer.
Pathos is, "emotional proof, which comes from the feelings that speech draw out of those who hear it." If you've seen the entirety of the movie, Legally Blonde, you know that at the beginning when Elle first went to Harvard she was not widely accepted by her classmates based on first impressions. In her speech to her peers she offers advice to them: that first impressions are not always correct, to always have faith in people, and always have faith in yourself. What you cannot hear in the audio clip but can visually see in the movie are the emotions from her classmates that show how far they've come from from first meeting Elle and a deep appreciation for what she has just taught them and the conclusion of her speech is met with a roaring applause.
