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Teachers' Resource Web The Divisions of Classical Rhetoric Richard Kroll, UCI Narratio: Stating the facts of the case; situating the audience with regard to the problem at hand. "In Six Centuries of Literary Hits, John Smith calls attention once again to Milton's anti-feminism." Bottom line--what is the point? Propositio: Stating the thesis. "Resolved: Smith is wrong." Bottom line--Could the argument be clearer? Partitio: Dividing up the main problem into smaller sections. "Smith has always read badly; he skips Book IV of Paradise Lost and the divorce tracts; he himself tried to write a great British religious epic and failed; he beats his third wife. Bottom line--Are the divisions made logically? Confirmatio: Proving your argument and its support. "Moreover, Smith has not even read the divorce tracts; at least, he has not read them carefully," etc. Bottom line--Prove it! Refutatio: Refuting opponent's arguments; discussing counterpoints. "Indeed, the divorce tracts show signs of what Smith calls anti-feminism, but Milton is simply trying in these tracts to accommodate a skeptical audience." Bottom line--But what about . . . ? Peroratio: Concluding; summing up; leaving the audience with favorable impressions and appropriate emotions; amplifying points made. "Smith is trying to hand Milton a bad rap that is bound to muddy our understanding of his time and his writings. Smith keeps us from reading the author of Paradise Lost fairly; Milton was no monster." Bottom line--So what?
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