Ethos, Pathos and Logos Exercise: The Princess Bride

Ashley Barner
Show the class 3 clips from The Princess Bride movie and have them decide which
appeal(s is !eing "sed# $his exercise also serves to demonstrate how a single line or
scene can employ more than one appeal#
%eminder: ethos, pathos and logos are employed when one is attempting to pers"ade
someone of something# A sad story, for instance, does not co"nt as pathos "nless it has a
moral or some other lesson it is attempting to pers"ade the a"dience to# A pict"re of a sad
p"ppy in the rain is not pathos, !"t a pict"re of a sad p"ppy in the rain with an ad for the
&"mane Society at the !ottom is pathos#
'lip (: )* co"ld give yo" my word as a Spaniard+,
*ntrod"ction for the clip: *nigo, the man at the top of the cliff, is attempting to pers"ade
the man in !lac- to allow him to throw a rope down and help him to clim! the cliff#
Show clip: (.:3(/(0:10
$his clip is a good example of ethos: li-e a writer trying to esta!lish that he is an
a"thority on a s"!2ect, *nigo is trying to pers"ade the man in !lac- to tr"st him# Lines
li-e, )* co"ld give yo" my word as a Spaniard+, are an example of ethos# $he st"dents
will pro!a!ly recogni3e that pathos is also "sed# $he line, )* swear on the so"l of my
father, is !oth an example of ethos and pathos#
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'lip 4: )5e have already s"cceeded+,
*ntrod"ction for the clip: 5estley and B"tterc"p are in the 6ire Swamp# *n the co"ntry of
6lorin, when children mis!ehave their parents tell them they will a!andon them in the
terrifying 6ire Swamp# 5estley is trying to enco"rage B"tterc"p !y pers"ading her that
they can ma-e it thro"gh the 6ire Swamp#
Show clip: 17:48/19:(4
$his clip shows 5estley "sing logos in a reasoned arg"ment: they -now what the flame
sp"rts so"nd li-e, so they can avoid them, and they -now what the lightning sand loo-s
li-e, so they can avoid that, too:and 5estley says %;<Ses don=t exist# $he st"dents
may notice that this final arg"ment is !ased on ethos:B"tterc"p has to tr"st 5estley=s
instincts when he says the %;<Ses don=t exist# 5estley also employs pathos !y la"ghing
a little and holding B"tterc"p=s hand#
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'lip 3: )$o the pain+,
*ntrod"ction to the clip: 5estley has !een mostly dead all day, and is temporarily
paraly3ed# &e m"st pers"ade the evil Prince &"mperdin- to s"rrender to him, !eca"se he
doesn=t have the strength to fight &"mperdin-#
Show clip: (:4.:1>/(:4>:73
$he pers"asion techni?"e that 5estley relies on is pathos: he simply scares &"mperdin-
into s"rrendering# St"dents who -now the movie may notice that some ethos is involved:
&"mperdin- -nows that 5estley is a phenomenal swordsman, and he may already feel
that 5estley is a mirac"lo"s opponent: after all, &"mperdin- had -illed 5estley earlier
that day, and here he is, alive again#