The rhetorical triangle: is it effective or not? The rhetorical triangle is a technique used to use and compose thoughts in a way to attract and persuade an audience. The three elements that form the basis of these beliefs are pathos (emotions), ethos (creditability) and logos (reasoning). Many honorable people have used the rhetorical triangle in their speeches, demonstrating the effectiveness of this technique. Abraham Lincoln, the nation's sixteenth president, is a perfect example showing that when used effectively, the power and application of the rhetorical triangle can positively change the thoughts and feelings of an audience. Abraham Lincoln is a well-educated man who uses powerful and inspiring words in his speech. the Gettysburg Address, and received great success by using emotion or pathos in his speech. Pathos means appealing emotionally to the hearts and minds of an audience. For a speech to be successful, the audience must accept the emotions that emerge from the speech. The speaker must appeal not only to the heart but also to the mind of the audience and if the audience does not grasp these feelings, the result will be failure. However, in Lincolns case, the use of intense emotions persuades the audience to sympathize with him for the painful and heartbreaking loss of the many lives on the battlefield during the Civil War. Lincoln expressed increased concern for the victims by using words such as “sacred,” “courageous,” “unfinished work,” and “that these dead shall not die in vain” (Lincoln, 1635). Lincoln's use of pathos shows compassion for the lives lost and shows that he is not only speaking on behalf of those who sacrificed for a better future "...that those who fought here have so nobly advanced until now", but also for... Middle of paper ......ent, Abraham Lincoln is one of the most influential presidents of all time and the inspiring speech of the Gettysburg Address, collected by logos powerful used, helped end slavery in the United States. The rhetorical triangle is an active interaction between the speaker, the audience, and the direction the presentation is taking. Without equal relevance of the three elements pathos, ethos and logos, a speech can end in an unsuccessful outcome. However, if all the elements match in the speech, as in Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, then the result will prove effective. Work cited Lincoln, Abraham. Speech delivered at the dedication of Gettysburg Cemetery, November 19, 1863. The Norton Anthology of Western Literature: 1820 to 1865_Vol B. 7th ed. Gen Ed. Nina Baym. New York: WW Norton & Co., 2007. 1635. Print.