Rhetoric Tip #4: Pathos – The Power of Emotion in Persuasion
Aristotle saw emotion not as a threat to reason, but as an ally.
While Logos appeals to logic and Ethos appeals to character, Pathos speaks directly to the heart. It’s how we move audiences not just to think differently, but also to act.
What Is Pathos?
In Rhetoric, Aristotle defines Pathos as the speaker’s ability to stir the audience’s emotions. But it’s not about theatrics or tears. True Pathos emerges when you speak to what your audience feels and what they value most:
“Persuasion is by means of the hearers, whenever they are led on into passion by the speech, for we do not render our judgments the same way when grieved as when delighted, or when friendly as when hostile.”[1]
Logic leads to conclusions, but emotion leads to action. Without Pathos, even the most airtight argument can fall flat.
Real-World Impact: Amanda’s Debate Team in Nairobi
After a presentation I delivered in the summer of 2024, in Nairobi, Kenya, using Aristotle’s principles of rhetoric, one student explained how she used those ideas to help her team win a debate competition. I’ll let the talented Brazilian Amanda de Vasconcellos, speak for herself:
I've always been a logos person—going from A to B to C. But it doesn't always work like that. However, it is hard to actually put into practice the ethos, the credibility, and the pathos, which is the emotion. But I think that in this debate competition, I was able to do both, because it was so strongly explained and so repeated to us during the feedback sessions by Robert how we should be, always trying to show up, also who we are, not just what we believe in. And through that, we show that our ideas hold some gravitas and also that we truly care about what we are talking about. So, I'm really grateful, Robert, you truly helped us win this debate competition.
Her team initially had the evidence. What they lacked was an emotional connection with what their audience cared about. We worked on weaving in ethos (who you are) and pathos (why it matters). And something clicked. Amanda, Joao, and others on their team didn’t just win arguments. They moved their audience. And they walked away victorious.
Literature in Action: Cyrano de Bergerac’s “No Thank You” Speech
One of the greatest illustrations of authentic Pathos comes from Edmond Rostand’s play Cyrano de Bergerac. Faced with the temptation to compromise his values for success, he delivers a bold declaration of personal integrity—not just in a few fiery lines, but in a lyrical crescendo that embodies clarity and moral conviction:
To sing, to laugh, to dream,
To walk in my own way and be alone,
Free, with an eye to see things as they are,
A voice that means manhood—to cock my hat
Where I choose—At a word, a Yes, a No,
To fight—or write. To travel any road
Under the sun, under the stars, nor doubt
If fame or fortune lie beyond the bourne—
Ever to make a line I have not heard
In my own heart; yet, with all modesty
To say: ‘My soul, be satisfied with flowers,
With fruit, with weeds even; but gather them
In the one garden you may call your own.’[2]
This iconic passage from Cyrano de Bergerac is a poetic declaration of independence—emotional, defiant, and deeply personal. I was thirteen years old when I first saw Jose Ferrer say these words in the film adaptation. His heroism still inspires me today.
For the above passage to resonate with an audience, the listener must care about authenticity, freedom, and integrity. Here’s why it stirs the heart:
1. The longing for authenticity.
Cyrano’s vow to speak only the words he’s heard “in [his] own heart” taps into the desire to live and speak one’s own mind rather than parrot another’s words. It appeals to anyone who feels pressured to conform or silence their true voice.
2. The desire for freedom.
“To sing, to laugh, to dream” evokes the spirit of the artist, the free-thinker, or the rebel. It’s a rallying cry for those who believe in living with passion and purpose, even when the world around them feels ordinary or limiting.
3. The appeal to integrity.
Cyrano’s commitment to “walk in [his] own way,” to say “a Yes, a No,” speaks to those who value courageously living according to their ideals over status or popularity. Listeners who have faced external control, be it from institutions, culture, or peer pressure, feel the deep emotional tug of his words.
Ultimately, Pathos is most powerful when the speaker’s passion mirrors the listener’s inner values. Cyrano’s passion is contagious because it is pure, unfiltered, and unapologetically his own. That’s the essence of Pathos: not emotional tricks, but moral clarity expressed through feeling.
Test Your Pathos
Ask yourself:
Have I made my audience feel why this matters?
Do I share personal stakes or hide behind abstractions?
Do I speak with the audience’s emotions, or just at them?
Remember: Emotion is not a liability. It’s your bridge to connection.
Want help in making pathos shine through in your next presentation? Book a discovery call to learn how to align your message with what your audience cares about.
[1] Aristotle, Rhetoric, in Plato and Aristotle, Gorgias and Rhetoric, trans. and
ed. Joe Sachs (Focus Publishing, 2009), p. 137.
[2] Edmond Rostand, Cyrano de Bergerac, trans. and ed. Brian Hooker (Bantam Books, 1923), p. 76.
Thanks for the kind mention, Robert!