The English biologist Thomas Henry Huxley described man as “one who obscures facts and evidence with aimless rhetoric,” in order to “distract the he attention of his listeners gives the real point at issue with eloquent digressions and clever appeals to religious prejudice.” According to Huxley, artful rhetoric has been a flawed persuasion tactic for centuries. An example of the power of rhetoric lies in George Bernard Shaw's play, Saint Joan, which describes the trial that convicted Joan of Arc of heresy. In one of the most famous scenes, the Inquisitor pleads his guilt before the church tribunal. In this speech, he successfully addresses the audience through the persuasive rhetorical strategies of ethos and pathos. He promotes these appeals with paradoxical and selective diction. Even though there is no tangible evidence, the Inquisitor ultimately manages to condemn Joan by using rhetorical and literary strategies that present her as a frightening character. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Throughout his speech, the Inquisitor continually persuades his audience by appealing to authority. He begins this strategy, known as ethos, with the first sentence of his argument: “If you had seen what I have seen of heresy, you would not consider it a small thing.” By beginning with a statement expressing his experience with heresy, he presents himself as knowledgeable and earns the court's respect. He goes on to make several similar statements, including: “I have seen it again and again” (lines 16-17) and “mark what I say” (line 17). These claims about his expertise are important in establishing a valid argument. The Inquisitor also uses ethics to influence his audience by recognizing their own positive traits. He calls them “merciful men” with “natural compassion” (line 42). He goes on to highlight their virtue when he says, “we should lose our hope in divine mercy if there were a speck of malice against her in our hearts” (lines 62-4). This creates a sense of responsibility among the members of the court. In addition to presenting the Inquisitor's authority, his complimentary statements to the court lead them to believe they must listen to him to preserve their personal integrity. The Inquisitor effectively applies extensive use of pathos to influence the church court. He is aware of his audience's religious background and knows exactly how to scare them. Accordingly, he defines heresy as a “monstrous horror of unnatural wickedness” (lines 28-9) that, to the court's alarm, will ultimately “destroy both Church and Empire” (lines 11-12). Ultimately, he comes to a resounding conclusion: “be on your guard” (lines 59-60). Threatening the church is one of the most persuasive strategies used by the Inquisitor: he scares his audience into believing that condemning Joan is the only way to protect their way of life. In the second half of his speech, the Inquisitor intensifies this fear through his characterization of Joan. He uses a clever strategy to describe her with a paradox: she is “kind” (line 6); “pious and chaste” (line 45). On the surface, it wouldn't seem capable of inflicting the kind of damage he threatened. Yet he has an “evil pride,” which is “sitting side by side” with his outward goodness (verses 58-9). Through this contrast, he continues to appeal to the emotions of the court. He tells them that the criminality of the heretics is not evident or even intentional. Instead, these individuals with the supposed power to destroy the church are close at hand and undetectable. Establishing that Giovanna cannot be trusted is one step.