Aristotle's Rhetoric describes the three main purposes of rhetoric: political, legal, and ceremonial. Persuasion is the main point of the three main rhetorical premises. Rhetoric “may be defined as the faculty of observing in a given case the available means of persuasion” (Aristotle 22). Rhetoric can also be seen as an introduction to explain the methods of persuasion used in modern advertisements and advertisements. While classic methods of persuasion are relevant to our understanding of how different forms of advertising work, there are also a host of modern techniques that have changed the landscape of rhetoric. In fact, what has changed is threefold. First, modern advertising is much more visual. Second, traditional speech is rarely used in modern advertisements. Finally, there is a departure from what Aristotle would call ethics in modern-day rhetoric. Advertising is trying to sell you something. Unlike Aristotle's time, we live in a capitalist society where most rhetorical methodologies are designed to produce a specific action on the part of the audience to purchase an item, not simply to win an argument. The duty of oratory has changed compared to the Aristotelian definition. We can then ask ourselves: what can we learn from Aristotle's rhetorical devices to respond to today's advertisements and advertisements? As vast as these changes may seem to today's audiences, it is important to show how classic persuasion methodology is relevant today. Aristotle states that the three means of persuasion are "(1) reasoning logically, (2) understanding human character and goodness in various forms, and (3) understanding...... middle of paper...... And logos are used by copywriters to try to convince them, the audience can clearly see the underlying objective of the advertisement. As Corbett and Connors point out, “a knowledge of rhetoric can help us respond critically and appreciatively to advertisements, political messages, satire, irony, and doublespeak of all kinds” (25). Careful reading of Rhetoric and other forms of ancient rhetoric can benefit a student who truly wants to understand how advertising and advertisements work. The ability to wade through advertisements that offer only a slight truth, or worse yet a lie, has become a major attribute associated with postmodern American thought. After careful study of Rhetoric's past, we Americans may be able to discern truth from propaganda, need over desire, and fact from fiction...