ABSTRACT
A century ago, Herbert Wichelns suggested a framework for rhetorical criticism; half a century later, as ‘neo-Aristotelian’ criticism waned in North America, it simultaneously began to establish itself at Scandinavian universities. Since Scandinavian rhetoricians find classical rhetorical methods worthwhile today, the critique of neo-Aristotelian rhetorical criticism needs to be discussed. As it is understood in Scandinavia, rhetorical criticism is not equivalent to the tradition of Wichelns, but a fresh Aristotelian perspective that amalgamates later classical traditions. ‘Classical rhetorical analysis’ is here understood as a comprehensive approach to persuasive communication. To further the use of classical rhetorical methods, in this chapter a comprehensive template for classical rhetorical criticism is presented that, unlike other templates and suggestions in other works, actively incorporates argumentation.
