Encomium of Helen: The Power of Discourse

Victoria Bian

Rhetoric 103A

10/08/2016

GSI: Jerilyn Sambrooke

Encomium of Helen: The Power of Discourse

For this precis assignment, I will be focusing on the Encomium of Helen by Gorgias. In Encomium of Helen, Gorgias attempts to absolve Helen of her guilt for leaving her husband and throne which started the Trojan War. Through a series discussions of the influential power of persuasive discourse, Gorgias reasons how powerful speech can deceive one’s soul and affect one’s thoughts, emotions and actions and thus Helen is not the one to be blamed. Before diving into the discussion of persuasive discourse Gorgias first claims that Helen could have been persuaded in one of the four ways: by the gods, by physical force, by love or by speech. If Helen was violently abducted and unlawfully constrained, then she was the victim to be pitied and whoever committed the injustice upon her deserves to be punished. Gorgias then argues that if Helen is persuaded by speech, then she is relinquished of any guilt because speech can “accomplish the most divine works” with the smallest and least evident body. The passages I will be focusing on are 13 to 14. 

In passage 13 Gorgias begins to explain the persuasive power of speech, the various forms it takes and effects it does to one’s soul. Gorgias argues that persuasion by discourse shapes the soul “at will.” Soul does not possess the power to resist the influence of discourse. To further back up this argument, Gorgias begins to lay out three kinds of ways of how discourse is used and how it’s able to shape the soul as it pleases. Astronomers use discourse by setting aside one opinion and building up another. Discourse is described as an enlightenment and clarification of obscurity and ambiguity which makes the incredible things understandable and obvious to the viewers regardless of whether they are truth or not. Discourse that meticulously and artfully manipulates words and sentences in debates can win the crowd with persuasive argument and a sense of delight even though the artful words are not necessarily honest and true. Here, Gorgias attributes the power of persuasion in discourse to the beauty and delightfulness of speech. Lastly, philosophers rely on reaction speed to make their argument loud. Gorgias emphasizes on the fact that the speed of discourse is what makes an argument stand out and convince the listeners instead of the “credibility of an opinion.” The demonstration of all three examples shows how discourse can succeed in shaping one’s soul “at will” through clarification, beautification, and speed.

Gorgias continues the discussion of the persuasive power of discourse by analogizing discourse to drugs. He argues that discourse shapes one’s soul in the same way that drugs do to the bodies. The analogy of discourse here compares the physical effects of drugs on bodies and the effects of discourse on soul. Same as drugs that can either heal or kill a life, discourse has both of the spectrums that can either bring things to life or completely destroy them just as Gorgias mentions, “some give pain, others delight, others terrify, others rouse the hearers to courage, and yet others by a certain vile persuasion drug and trick the soul.” By comparing the effects of drugs and discourse, Gorgias demonstrate, in a more tangible way, the versatility and tremendous power that discourse has on not only the opinions but emotions, feelings and soul.

Through the discussion in passage 13 and 14, Gorgias established his argument on the persuasive power of discourse. The success of discourse in shaping one’s soul also leads to one’s action. Just as what Gorgias argues, Helen was simply unfortunate for being a victim of persuasive speech among all four ways of persuasion.