Your college career is progressing nicely, and you’ve become a pretty good paper writer. You’ve learned many different types of essays, including how to write a history essay, but now you have to step up your game. Your next assignment is how to write a rhetorical analysis essay.
You initially panic and think, “How am I going to write my paper?”
Although a rhetorical analysis paper may be a bit deeper than essays you’ve previously written, there’s no need to worry. Keep reading this article to learn what a rhetorical analysis is, how to choose a topic, and 200 essay topics to get you thinking.
What Is a Rhetorical Analysis Essay and How to Choose a Topic for It
A rhetorical analysis essay is an essay where you examine a subject’s effects on you and the audience. Rhetoric, in its most basic definition, refers to the art of using words – spoken or written – to convince a person or group of something.
It’s pretty open-ended on what you can do a rhetorical analysis on. It can be a book, movie, speech, person, or idea. When it comes to choosing a topic, though, it helps to categorize and narrow things down a bit.
Once you create potential categories, consider these points when choosing a topic.
- It should be broad enough to generate wider appeal but detailed enough to make the analysis engaging.
- Choose a topic you’re familiar with and interested in.
- Remember to be convincing! The primary element of a rhetorical essay is analysis, but you also have to convince your audience.
With all this in mind, if you’re still struggling a bit, keep reading for 200 rhetorical analysis essay topics arranged by categories.
200 Rhetorical Analysis Essay Topics by Popular Categories
Famous Political Speeches
- Analyze the importance of John F. Kennedy’s inauguration speech
- Examine the importance of Margaret Thatcher’s resignation speech
- Analyze a specific part of Ronald Reagan’s “Shining City on a Hill” speech
- Analyze the impacts of Richard M. Nixon’s resignation speech
- Examine the importance of Fidel Castro’s “History Will Absolve Me” speech
- Rhetorically analyze Pericles’ funeral oration in The History of the Peloponnesian War
- Examine the impact of Indira Gandhi’s speech about women
- Examine the effectiveness of Adolph Hitler’s beer hall speech
- Rhetorically examine Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address”
- Analyze George Washington’s 1796 “Farwell Address”
- Examine the importance of Martin Luther King Junior’s “I Have a Dream” speech
- Examine the impact George Wallace’s 1963 “Segregation Now” speech had on the South
- Rhetorically analyze Susan B. Anthony’s 1873 speech on a woman’s right to vote
- Analyze the impact that Winston Churchill’s “Fight Them on the Beaches” speech had on the British public
- Examine the importance of Evita Peron’s farewell speech
- Analyze a portion of Joseph Stalin’s 1941 Red Square speech
- Examine Barack Obama’s acceptance speech at the 2008 Democratic National Convention
- Examine Donald Trump’s first inaugural speech
- Rhetorically analyze the impact of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s first inaugural speech on the Great Depression
- Examine the geopolitical impact of Theodore Roosevelt’s “Big Stick” speech
Social Media and Digital Influencer Content
- Analyze the impact YouTuber PewDiePie has on society
- Rhetorically analyze how social media has affected the news media
- Examine the influence of OnlyFans on young people
- Examine the impact different streamers have on attitudes about the Russo-Ukrainian War
- Analyze how people use social media campaigns to promote a message
- Rhetorically examine the reach of social media influencer Kai Cenat throughout the world
- Analyze the global implications of social media
- Rhetorically analyze the role of social media in the “manosphere”
- Examine the effectiveness of branding a company on TikTok
- Rhetorically examine why Facebook continues to appeal to older generations
- Analyze how a political movement has utilized social media
- Analyze tactics that have made MrBeast successful
- Examine the effectiveness of LinkedIn as a professional networking tool
- Examine how effective social media political campaigns are at changing opinions
- Analyze the impact that social media has had on globalization
- Analyze how a particular social media influencer effectively uses ethos, pathos, and logos
- Rhetorically examine how Donald Trump uses social media
- Analyze the impact Elon Musk’s political ventures have had on X
- Examine the limits of free speech on social media platforms
- Examine the effectiveness of social media platforms as teaching aides
Advertising and Commercial Campaigns
- Analyze the effectiveness of Sony’s PS5 advertising campaign
- Examine the success of Wendy’s 1984 “Where’s the Beef?” commercial
- Rhetorically examine the effects of Alka-Seltzer’s “Plop, plop, fiz, fiz, oh what a relief it is” tune
- Analyze the impact of “sonic branding” on a particular company’s success
- Rhetorically analyze how successful Super Bowl ads are for brands
- Examine the effectiveness of Red Bull’s “Red Bull gives you wings” commercials
- Examine the impact Verizon’s “Can you hear me now?” commercials had on the cellphone industry
- Analyze the societal impact of Coca-Cola’s 1970s commercial, “I’d like to teach the world to sing (in perfect harmony)”
- Rhetorically examine elements of Secret’s “Strong enough for a man, made for a woman” advertising campaign
- Examine the global impact of the character Ronald McDonald
- Rhetorically analyze a print advertisement
- Analyze the effectiveness of the “Dude, you’re getting a Dell” advertising campaign in the early 2000s
- Analyze an advertising campaign that severely hurt or destroyed a company
- Examine a particular character from Geico commercials
- Examine the effectiveness of State Farm’s “Like a good neighbor” jingle
- Rhetorically analyze specific elements of pharmaceutical drug commercials
- Rhetorically analyze a specific law firm commercial in your area
- Examine the global significance of Volkswagen’s “What does it mean, Volkswagen?” commercial
- Analyze the effectiveness of current Old Spice commercials
- Examine the success or failure of Bud Light’s recent ad campaigns
Film Speeches and Monologues
- Rhetorically analyze the real-world implications of Morpheus’ “Red pill, blue pill” speech in The Matrix
- Examine Colonel Kurtz’s monologue at the end of Apocalypse Now
- Examine the meaning behind Jules’ recitation of Ezekiel 25:17 in Pulp Fiction
- Analyze the monologue by Elio’s father in Call Me by Your Name
- Rhetorically examine the monologue Sean Maguire gave to Will Hunting about life and love in Good Will Hunting
- Examine Thulsa Doom’s “Riddle of Steel” monologue in Conan the Barbarian
- Analyze the implications of Yoda’s description of the Force in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
- Analyze Rambo’s “They drew first blood” monologue in First Blood
- Rhetorically analyze the implications of Marie’s final monologue in Malcolm and Marie
- Examine elements of one of Tyler Durden’s monologues in Fight Club
- Examine the effectiveness of William Wallace’s final speech to his troops in Braveheart
- Analyze Maximus’ “husband to a murdered wife” speech in Gladiator
- Analyze the geopolitical elements of Rocky’s victory speech in Rocky IV
- Examine Amy Dunne’s “cool girl” monologue in Gone Girl
- Rhetorically analyze Howard Beale’s “I’m mad as hell” speech in Network
- Examine the importance of Gloria’s “Being a woman” speech in Barbie
- Examine the contemporary significance of Jimmy’s “I’m black and I’m proud” speech in The Commitments
- Analyze the “I believe in America” monologue by Vito in The Godfather
- Analyze Lester’s opening monologue in American Beauty
- Examine Red’s speech to the parole board in The Shawshank Redemption
Music Lyrics and Music Videos
- Examine the social significance of Harry Chapin’s song, “Cats in the Cradle”
- Examine the influence of MTV in the 1980s
- Rhetorically analyze the video for “Video Killed the Radio Star”
- Examine the lyrics of “Hello” by Adele
- Analyze the video for “Virtual Insanity” by Jamiroquai
- Analyze the historical importance of “American Pie” by Don McLean
- Rhetorically examine a Weird Al Yankovic song
- Analyze Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the U.S.A.”
- Examine controversial lyrics in a Slayer song
- Analyze the lyrics of Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well”
- Analyze the social impact of Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” video
- Rhetorically analyze “American Idiot” by Green Day
- Rhetorically examine your favorite song from The Beatles
- Examine the video for “Watermelon Sugar” by Harry Styles
- Analyze symbolism in the Eagles’ “Hotel California”
- Examine a character mentioned in “Stairway to Heaven” by Led Zeppelin
- Rhetorically analyze the video for “Welcome to the Jungle” by Guns N’ Roses
- Analyze the cultural importance of the song “Friday” by Rebecca Black
- Examine the importance of the lyrics of “Boy Named Sue” by Johnny Cash
- Rhetorically analyze Kendrick Lamar’s song “Swimming Pools (Drank)”
TV Shows and Series Dialogue
- Analyze Walter White’s “I am the Danger” dialogue with Skylar in Breaking Bad
- Examine the ethical implications of the dialogue between J.R. and Bobby Ewing in Dallas
- Examine Ragnar’s final conversation with King Ecbert in Vikings
- Rhetorically analyze a conversation between Michael Scott and Dwight Schrute in The Office
- Analyze a conversation between Tyrian Lannister and Joffrey in Game of Thrones
- Examine the moral implications of dialogue between Vic and the Strike Force on The Shield
- Analyze the dialogue between Boyd and Raylan in Justified
- Examine the depth of dialogue between Sheldon and Penny on The Big Bang Theory
- Examine the dialogue between Lucy and Ricky in I Love Lucy
- Rhetorically examine Rick Grimes’ and the Governor’s last conversation on The Walking Dead
- Analyze a conversation between Jerry and George on Seinfeld
- Analyze marital dynamics from a conversation between Al and Peg Bundy on Married. . . with Children
- Examine a religious conversation between Mac and Frank in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
- Examine the dialogue between Archer and his associates in the episode “Skytanic” of Archer
- Rhetorically examine dialogue from the show Deadwood
- Examine the final dialogue between Tony and his family in The Sopranos
- Rhetorically analyze a conversation between Hawkeye and Honeycut on M.A.S.H.
- Analyze familial relationships through dialogue between Jax and Gemma in Sons of Anarchy
- Analyze 1950s gender dynamics through conversations between Ralph and Alice in The Honeymooners
- Examine the dialogue between the Bluth family on Arrested Development
YouTube Videos and Online Speeches
- Analyze elements of speaking style from a Tony Robbins speech on YouTube
- Rhetorically analyze Michael Jordan’s “Stop Complaining, Start Winning” YouTube speech
- Examine how Gaur Gopal Das utilizes spirituality in his videos
- Examine the motivational effectiveness of Rock Thomas’ YouTube video, “How to Change the Way You See Yourself”
- Examine a thought-provoking TED talk
- Analyze a Mateusz M YouTube video
- Rhetorically analyze Les Brown’s “Stick to Your Dreams” YouTube video
- Examine the thesis of Simon Sinek’s TED talk, “How Great Leaders Inspire Action”
- Analyze the effectiveness of the YouTube video, “Don’t Let Your Dreams Die”
- Rhetorically critique the TED talk, “The Puzzle of Motivation” by Dan Pink
- Analyze a Tom Bilyeu YouTube speech
- Analyze the depth of Jordan Peterson’s YouTube video, “The Most Eye-Opening 60 Minutes of Your Life”
- Rhetorically examine a Mulligan Brothers YouTube video
- Critique Susan Cain’s TED talk, “The Power of Introverts”
- Examine the Rachel Hollis YouTube video, “3 Reasons You Can Totally Achieve Your Goal”
- Examine the motivational effectiveness of a David Goggins speech
- Analyze a TED talk for its use of logos, ethos, and pathos
- Analyze Matthew McConaughey’s “5 Minutes for the Next 50 Years of Your Life” speech
- Critique the rhetorical devices used in a CJ Chan video
- Rhetorically analyze Julian Treasure’s TED talk, “How to Speak So That People Want to Listen”
Editorials and Opinion Columns
- Analyze the historical impact of John O’Sullivan’s 1845 editorial, “Manifest Destiny”
- Examine a Paul Harvey editorial
- Critique the rhetorical techniques used by Thomas Paine in Common Sense
- Rhetorically analyze Leonard Pitts Jr.’s 2001 column, “We’ll Go Forward from This Moment”
- Analyze the style of columnist Tahmima Anam
- Examine a column from Ernie Pyle’s “Hoosier Vagabond” series
- Critique the techniques of columnist Maureen Dowd
- Examine Henry Luce’s 1944 essay, “The American Century”
- Analyze the use of tenderness in the 1897 column, “Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus,” by Frances Pharcellus Church
- Analyze techniques used by a famous opinion writer
- Assess the political implications of William Allen White’s 1896 editorial, “What’s the Matter with Kansas?”
- Rhetorically examine Murray Kempton’s 1958 column, “He Went All the Way”
- Examine the techniques H.L. Mencken used to be a successful columnist
- Examine Mike Royko’s use of humor in the 1973 column, “What’s Behind Daly’s Words?”
- Analyze how Herb Caen’s columns demonstrated a love for San Francisco
- Critique Leonard Edwards’ 1975 column, “Hot Squat”
- Examine how Jeremy Clarkson’s opinion columns made him world-famous
- Rhetorically analyze the style of columnist Andy Rooney
- Analyze the 1987 column, “Pithy Into the Wind” by Dave Barry
- Rhetorically examine the techniques used in the “Ask Ann Landers” columns
Viral Speeches and Public Moments
- Analyze General Douglas MacArthur’s farewell speech to Congress
- Examine the impact of the Apollo 11 Lunar landing
- Examine the significance of the Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinsky scandal
- Rhetorically analyze the 1968 “Saigon Execution” photo
- Analyze Greta Thunberg’s 2019 “How Dare You” speech
- Examine the legal impact of Eugene V. Debs’ 1918 speech to the court
- Examine the moment the protester stood in front of a tank in Tiananmen Square, China in 1989
- Analyze the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989
- Analyze the impact of the September 11, 2001, attacks
- Rhetorically analyze Stockley Carmichael’s 1996 speech, “Black Power”
- Examine the first cellphone picture taken in 1997
- Analyze the photo of the Red Army soldiers raising a Soviet flag over the German Reichstag in 1945
- Analyze the moment that Osama Bin Laden was declared dead in 2011
- Analyze the impact of the Zapruder film that shows the assassination of JFK
- Critique Lou Gehrig’s 1939 farewell speech in Yankee Stadium
- Examine the moment “Baby Jessica” was rescued from a well in 1987
- Examine Michael Jordan’s iconic 1984 slam dunk picture for Life magazine
- Analyze Slobodan Praljak’s 2017 public suicide by cyanide at the Hague
- Rhetorically analyze Mary Fisher’s 1992 speech, “A Whisper of AIDS”
- Examine the emotional impact of Donald Trump’s first election to the presidency had
Pop Culture and Celebrity Activism
- Examine George Clooney’s history of activism
- Examine the impact of the 2014 “Ice Bucket Challenge”
- Analyze Kid Rock’s pro-Trump activism
- Rhetorically analyze the social activism of your favorite musician
- Examine the social messages of a popular song
- Analyze the social influence of Joe Rogan
- Examine the impact of the #MeToo movement
- Analyze the impact of Marlon Brando’s activism in the ‘60s and ‘70s
- Rhetorically examine Christopher Reeve’s advocacy of stem cell research
- Critique a moment of activism at a celebrity awards ceremony
- Examine Caitlyn Jenner’s career in social and political activism
- Examine celebrity influence in the Black Lives Matter movement
- Examine Gary Sinise’s activism on behalf of military veterans
- Analyze the impact of Leonardo DiCaprio’s environmental activism
- Rhetorically analyze how podcasters have influenced politics
- Examine the impact of #KONY2012
- Examine the impact Ye has had on American society and politics
- Analyze the shift in Charlton Heston’s activism
- Rhetorically examine a film with a strong activist message
- Examine the impact of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on pop culture
The Power of Words
You’ve probably heard the saying, “The pen is mightier than the sword.” After reading this article, I’m sure you understand that a bit more. Words can be powerful tools in your academic journey, and knowing how to use them properly will help you become a better writer.
Good luck, and remember to always analyze ideas, people, and things rhetorically.