The Other Side Rhetorical Devices

Rhetorical Analysis

Levi Crutcher

Mr Lau

3rd blk

“The Other Side” is a song from the 2017 American musical drama film The Greatest Showman. It is performed by Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron, who play the characters P.T. Barnum and Phillip Carlyle, respectively. The song is an excellent example of rhetorical strategies used in musicals, including pathos, ethos, and logos.

The ethos is the credibility or trustworthiness of the speaker, and in this song, both characters use ethos to establish their authority. Phillip Carlyle sings, “Don’t you wanna get away from the same old part you gotta play?” (4) implying that he has more experience and knowledge of the world than Barnum. Similarly, Barnum sings, “I’ve been standing with you, I’ve been good to you, Give me that chance, just give me the chance, And see what I can do” (26-29), which establishes his trustworthiness as someone who has been loyal to Carlyle and is now asking for a chance to

The characters use logos to argue their case and convince each other. Carlyle uses logos when he sings, “Why don’t we rewrite the stars? Changing the world to be ours” (47-48), suggesting that the two of them can achieve anything if they work together. Barnum uses logos when he sings, “The other side, the other side, We’re not scared to try, We’re not afraid to fall, And if we all go down, we’ll go down together” (62-65), arguing that they should take a risk because they are in it together. Pathos is the use of emotion to persuade the audience, and this song is full of emotional appeals. For example, Carlyle sings, “I wanna hold you close, I wanna push you away, I wanna make you feel what I’m feeling” (13-15), expressing his desire to connect with Barnum on a deeper level. Similarly, Barnum sings, “But you don’t wanna be seen, Out of the corner of your eye, I turn my head and you disappear” (18-20), appealing to Carlyle’s emotions by suggesting that he is hiding