Aristotle Drops Back For The Pass...

There are moments in life when certain words must be said in order to lift a man’s spirit to accomplish a difficult task. Whether the words used are right or wrong the most important factor is that the words are delivered with emotion and weight. The following speech delivered by Al Pacino, taken from Oliver Stone’s football drama Any Given Sunday, uses many of Aristotle’s rhetoric techniques in order to force a catharsis on, not only the characters in the film, but also on the audience.

In Aristotle’s Poetics he states, “The change of fortune will be, not from misery to prosperity, but the reverse, from prosperity to misery, and it will be due, not to depravity, but to some great error either in such a man as I have described or in one better than this, but not worse.” (Aristotle 73). Pacino emphasizes his own troubles and misfortunes in order to illuminate struggle, determination, and redemption. Aristotle believed that the best tragedies are “constructed in this way” (Aristotle 73) and Oliver Stone’s use of taking a successful coach and lowering him to a disgruntled alcoholic at the end of a career makes the tragedy work. Not only does Pacino’s fall from power and understanding of his plight make his character tragic, but the emotion used during the speech lifts the entire locker room into a frenzy.
Aristotle also believed in the effect that rhetoric has on Logos (logic), Ethos (community), and Pathos (emotions). In Pacino’s speech he targets every single one of Aristotle’s ideas in order to motivate his players. The most used of the three is his appeal to Pathos, due to his references to his own struggles and the metaphors to “climbing out of hell” and fighting spirit. Coinciding with the pathos is the recognition between Jamie Foxx and Al Pacino in the scene. Aristotle writes, “a recognition is a change from ignorance to knowledge…” (Aristotle 71). This is seen during the speech when Foxx realizes the impact of the speech and begins to walk towards Pacino as if handing over his trust and self to Pacino. The recognition of both characters serves not only to bring the two together but to also connect the two emotionally, through pathos. The recognition also works on another level through their understanding or their individual selves. Pacino recognizes that he is “too old” and “can’t do it for them” therefore he is incapable of providing for the group. Foxx recognizes that he is the key to their team’s success and without his involvement the team cannot be successful. The combination of the two men’s understanding is what forms the bond and ascends both men to higher levels.

Works Cited

Murray, Penelope. “Aristotle: Poetics”. Classical Literary Criticism. London: Penguin Books, 2000. 57-97

7940962f. “Al Pacino’s Inspirational Speech”. YouTube. 4 August 2006.