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AN ANALYSIS OF THE ARISTOTELIAN RHETORICAL APPEALS OF ETHOS, LOGOS, AND PATHOS IN SELECTED MUSICAL PLAYS OF RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE TEXAS WOMAN’S UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH, SPEECH, AND FOREIGN LANGUAGES COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES BY SANDRA MAE SOOK B.S., M.Ed. DENTON, TEXAS MAY 2015 DEDICATION …with eternal love and gratitude to my husband Perry iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS My thanks go, first of all, to Dr. Phyllis Bridges, whose never-ending patience with my writing, intelligent revisions and editing, and shared enthusiasm for my success kept me reaching for a higher bar. I am grateful for her willingness to always share her wealth of knowledge. From Milton to Folklore, each class with Dr. Bridges was exciting and challenging. I would also like to thank my supporting committee members, Dr. Patrick Bynane and Dr. Gray Scott; both added depth and breadth to my studies. I am extremely grateful that these three distinguished professors accepted the invitation to serve on my committee. I would also like to thank Dr. Bruce Krajewski. This work reflects the end of a very long road. It is a road that he enlightened with his wisdom, knowledge, and example. That road began a long time ago. I will always be grateful for the love of education that Helen Fogel-Egan instilled in me and Dr. Ray Skinner, Jr. ignited in me. I would be remiss if I did not thank Mr. Ted Chapin, President and Executive Director of the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization, whom I emailed unintroduced and asked for help. He willingly shared his valuable time, his charming stories, and his history with the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization. He contributed insight and personal material that enhanced my journey and my dissertation. I would like to offer a special thank you to Paul Christman, director of the Weitzenhoffer School of Musical Theatre at the University of Oklahoma. He was “On Point” when I needed quick resources. iv I also need to thank my study buddies. They were excited when I began; they listened as I proceeded; they were flashcard queens, talented typists, and proofreading masters. I truly appreciate all of you: Kelly Claypole, Ann Dachniwsky, Kathy Dansky, Tom Duncombe, Elizabeth Hamm, Krista Hanks, Cindy Featherston, Vicki Geurin, Neil Geurin, Eileen Kingsley, Kate McClelland, Becky Rainbolt, Sandy Romero, Rhonda Ross, Micki Scalzo, Adrienne Oden, Cathlynn Simonak, Adrienne Spencer, Trish Wilson, Rita White, and my weekly devotee Jamie Worley. Thank you all for everything. I owe a great deal of gratitude to my children, Laura, Victoria, and PJ. I knew I wanted to earn a Ph. D. when they were quite young. I decided not to do so then because I did not want to miss important events in their young lives. Instead, I missed some events in their young adult lives. The difference is that now they not only understand, they each contributed to my journey. They were as gracious with their time as they were with their knowledge. Now I return to my husband Perry. I started my dedication with him, and I will end my acknowledgements with him. As in life, all that we are begins and ends with one another. I hope he sees the pride he has for my accomplishments reflected in my eyes for him and his many successes. Thank you for always being there. v ABSTRACT SANDRA MAE SOOK AN ANALYSIS OF THE ARISTOTELIAN RHETORICAL APPEALS OF ETHOS, LOGOS, AND PATHOS IN SELECTED MUSICAL PLAYS OF RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN MAY 2015 Rodgers and Hammerstein began their partnership in 1942. Their history changed the history of musical theatre. This dissertation is a rhetorical analysis of the scripts and scores of three of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musicals, Oklahoma!, Carousel and South Pacific. These texts are particularly well suited to this rhetorical study because of the recognized social messages that they assert and the prominence of Rodgers and Hammerstein in the history of the genre. Oklahoma!, Carousel and South Pacific exemplify the modern book musical in which “the songs and dances are fully integrated into a well-made story with serious dramatic goals that are able to evoke genuine emotions other than laughter” (Riis 137). This analysis identifies examples of ethos, pathos, and logos as argued in Aristotle’s text, On Rhetoric, and illustrates how these concepts were used throughout Rodgers and Hammerstein’s content. On Rhetoric is Aristotle’s text on the theory of rhetoric, the art of persuasion, and the ability to recognize how people have been and can be persuaded. It is essentially vi the first text on the theory of communication. Improving communication is the foundation of what makes rhetoric right. Aristotle argues that man must understand human nature in order to communicate. Rodgers and Hammerstein’s use of these Aristotelian persuasive devices not only helps to cement the other aspects of integration, but also serves to communicate the persuasive messages that reflect beliefs commonly held by Americans of the World War II and subsequent eras and provides arguments exemplifying both how and why those beliefs should shift. Lovensheimer notes that although society continues to evolve in “issues of race, gender, and colonialism,” the fact remains that [Oklahoma!, Carousel, and] South Pacific was [were] forward thinking and bold for their day”(Forward xvi). The works of Rodgers and Hammerstein merit serious academic study. This work unites Aristotelian rhetoric and Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical plays in a scholarly fashion that will bring youth to an ancient art and respect to a youthful art. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page DEDICATION………...………………………………………………………………….iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS…………..……………………………………………………iv ABSTRACT……………………..…………………………………………………...…..vi LIST OF FIGURES………………………………………………………………………ix Chapter I. INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………1 II. RHETORICAL ANALYSIS OF OKLAHOMA!………………………………….…..31 III. RHETORICAL ANALYSIS OF CAROUSEL………………………………………89 IV. RHETORICAL ANALYSIS OF SOUTH PACIFIC……………………………….144 V. CONCLUSION……………………………………………………………………...198 WORKS CITED………………………………………………………………………..205 APPENDIX A. 1943 Oklahoma! Sheet Music ………………………………….………213 viii LIST OF FIGURES Figures Page 3.1 Rodgers’ “Carousel Waltz” from Carousel Vocal Score, mm.1-18…………......96 3.2 Rodgers’ “Soliloquy” from Carousel, mm. 228-230…………………………...121 3.3 Rodgers’ “Lonely Room” from Oklahoma!. mm. 44-47……………………….121 4.1 Excerpt from Oscar Hammerstein’s Script for Random House…………….….172 4.2 Handwritten Note of Oscar Hammerstein II……………………………………173 4.3 Scene 6 Page 1 of Unpublished South Pacific.....................................................176 4.4 Scene 6 Page 2 of Unpublished South Pacific.....................................................177 4.5 Scene 6 Page 3 of Unpublished South Pacific.....................................................178 4.6 Scene 6 Page 4 of Unpublished South Pacific.....................................................179 4.7 Scene 6 Page 5 of Unpublished South Pacific.....................................................180 4.8 Scene 6 Page 6 of Unpublished South Pacific.....................................................181 4.9 Scene 6 Page 7 of Unpublished South Pacific.....................................................182 ix CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION “The emotions are all those feelings that so change men as to affect their judgments.” Aristotle, On Rhetoric 1378a Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II are undisputedly heralded for beginning the Golden Age of Musical Theater, generally accepted as 1943-1964, by fully integrating their musical productions. Although that point is clear, the fact is that the list of integrated features of their musicals including plot, character, music, dance, lyrics, texts, costumes, and lighting can be expanded to include the integration of the classical rhetorical devices of ethos, pathos, and logos articulated by Aristotle. Their use of these Aristotelian persuasive devices not only helps to cement the other aspects of integration, but also seamlessly integrates the persuasive messages that reflect beliefs commonly held by Americans of the World War II and subsequent eras and provide arguments exemplifying both how and why those beliefs should shift. Perhaps the fear of mentioning the word rhetoric with its many negative connotations has deterred scholars from associating it in a positive way with the work of Rodgers and Hammerstein. After all Socrates himself, as he argued with Gorgias, Polus, and Callicles, as observed in Plato’s work Gorgias, equates rhetoric with cosmetics and cookery. He argues that rhetoric “is a producer of persuasion for belief, not for 1 instruction in the matter of right and wrong” (455A). He continues very matter-of-factly as he tells Gorgias that, “the rhetorician is in exactly the same condition with respect to the just and the unjust, the shameful and the beautiful, the good and the bad…but contrives persuasion about them so that without knowing he seems, among those who don’t know, to know more than the one who does know” (459e). Brian Vickers in his text, In Defense of Rhetoric, emphasizes, “Plato is rhetoric’s most influential enemy … Plato distorted both evidence and argument to build up his case” (vii). For centuries Plato’s perception prevailed. However, Aristotle, Plato’s most well-known student, did not agree with Plato. His work, On Rhetoric, is argued by many, including Joe Sachs, contemporary translator of classical works from