The use of rhetoric can be issued back all the way the Ancient Greek. But the question that still linger that nobody has a solid answer to which is the correct definition of rhetoric. This is in part due to the many opinions about what rhetoric is, what it is not, and what it should be, presented by philosophers and scholars over the years. Two of the most famous theories of rhetoric come from the Sophists, the first teachers of rhetoric who fundamentally emphasized style and the power of speech. As well as the Platonic who define and emphasize rhetoric as speech based on knowledge and truth. Two of the most well known Sophist theories are Gorgias and Isocrates, Gorgias the orator as performer and Isocrates the orator as citizen. In a tribute to Rosa Parks, the philanthropist Oprah Winfrey strongly respected the Rosa by delivering a well mannered speech, with powerful compassionate words, which characterize her sophistic goals “he specialized in ceremonial oratory and, according to one tradition, could produce it extemporaneously on subjects suggested by the audience at his public performances”(Gorgias 42).

Oprah’s ethical appeal has a lot on how people view her as, she is always willing to help the less fortunate. Considering her background and all of her accolades I have no doubts that people would question her genuineness in what she has to say to people. She was in Times magazine for most influential people in the 20th century. People would not only be honored to listen to her but will be engaged into what she has to offer. Although she was not taught by any of the Greek Sophist she has managed to do well on her own and off her own learning and has been “well endowed by nature and schooled by practical experience,” (Isocrates, 74). She learned to represent a sophistic way of delivering her eulogy.

Both Gorgias and Isocrates along with most Sophists believed in using an emotional appeal to persuade their belief in rhetoric. Isocrates, in his work stated that a speech must be adorned with “striking thoughts” and “clothed in flowing and melodious phrase,” (Isocrates, 74). Oprah opens up her speech by paying tribute to Rosa Parks and what she thought of her looking like when she (Oprah) was a child. In doing so she used strong symbolic words. When reminiscing on her childhood and the words the words that she used to describe what she thought that Rosa looked like and the way that she acted “I imagined her being stalwart and strong and carrying a shield to hold back the white folks” (Oprah Eulogy). Then she speaks of her natural features saying “I thought she must be at least a hundred feet tall” (Oprah Eulogy). Later on in her speech she exemplifies when she first met Rosa Parks, and describes her by the way that she looks “Here was this petite, almost delicate lady who was the personification of grace and goodness” (Oprah Eulogy). This attempt shows the level of respect that she has for Mrs. Parks, she then repeats “Thank you” for doing what many have thought about but didn’t have the courage to do. This illustrates the sophist outlook on Oprah’s ability to persuade people that Rosa is a orator as citizen.

Gorgias and Isocrates had contrasting views of the whole purpose of rhetoric. Gorgias held the belief that the purpose was to entertain and inspire while Isocrates believed it was to learn and problem solve. One major common theme in both theories is the persuasive power of words to perform a speech. Winfrey however characterize this ability in the way she converse. When Oprah Winfrey starts off her speech using the story in an effort to engage the class with what she thinks of them. Her attempt to grasp the audience’s attention, her doing so was to let the crowd know where they came from and how things used to be, for a girl of her size able to do refuse was such an honorable thing. Gorgias was known for following a similar strategy, "Gorgias was awarded man honors…" (Gorgias, 42). Additionally through this technique the communication between the orator and the audience begins to closely resemble a conversation, an approach that keeps everyone engaged.

Winfrey’s eulogy if essential to be characterized completely symbolizes that of a Sophist’s in any way shape or form. Gorgias pronounced in his work that "Rhetoric must appeal to our whole person," (Gorgias, 43). Winfrey accomplishes this in her speech by being able to do all of using pathos the emotional or motivational appeals; vivid language, emotional language and numerous sensory details, ethos the source's credibility, the speaker's/author's authority, logos the logic used to support a claim (induction and deduction); can also be the facts and statistics used to help support the argument.