definition pathos - wikipedia

Pathos (pronounced /ˈpeɪθɒs/; Greek: πάθος) is one of the three modes of persuasion in rhetoric (along with ethos andlogos). Pathos appeals to the audience's emotions. It is a part of Aristotle's philosophies in rhetoric. Not to be confused with 'bathos' (βάθος) which is an attempt to perform in a serious, dramatic fashion that fails and ends up becoming comedy.Pathetic events in a plot are also not to be confused with tragic events. In a tragedy, the character brings about his or her own demise, whereas those invoking pathos often occur to innocent characters, invoking unmerited grief.Emotional appeal can be accomplished in a multitude of ways:by a metaphor or story telling, common as a hook,by a general passion in the delivery and an overall number of emotional items in the text of the speech, or in writing.