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class="firstHeading mw-first-heading"><span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhetorical question</span></h1> <div id="p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown mw-portlet mw-portlet-lang" > <input type="checkbox" id="p-lang-btn-checkbox" role="button" aria-haspopup="true" data-event-name="ui.dropdown-p-lang-btn" class="vector-dropdown-checkbox mw-interlanguage-selector" aria-label="Go to an article in another language. Available in 40 languages" > <label id="p-lang-btn-label" for="p-lang-btn-checkbox" class="vector-dropdown-label cdx-button cdx-button--fake-button cdx-button--fake-button--enabled cdx-button--weight-quiet cdx-button--action-progressive mw-portlet-lang-heading-40" aria-hidden="true" ><span class="vector-icon mw-ui-icon-language-progressive mw-ui-icon-wikimedia-language-progressive"></span> <span class="vector-dropdown-label-text">40 languages</span> </label> <div class="vector-dropdown-content"> <div class="vector-menu-content"> <ul class="vector-menu-content-list"> <li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ar mw-list-item"><a href="https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D8%B3%D9%88%D9%82_%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%88%D9%85_%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%A7%D9%82_%D8%BA%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%87" title="سوق المعلوم مساق غيره – Arabic" lang="ar" hreflang="ar" data-title="سوق المعلوم مساق غيره" data-language-autonym="العربية" data-language-local-name="Arabic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>العربية</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-bg mw-list-item"><a href="https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A0%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%87%D0%B5%D0%BD_%D0%B2%D1%8A%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%81" title="Реторичен въпрос – Bulgarian" lang="bg" hreflang="bg" data-title="Реторичен въпрос" data-language-autonym="Български" data-language-local-name="Bulgarian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Български</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ca mw-list-item"><a href="https://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pregunta_ret%C3%B2rica" title="Pregunta retòrica – Catalan" lang="ca" hreflang="ca" data-title="Pregunta retòrica" data-language-autonym="Català" data-language-local-name="Catalan" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Català</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-cs mw-list-item"><a href="https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%98e%C4%8Dnick%C3%A1_ot%C3%A1zka" title="Řečnická otázka – Czech" lang="cs" hreflang="cs" data-title="Řečnická otázka" data-language-autonym="Čeština" data-language-local-name="Czech" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Čeština</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-cy mw-list-item"><a href="https://cy.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cwestiwn_rhethregol" title="Cwestiwn rhethregol – Welsh" lang="cy" hreflang="cy" data-title="Cwestiwn rhethregol" data-language-autonym="Cymraeg" data-language-local-name="Welsh" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Cymraeg</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-da badge-Q70893996 mw-list-item" title=""><a href="https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retoriske_sp%C3%B8rgsm%C3%A5l" title="Retoriske spørgsmål – Danish" lang="da" hreflang="da" data-title="Retoriske spørgsmål" data-language-autonym="Dansk" data-language-local-name="Danish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Dansk</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-de mw-list-item"><a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhetorische_Frage" title="Rhetorische Frage – German" lang="de" hreflang="de" data-title="Rhetorische Frage" data-language-autonym="Deutsch" data-language-local-name="German" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Deutsch</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-es mw-list-item"><a href="https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interrogaci%C3%B3n_ret%C3%B3rica" title="Interrogación retórica – Spanish" lang="es" hreflang="es" data-title="Interrogación retórica" data-language-autonym="Español" data-language-local-name="Spanish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Español</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-eo mw-list-item"><a href="https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retorika_demando" title="Retorika demando – Esperanto" lang="eo" hreflang="eo" data-title="Retorika demando" data-language-autonym="Esperanto" data-language-local-name="Esperanto" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Esperanto</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-eu mw-list-item"><a href="https://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galdera_erretoriko" title="Galdera erretoriko – Basque" lang="eu" hreflang="eu" data-title="Galdera erretoriko" data-language-autonym="Euskara" data-language-local-name="Basque" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Euskara</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fa mw-list-item"><a href="https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%BE%D8%B1%D8%B3%D8%B4_%D8%A8%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%BA%DB%8C" title="پرسش بلاغی – Persian" lang="fa" hreflang="fa" data-title="پرسش بلاغی" data-language-autonym="فارسی" data-language-local-name="Persian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>فارسی</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fr mw-list-item"><a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Question_rh%C3%A9torique" title="Question rhétorique – French" lang="fr" hreflang="fr" data-title="Question rhétorique" data-language-autonym="Français" data-language-local-name="French" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Français</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-gl mw-list-item"><a href="https://gl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interrogaci%C3%B3n_ret%C3%B3rica" title="Interrogación retórica – Galician" lang="gl" hreflang="gl" data-title="Interrogación retórica" data-language-autonym="Galego" data-language-local-name="Galician" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Galego</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-hr mw-list-item"><a href="https://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retori%C4%8Dko_pitanje" title="Retoričko pitanje – Croatian" lang="hr" hreflang="hr" data-title="Retoričko pitanje" data-language-autonym="Hrvatski" data-language-local-name="Croatian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Hrvatski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-is mw-list-item"><a href="https://is.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retor%C3%ADsk_spurning" title="Retorísk spurning – Icelandic" lang="is" hreflang="is" data-title="Retorísk spurning" data-language-autonym="Íslenska" data-language-local-name="Icelandic" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Íslenska</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-it mw-list-item"><a href="https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domanda_retorica" title="Domanda retorica – Italian" lang="it" hreflang="it" data-title="Domanda retorica" data-language-autonym="Italiano" data-language-local-name="Italian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Italiano</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-he mw-list-item"><a href="https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%A9%D7%90%D7%9C%D7%94_%D7%A8%D7%98%D7%95%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%AA" title="שאלה רטורית – Hebrew" lang="he" hreflang="he" data-title="שאלה רטורית" data-language-autonym="עברית" data-language-local-name="Hebrew" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>עברית</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-kk mw-list-item"><a href="https://kk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A0%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%BB%D1%8B%D2%9B_%D1%81%D2%B1%D1%80%D0%B0%D2%9B-%D0%B6%D0%B0%D1%83%D0%B0%D0%BF" title="Риторикалық сұрақ-жауап – Kazakh" lang="kk" hreflang="kk" data-title="Риторикалық сұрақ-жауап" data-language-autonym="Қазақша" data-language-local-name="Kazakh" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Қазақша</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-mk mw-list-item"><a href="https://mk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A0%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%80%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%BE_%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%B0%D1%88%D0%B0%D1%9A%D0%B5" title="Реторско прашање – Macedonian" lang="mk" hreflang="mk" data-title="Реторско прашање" data-language-autonym="Македонски" data-language-local-name="Macedonian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Македонски</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-nl mw-list-item"><a href="https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retorische_vraag" title="Retorische vraag – Dutch" lang="nl" hreflang="nl" data-title="Retorische vraag" data-language-autonym="Nederlands" data-language-local-name="Dutch" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Nederlands</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ja mw-list-item"><a href="https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%8F%8D%E8%AA%9E" title="反語 – Japanese" lang="ja" hreflang="ja" data-title="反語" data-language-autonym="日本語" data-language-local-name="Japanese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>日本語</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-no mw-list-item"><a href="https://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retorisk_sp%C3%B8rsm%C3%A5l" title="Retorisk spørsmål – Norwegian Bokmål" lang="nb" hreflang="nb" data-title="Retorisk spørsmål" data-language-autonym="Norsk bokmål" data-language-local-name="Norwegian Bokmål" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Norsk bokmål</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-nn mw-list-item"><a href="https://nn.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retorisk_sp%C3%B8rsm%C3%A5l" title="Retorisk spørsmål – Norwegian Nynorsk" lang="nn" hreflang="nn" data-title="Retorisk spørsmål" data-language-autonym="Norsk nynorsk" data-language-local-name="Norwegian Nynorsk" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Norsk nynorsk</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-uz mw-list-item"><a href="https://uz.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ritorik_savol" title="Ritorik savol – Uzbek" lang="uz" hreflang="uz" data-title="Ritorik savol" data-language-autonym="Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча" data-language-local-name="Uzbek" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pfl mw-list-item"><a href="https://pfl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhetorische_Frage" title="Rhetorische Frage – Palatine German" lang="pfl" hreflang="pfl" data-title="Rhetorische Frage" data-language-autonym="Pälzisch" data-language-local-name="Palatine German" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Pälzisch</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pl mw-list-item"><a href="https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pytanie_retoryczne" title="Pytanie retoryczne – Polish" lang="pl" hreflang="pl" data-title="Pytanie retoryczne" data-language-autonym="Polski" data-language-local-name="Polish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Polski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-pt mw-list-item"><a href="https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pergunta_ret%C3%B3rica" title="Pergunta retórica – Portuguese" lang="pt" hreflang="pt" data-title="Pergunta retórica" data-language-autonym="Português" data-language-local-name="Portuguese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Português</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ro mw-list-item"><a href="https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interoga%C8%9Bie_retoric%C4%83" title="Interogație retorică – Romanian" lang="ro" hreflang="ro" data-title="Interogație retorică" data-language-autonym="Română" data-language-local-name="Romanian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Română</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-ru mw-list-item"><a href="https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A0%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%87%D0%B5%D1%81%D0%BA%D0%B8%D0%B9_%D0%B2%D0%BE%D0%BF%D1%80%D0%BE%D1%81" title="Риторический вопрос – Russian" lang="ru" hreflang="ru" data-title="Риторический вопрос" data-language-autonym="Русский" data-language-local-name="Russian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Русский</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sq mw-list-item"><a href="https://sq.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyetja_retorike" title="Pyetja retorike – Albanian" lang="sq" hreflang="sq" data-title="Pyetja retorike" data-language-autonym="Shqip" data-language-local-name="Albanian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Shqip</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-simple mw-list-item"><a href="https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhetorical_question" title="Rhetorical question – Simple English" lang="en-simple" hreflang="en-simple" data-title="Rhetorical question" data-language-autonym="Simple English" data-language-local-name="Simple English" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Simple English</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sk mw-list-item"><a href="https://sk.wikipedia.org/wiki/Re%C4%8Dn%C3%ADcka_ot%C3%A1zka" title="Rečnícka otázka – Slovak" lang="sk" hreflang="sk" data-title="Rečnícka otázka" data-language-autonym="Slovenčina" data-language-local-name="Slovak" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Slovenčina</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sr mw-list-item"><a href="https://sr.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A0%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%87%D0%BA%D0%BE_%D0%BF%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B0%D1%9A%D0%B5" title="Реторичко питање – Serbian" lang="sr" hreflang="sr" data-title="Реторичко питање" data-language-autonym="Српски / srpski" data-language-local-name="Serbian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Српски / srpski</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sh mw-list-item"><a href="https://sh.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retori%C4%8Dko_pitanje" title="Retoričko pitanje – Serbo-Croatian" lang="sh" hreflang="sh" data-title="Retoričko pitanje" data-language-autonym="Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски" data-language-local-name="Serbo-Croatian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-fi mw-list-item"><a href="https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retorinen_kysymys" title="Retorinen kysymys – Finnish" lang="fi" hreflang="fi" data-title="Retorinen kysymys" data-language-autonym="Suomi" data-language-local-name="Finnish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Suomi</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-sv mw-list-item"><a href="https://sv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retorisk_fr%C3%A5ga" title="Retorisk fråga – Swedish" lang="sv" hreflang="sv" data-title="Retorisk fråga" data-language-autonym="Svenska" data-language-local-name="Swedish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Svenska</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-tr mw-list-item"><a href="https://tr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retorik_soru" title="Retorik soru – Turkish" lang="tr" hreflang="tr" data-title="Retorik soru" data-language-autonym="Türkçe" data-language-local-name="Turkish" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Türkçe</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-uk mw-list-item"><a href="https://uk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A0%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B8%D1%87%D0%BD%D0%B5_%D0%B7%D0%B0%D0%BF%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BD%D0%BD%D1%8F" title="Риторичне запитання – Ukrainian" lang="uk" hreflang="uk" data-title="Риторичне запитання" data-language-autonym="Українська" data-language-local-name="Ukrainian" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>Українська</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-zh-yue mw-list-item"><a href="https://zh-yue.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%8F%8D%E5%95%8F" title="反問 – Cantonese" lang="yue" hreflang="yue" data-title="反問" data-language-autonym="粵語" data-language-local-name="Cantonese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>粵語</span></a></li><li class="interlanguage-link interwiki-zh mw-list-item"><a href="https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%8F%8D%E5%95%8F" title="反問 – Chinese" lang="zh" hreflang="zh" data-title="反問" data-language-autonym="中文" data-language-local-name="Chinese" class="interlanguage-link-target"><span>中文</span></a></li> </ul> <div class="after-portlet after-portlet-lang"><span class="wb-langlinks-edit wb-langlinks-link"><a href="https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Special:EntityPage/Q316694#sitelinks-wikipedia" title="Edit interlanguage links" class="wbc-editpage">Edit links</a></span></div> </div> </div> </div> </header> <div class="vector-page-toolbar"> <div class="vector-page-toolbar-container"> <div id="left-navigation"> <nav aria-label="Namespaces"> <div id="p-associated-pages" class="vector-menu vector-menu-tabs mw-portlet mw-portlet-associated-pages" > <div 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data-event-name="pinnable-header.vector-appearance.unpin">hide</button> </div> </div> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div id="bodyContent" class="vector-body" aria-labelledby="firstHeading" data-mw-ve-target-container> <div class="vector-body-before-content"> <div class="mw-indicators"> </div> <div id="siteSub" class="noprint">From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia</div> </div> <div id="contentSub"><div id="mw-content-subtitle"></div></div> <div id="mw-content-text" class="mw-body-content"><div class="mw-content-ltr mw-parser-output" lang="en" dir="ltr"><div class="shortdescription nomobile noexcerpt noprint searchaux" style="display:none">Figure of speech in the form of a question, asked to make a point rather than to elicit an answer</div> <p>A <b>rhetorical question</b> is a <a href="/wiki/Question" title="Question">question</a> asked for a purpose other than to obtain <a href="/wiki/Information" title="Information">information</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-rhetorical_question_definition_1-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-rhetorical_question_definition-1"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>1<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> In many cases it may be intended to start a discourse, as a means of displaying or emphasizing the speaker's or author's opinion on a topic. </p><p>A simple example is the question "Can't you do anything right?" This question is intended not to ask about the listener's ability but rather to insinuate the listener's lack of ability. </p> <meta property="mw:PageProp/toc" /> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Forms">Forms</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Rhetorical_question&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Forms"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Negative_assertions">Negative assertions</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Rhetorical_question&action=edit&section=2" title="Edit section: Negative assertions"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>A rhetorical question may be intended as a challenge. The question is often difficult or impossible to answer. In the example, "What have the Romans ever done for us?" (<i><a href="/wiki/Monty_Python%27s_Life_of_Brian" title="Monty Python's Life of Brian">Monty Python's Life of Brian</a></i>) the question functions as a negative assertion. It is intended to mean "The Romans have never done anything for us!" When <a href="/wiki/Shakespeare%27s" class="mw-redirect" title="Shakespeare's">Shakespeare's</a> <a href="/wiki/Mark_Antony" title="Mark Antony">Mark Antony</a> exclaims, "Here was a Caesar! When comes such another?" it functions as an assertion that Caesar possesses such rare qualities they may never be seen again. (<i><a href="/wiki/Julius_Caesar_(play)" title="Julius Caesar (play)">Julius Caesar</a></i>, Act 3, scene 2, 257) </p><p>Negative assertions may function as positives in <a href="/wiki/Sarcasm" title="Sarcasm">sarcastic contexts</a>. For example, in response to being informed that smoking can increase the possibility of developing lung cancer, someone could respond with the question, "Who knew?" The question functions as an assertion that the truth of the statement should have been utterly obvious. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Metaphors">Metaphors</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Rhetorical_question&action=edit&section=3" title="Edit section: Metaphors"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Rhetorical questions are often used as a <a href="/wiki/Metaphor" title="Metaphor">metaphor</a> for a question already asked. Examples may be found in the song "<a href="/wiki/Maria_(Rodgers_and_Hammerstein_song)" title="Maria (Rodgers and Hammerstein song)">Maria</a>" from the 1959 <a href="/wiki/Rodgers_and_Hammerstein" title="Rodgers and Hammerstein">Rodgers and Hammerstein</a> musical, <i><a href="/wiki/The_Sound_of_Music" title="The Sound of Music">The Sound of Music</a></i>, in which "How do you solve a problem like Maria?" is repeatedly answered with other questions: "How do you catch a cloud and pin it down?", "How do you keep a wave upon the sand?" and "How do you hold a moonbeam in your hand?" These responses assert that a problem like Maria cannot be solved. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Vernacular">Vernacular</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Rhetorical_question&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Vernacular"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>In the vernacular, this form of rhetorical question is called "rhetorical affirmation". The certainty or obviousness of the answer to a question is expressed by asking another, often humorous, question for which the answer is equally obvious. Popular examples include "Do bears shit in the woods?", "Is the sky blue?" and "Is the Pope Catholic?"<sup id="cite_ref-Powell_1998_2-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Powell_1998-2"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>2<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Moon_1998_3-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Moon_1998-3"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>3<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-Fergusson_1994_4-0" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-Fergusson_1994-4"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>4<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading3"><h3 id="Hypophora">Hypophora</h3><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Rhetorical_question&action=edit&section=5" title="Edit section: Hypophora"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>The <a href="/wiki/Hypophora" title="Hypophora">hypophora</a> is a hyponym of a rhetorical question, characterized by the speaker posing a question for which is immediately answered by the speaker themself. Examples: <i>“Do you always watch for the longest day of the year and then miss it? I always watch for the longest day in the year and then miss it."</i> - The Great Gatsby. This can moreover be a manifestation of an <a href="/wiki/Epiphrase" title="Epiphrase">epiphrase</a>, as Daisy had personally asserted her own opinion on her question. </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Punctuation">Punctuation</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Rhetorical_question&action=edit&section=6" title="Edit section: Punctuation"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>Depending on the context, a rhetorical question may be punctuated by a question mark (?), full stop (.), or exclamation mark (!),<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-5"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>5<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> but some sources argue that it is required to use a question mark for any question, rhetorical or not.<sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-6"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>6<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>In the 1580s, English printer <a href="/wiki/Henry_Denham" title="Henry Denham">Henry Denham</a> invented a "<a href="/wiki/Rhetorical_question_mark" class="mw-redirect" title="Rhetorical question mark">rhetorical question mark</a>" (⸮) for use at the end of a rhetorical question; however, it fell out of use in the 17th century. It was the reverse of an ordinary question mark, so that instead of the main opening pointing back into the sentence, it opened away from it.<sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-7"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>7<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Quotes">Quotes</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Rhetorical_question&action=edit&section=7" title="Edit section: Quotes"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <p>"The effectiveness of rhetorical questions in argument comes from their dramatic quality. They suggest dialogue, especially when the speaker both asks and answers them himself, as if he were playing two parts on the stage. They are not always impassioned; they may be mildly ironical or merely argumentative: but they are always to some extent dramatic, and, if used to excess, they tend to give one’s style a theatrical air." -- J.H. Gardiner<sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-8"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>8<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p><p>"Rhetorical questioning is…a fairly conscious technique adopted by a speaker for deliberate ends, and it is used infrequently, proportional to the length of the dialogue, oration, or conversation." -- Boyd H. Davis<sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference"><a href="#cite_note-9"><span class="cite-bracket">[</span>9<span class="cite-bracket">]</span></a></sup> </p> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="See_also">See also</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Rhetorical_question&action=edit&section=8" title="Edit section: See also"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Aporia" title="Aporia">Aporia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Thought_experiment" title="Thought experiment">Hypothetical question</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Suggestive_question" title="Suggestive question">Suggestive question</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Complex_question" title="Complex question">Complex question</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Presupposition" title="Presupposition">Presupposition</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Double-barreled_question" title="Double-barreled question">Double-barreled question</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Loaded_question" title="Loaded question">Loaded question</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Implicature" title="Implicature">Implicature</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Performative_contradiction" title="Performative contradiction">Performative contradiction</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Betteridge%27s_law_of_headlines" title="Betteridge's law of headlines">Betteridge's law of headlines</a></li></ul> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="Notes">Notes</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Rhetorical_question&action=edit&section=9" title="Edit section: Notes"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1239543626">.mw-parser-output .reflist{margin-bottom:0.5em;list-style-type:decimal}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .reflist{font-size:90%}}.mw-parser-output .reflist .references{font-size:100%;margin-bottom:0;list-style-type:inherit}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-2{column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns-3{column-width:25em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns{margin-top:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns ol{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .reflist-columns li{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-alpha{list-style-type:upper-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-upper-roman{list-style-type:upper-roman}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-alpha{list-style-type:lower-alpha}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-greek{list-style-type:lower-greek}.mw-parser-output .reflist-lower-roman{list-style-type:lower-roman}</style><div class="reflist"> <div class="mw-references-wrap"><ol class="references"> <li id="cite_note-rhetorical_question_definition-1"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-rhetorical_question_definition_1-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1238218222">.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain;padding:0 1em 0 0}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:var(--color-error,#d33)}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#085;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}@media screen{.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911f}}</style><cite id="CITEREFGideon_O._Burton,_Brigham_Young_University" class="citation web cs1">Gideon O. Burton, Brigham Young University. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20071026092912/http://rhetoric.byu.edu/figures/R/rhetorical%20questions.htm">"Rhetorical questions!"</a>. <i>specialized language definitions</i>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://rhetoric.byu.edu/figures/R/rhetorical%20questions.htm">the original</a> on 2007-10-26<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">2007-10-19</span></span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=specialized+language+definitions&rft.atitle=Rhetorical+questions%21&rft.au=Gideon+O.+Burton%2C+Brigham+Young+University&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Frhetoric.byu.edu%2Ffigures%2FR%2Frhetorical%2520questions.htm&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ARhetorical+question" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Powell_1998-2"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Powell_1998_2-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFPowell,_ChrisPaton,_George_E._C.1988" class="citation book cs1">Powell, Chris; Paton, George E. C. (1988). <i>Humour in society: resistance and control</i>. Macmillan. p. 67. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-333-44070-6" title="Special:BookSources/0-333-44070-6"><bdi>0-333-44070-6</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Humour+in+society%3A+resistance+and+control&rft.pages=67&rft.pub=Macmillan&rft.date=1988&rft.isbn=0-333-44070-6&rft.au=Powell%2C+Chris&rft.au=Paton%2C+George+E.+C.&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ARhetorical+question" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Moon_1998-3"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Moon_1998_3-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFMoon,_Rosamund1998" class="citation book cs1">Moon, Rosamund (1998). <i>Fixed expressions and idioms in English: a corpus-based approach (Oxford studies in lexicography and lexicology)</i>. Oxford University Press. p. 158. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-19-823614-X" title="Special:BookSources/0-19-823614-X"><bdi>0-19-823614-X</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Fixed+expressions+and+idioms+in+English%3A+a+corpus-based+approach+%28Oxford+studies+in+lexicography+and+lexicology%29&rft.pages=158&rft.pub=Oxford+University+Press&rft.date=1998&rft.isbn=0-19-823614-X&rft.au=Moon%2C+Rosamund&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ARhetorical+question" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-Fergusson_1994-4"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-Fergusson_1994_4-0">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFFergusson,_RosalindPartridge,_Eric1994" class="citation book cs1">Fergusson, Rosalind; Partridge, Eric (1994). <span class="id-lock-limited" title="Free access subject to limited trial, subscription normally required"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/shorterdictionar00ferg"><i>Shorter dictionary of catch phrases</i></a></span>. Routledge. p. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/shorterdictionar00ferg/page/n30">25</a>. <a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-415-10051-8" title="Special:BookSources/0-415-10051-8"><bdi>0-415-10051-8</bdi></a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Shorter+dictionary+of+catch+phrases&rft.pages=25&rft.pub=Routledge&rft.date=1994&rft.isbn=0-415-10051-8&rft.au=Fergusson%2C+Rosalind&rft.au=Partridge%2C+Eric&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fshorterdictionar00ferg&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ARhetorical+question" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-5"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-5">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://www.whitesmoke.com/punctuation-question-mark.html#rhe">http://www.whitesmoke.com/punctuation-question-mark.html#rhe</a> Whitesmoke</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-6"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-6">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite class="citation web cs1"><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://web.archive.org/web/20060908101340/http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/marks/question.htm">"The Question Mark"</a>. <i>grammar.ccc.commnet.edu</i>. Archived from <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/marks/question.htm">the original</a> on 8 September 2006<span class="reference-accessdate">. Retrieved <span class="nowrap">18 March</span> 2018</span>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Ajournal&rft.genre=unknown&rft.jtitle=grammar.ccc.commnet.edu&rft.atitle=The+Question+Mark&rft_id=http%3A%2F%2Fgrammar.ccc.commnet.edu%2Fgrammar%2Fmarks%2Fquestion.htm&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ARhetorical+question" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-7"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-7">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text">Truss, Lynne. <i>Eats, Shoots & Leaves</i>, 2003. p. 142. <link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><a href="/wiki/ISBN_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="ISBN (identifier)">ISBN</a> <a href="/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-59240-087-6" title="Special:BookSources/1-59240-087-6">1-59240-087-6</a>.</span> </li> <li id="cite_note-8"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-8">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFGardiner1907" class="citation book cs1">Gardiner, J (1907). <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://archive.org/details/manualcompositi01arnogoog"><i>Manual of Composition and Rhetoric</i></a>. Ginn & Company. <a href="/wiki/OCLC_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="OCLC (identifier)">OCLC</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/1926080">1926080</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Manual+of+Composition+and+Rhetoric&rft.pub=Ginn+%26+Company&rft.date=1907&rft_id=info%3Aoclcnum%2F1926080&rft.aulast=Gardiner&rft.aufirst=J&rft_id=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.org%2Fdetails%2Fmanualcompositi01arnogoog&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ARhetorical+question" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> <li id="cite_note-9"><span class="mw-cite-backlink"><b><a href="#cite_ref-9">^</a></b></span> <span class="reference-text"><link rel="mw-deduplicated-inline-style" href="mw-data:TemplateStyles:r1238218222"><cite id="CITEREFDavis1997" class="citation book cs1">Davis, Boyd (1997). <i>Electronic Discourse: Linguistics Individuals in Virtual Space</i>. Albany: State University of New York Press. <a href="/wiki/OCLC_(identifier)" class="mw-redirect" title="OCLC (identifier)">OCLC</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://search.worldcat.org/oclc/42636887">42636887</a>.</cite><span title="ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Abook&rft.genre=book&rft.btitle=Electronic+Discourse%3A+Linguistics+Individuals+in+Virtual+Space&rft.place=Albany&rft.pub=State+University+of+New+York+Press&rft.date=1997&rft_id=info%3Aoclcnum%2F42636887&rft.aulast=Davis&rft.aufirst=Boyd&rfr_id=info%3Asid%2Fen.wikipedia.org%3ARhetorical+question" class="Z3988"></span></span> </li> </ol></div></div> <div class="mw-heading mw-heading2"><h2 id="External_links">External links</h2><span class="mw-editsection"><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">[</span><a href="/w/index.php?title=Rhetorical_question&action=edit&section=10" title="Edit section: External links"><span>edit</span></a><span class="mw-editsection-bracket">]</span></span></div> <ul><li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="https://glossary.sil.org/term/rhetorical-question">What is a rhetorical question?</a></li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.americanrhetoric.com/figures/rhetoricalquestion.htm">Audio illustrations of the rhetorical question</a></li> <li><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://wsu.edu/~brians/errors/rhetorical.html">A short definition of the term</a></li></ul> <div class="navbox-styles"><style data-mw-deduplicate="TemplateStyles:r1129693374">.mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul{margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt,.mw-parser-output .hlist li{margin:0;display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl 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title="Antithesis">Antithesis</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Aposiopesis" title="Aposiopesis">Aposiopesis</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Assonance" title="Assonance">Assonance</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Asyndeton" title="Asyndeton">Asyndeton</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Chiasmus" title="Chiasmus">Chiasmus</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Climax_(rhetoric)" title="Climax (rhetoric)">Climax</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Climax_(rhetoric)#Anticlimax" title="Climax (rhetoric)">Anti</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Literary_consonance" title="Literary consonance">Consonance</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Epanalepsis" class="mw-redirect" title="Epanalepsis">Epanalepsis</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Epiphrase" title="Epiphrase">Epiphrase</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Epistrophe" title="Epistrophe">Epistrophe</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Epizeuxis" title="Epizeuxis">Epizeuxis</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hendiadys" title="Hendiadys">Hendiadys</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Homeoteleuton" title="Homeoteleuton">Homeoteleuton</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hypallage" title="Hypallage">Hypallage</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hyperbaton" title="Hyperbaton">Hyperbaton</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hysteron_proteron" title="Hysteron proteron">Hysteron proteron</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Isocolon" title="Isocolon">Isocolon</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Parallelism_(rhetoric)" title="Parallelism (rhetoric)">Parallelism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Polyptoton" title="Polyptoton">Polyptoton</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Polysyndeton" title="Polysyndeton">Polysyndeton</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Spoonerism" title="Spoonerism">Spoonerism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Symploce" title="Symploce">Symploce</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tmesis" title="Tmesis">Tmesis</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Zeugma_and_syllepsis" title="Zeugma and syllepsis">Zeugma</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr><tr><th scope="row" class="navbox-group" style="width:1%"><a href="/wiki/Trope_(literature)" title="Trope (literature)">Tropes</a></th><td class="navbox-list-with-group navbox-list navbox-even hlist" style="width:100%;padding:0"><div style="padding:0 0.25em"> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Allegory" title="Allegory">Allegory</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Allusion" title="Allusion">Allusion</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Antiphrasis" title="Antiphrasis">Antiphrasis</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Antonomasia" title="Antonomasia">Antonomasia</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Aphorism" title="Aphorism">Aphorism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Apostrophe_(figure_of_speech)" title="Apostrophe (figure of speech)">Apostrophe</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Catachresis" title="Catachresis">Catachresis</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ecphonesis" title="Ecphonesis">Ecphonesis</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Ekphrasis" title="Ekphrasis">Ekphrasis</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Epanorthosis" title="Epanorthosis">Epanorthosis</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Hyperbole" title="Hyperbole">Hyperbole</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Adynaton" title="Adynaton">Adynaton</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Dysphemism" title="Dysphemism">Dysphemism</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Euphemism" title="Euphemism">Euphemism</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Meiosis_(figure_of_speech)" title="Meiosis (figure of speech)">Meiosis</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Innuendo" title="Innuendo">Innuendo</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Irony" title="Irony">Irony</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Apophasis" title="Apophasis">Apophasis</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Sarcasm" title="Sarcasm">Sarcasm</a></li></ul></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Litotes" title="Litotes">Litotes</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Metaphor" title="Metaphor">Metaphor</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Metonymy" title="Metonymy">Metonymy</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Oxymoron" title="Oxymoron">Oxymoron</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Personification" title="Personification">Personification</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pleonasm" title="Pleonasm">Pleonasm</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Procatalepsis" title="Procatalepsis">Procatalepsis</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Pun" title="Pun">Pun</a> <ul><li><a href="/wiki/Antanaclasis" title="Antanaclasis">Antanaclasis</a></li></ul></li> <li><a class="mw-selflink selflink">Rhetorical question</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Simile" title="Simile">Simile</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Synecdoche" title="Synecdoche">Synecdoche</a></li> <li><a href="/wiki/Tautology_(language)" title="Tautology (language)">Tautology</a></li></ul> </div></td></tr></tbody></table></div>    </div><noscript><img src="https://login.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:CentralAutoLogin/start?type=1x1" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border: none; position: absolute;"></noscript> <div class="printfooter" data-nosnippet="">Retrieved from "<a dir="ltr" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rhetorical_question&oldid=1253648088">https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rhetorical_question&oldid=1253648088</a>"</div></div> <div id="catlinks" class="catlinks" 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