Exigence is the existence of an
imperfect situation in where something is needed to be changed. Exigence can
exist in almost any context except those in which something cannot be changed,
can only be changed by ones own actions, or can only be changed by something
other than discourse because then it would have no purpose and the whole
purpose of a rhetorical situation is to bring about the intention of change or
assurance. A good example for exigence would be a sudden national tragedy, like
the elementary school shooting that happened. It is an imperfect situation in
which something needed to be said.
Audience is considered a
constituent of a rhetorical situation in the way that the rhetor is trying to
advocate and influence the audience to change or to listen. Audience are only
those that are capable of being influenced by the situation. Continuing with
the elementary school shooting example, when something was said in response to
what happened the audience would be to those who were directly affected and to
those who sympathized, which most people did because it was a national tragedy.
These people are considered an audience because the can be influenced.
The last constituent is the set of
constraints on a rhetorical situation. Constraints include persons, events,
objects, which are a part of the situation because they affect the decision and
action, basically the meaning of an exigence. For example if the shooter of the
elementary school was an old man with a military rifle it would have different
implications than if it were a teenager with an illegally obtained standard handgun.
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