Rhetorical question

A rhetorical question is a question asked to make a point or create an effect, not to get an answer, because the answer is obvious or is supplied by the speaker.

"If you prick us, do we not bleed?" Shylock does not wait for an answer. Nobody could say no. The question forces the audience to supply the yes themselves, which makes his point more strongly than a statement could.

How it works

A rhetorical question borrows the form of a real one and uses it for something else.

• To assert. "Who could blame her?" means no one could.
• To persuade. "Do we want a future like this?" leads the audience to the answer.
• To express feeling. "How could you?" is a cry, not an inquiry.
• To introduce a point. "So what does this mean?" and then the speaker answers.

Orators have used it since antiquity, and it works well alongside anaphora, as in a series of questions all beginning with the same word.

Using it well

One placed question is a spotlight. A string of them is a barrage. The answer should be clear, either from the context or because the speaker gives it. Avoid questions that invite a real, awkward answer, such as "Isn't this the best idea ever?" in a document the reader disagrees with.

Why it matters to a writer or editor

In argument and persuasion, rhetorical questions can raise energy or sound manipulative. Editors check each one: could a reader answer differently from the writer's hope? Is it carrying a point that would be stronger as a plain statement? In fiction, characters use them to bluster, to wound and to avoid saying what they mean. See also antithesis, tricolon and irony.

Frequently asked questions

What is the purpose of a rhetorical question?

To persuade, to emphasise, to provoke thought or to express feeling. It turns a statement into an invitation to agree.

What is an example from literature?

Shylock in The Merchant of Venice asks, 'If you prick us, do we not bleed?' The answer is plainly yes, and the question makes the argument.

Can a rhetorical question be overused?

Yes. A speech or essay that asks question after question can sound hectoring or evasive.