American criminal jury trials are more likely than not very intense and hectic. Often, these trials revolve around a murder, where it is the prosecutor’s job to persuade the jury to convict the...Show moreAmerican criminal jury trials are more likely than not very intense and hectic. Often, these trials revolve around a murder, where it is the prosecutor’s job to persuade the jury to convict the murderer. It is no wonder therefore, that the prosecutorial opening statements during these kids of trials stand symbol for cornerstones to persuasive oratory. This thesis starts off by describing how prosecutors can use Aristotle’s three modes of persuasion called ethos, pathos and logos, most effectively to persuade the jury during their opening statement and uses the findings on how to use these three modes to analyze and compare two real-life criminal jury trials that occurred in the United States in order to answer the following question: Is the use of prosecutorial persuasion in the opening statement of a trial resulting in conviction more compelling than the use of prosecutorial persuasion in the opening statement of a trial resulting in acquittal? The first trial that will be analyzed is the State of Arizona vs. Jodi Ann Arias, which is a trial where a woman named Jodi Arias was convicted of the brutal murder of her ex-boyfriend Travis Victor Alexander, prosecuted by Juan Martinez. The second trial to be analyzed is the State of Florida vs. Casey Marie Anthony, which is a trial where a woman named Casey Anthony was acquitted for the murder of her toddler daughter Caylee Anthony, prosecuted by Linda Burdick. Both these trials have been well known around the world and dealt with two of the most hated women in the United States.Show less