Rhetorical Question: GCSE English Definition

What is a rhetorical question?

In GCSE English Literature and GCSE English Language, a rhetorical question is a literary device which poses a question that does not require an answer. They are used primarily to persuade or subtly influence the audience, so they are asked to create an effect, rather than for the answer.

Why do writers use rhetorical questions?

A rhetorical question can be used in both fiction writing and in non-fiction, persuasive or transactional writing. They are a useful technique in persuasive writing, as they are usually designed to engage the reader. Because there is nobody to “answer” the question, they force the reader (or listener) to pause and consider the question being asked. 

In literature, rhetorical questions are used to make a point or for effect.

Examples of rhetorical questions

In Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, Scrooge famously asks in Stave 1:

“Are there no prisons?”

Here, Dickens uses this technique to highlight Scrooge’s ignorance of the poor as symbolic of the attitude of many of the wealthy classes at the time.

Rhetorical questions are also often deployed as a persuasive device in speeches and articles. For example:

“Is it right that reality TV stars are paid vast amounts of money for actually doing very little?”

Revision Resources to Ace Your Exams

Learn how to analyse rhetorical questions in literary texts and how to use them in your own English Language writing with our GCSE revision notes.

GCSE English Literature Revision Notes 

GCSE English Language Revision Notes

For more literary techniques, check out our list of 127 top literary devices, complete with student-friendly definitions.