Final answer:
Richard Vatz complicates Bitzer's theory by emphasizing the role of the speaker in creating and shaping a rhetorical situation.
Step-by-step explanation:
To complicate Bitzer's theory of the Rhetorical Situation, Richard Vatz emphasizes the importance of the speaker's role in creating and shaping a rhetorical situation. While Bitzer believes that the situation itself determines the rhetoric, Vatz argues that the speaker has the power to create the rhetorical situation through their choices and interpretation of events. Vatz suggests that the speaker's selection of what to include or exclude, as well as their framing of the situation, are crucial in shaping the rhetoric.
For example, let's say there's a protest march happening in a city. Bitzer would focus on the objective elements of the situation, such as the purpose and exigence (urgency) of the march. But Vatz would highlight the role of the speaker in deciding to start a protest, organizing it, and framing it in a certain way to elicit a specific response.
Overall, Vatz's perspective adds nuance to Bitzer's theory by highlighting the agency of the speaker in creating and influencing the rhetorical situation, rather than being solely determined by external factors.