The document discusses the rhetorical situation, which refers to the context surrounding any communication between people. It identifies the key elements of a rhetorical situation as the author, audience, text, and context. The author's purpose, attitude, and background must be considered, as well as the audience's purpose, attitude, and background. The text itself depends on its medium, tools used to create it, and tools needed to understand it. Finally, the context includes environmental factors like time, place, and community that frame the communication.