what is a rhetorical question

A rhetorical question is a question asked for a purpose other than to obtain the information the question asks. It is often used in persuasive writing, debates, speeches, and everyday conversation as a figure of speech. Rhetorical questions are not meant to have or do not require an answer, and they are used to make a point or emphasize a statement. Depending on the context, a rhetorical question may be punctuated by a question mark (?), full stop (.), or exclamation mark (!), but some sources argue that it is required to use a question mark for any question, rhetorical or not. Rhetorical questions can be used to start a discourse, display, or emphasize a point. They can be mildly ironical or argumentative, but they are always to some extent dramatic, and if used excessively, they tend to give ones style a theatrical air.