The introductory chapter mentions the work of B. Duhm on the book of Isaiah and his arguments for the existence of four servant songs (Isa. 42.1-4; 49.1-6; 50.4-9; and 52.13-53.12) within chs. 40-55. These chapters are now frequently referred to Deutero-Isaiah (DI). Several works summarising proposals for the identity of the servant in DI are discussed, and recent opinions disputing the distinctiveness of the songs within their DI context are presented. The trend towards an interpretation of the songs within DI is not unrelated to rhetorical criticism and a short overview of the work of some scholars using this method in DI is provided. Several works in the last few years have noted the rhetorical study of Isa. 52.13-53.12 (Isa. 53) offered by D.J.A. Clines, I, He, We and They. Clines' study is summarised and reactions to it are given. It is suggested that his approach may provide a model for studying the other songs and a starting point in order to obtain further insight into the possible identity of the servant and the relationship between the songs and the wider DI context. The next chapter provides and discusses a translation of the notoriously difficult Isa. 52. Chapter 3 presents an overview of rhetorical criticism, and Isa. 53 is then studied according to its precepts. Clines had argued that the poem centres on the servant but it is proposed that the poem also centres on the first person plural persona, Clines' we. His proposals concerning the effect of the servant on the reader are modified. Definitions of empathy are given and it is argued that the poem elicits empathy for both the servant and us. It is then suggested that empathy informs other relationships described in the poem. In the next two chapters it is proposed that empathy informs relationships depicted within 42.1-4 and 49.1-6 and that these poems too elicit empathy from the reader. In chapter 6 it is argued that Isa. 50.4-11 can be interpreted as a poetic unit, one which similarly describes relationships informed by empathy and elicits empathy.