Description
- Begin your analysis of the speech and it’s arguments. In your essay, be sure to identify and explain the rhetorical strategies that the speaker used. You might consider:
- Why did they choose these strategies?
- Where the rhetorical strategies successful?
- What was the goal of the speech, and was that goal achieved?
- Does the speech still hold meaning today? Is it meaningful as a historical relic or is it still inspiring?
- What was the speaker up against?
- Be sure to focus on the rhetorical elements of your speech. You will need to include history from the time period, and potentially biographical information about your speaker. But the majority of your paper should focus on the speech and it’s effectiveness.
- Be sure to include academic sources for your speech. You must have 3 academic sources.
- Be sure to include a works cited page listing your academic sources, the speech that you have chosen to analyze, and any secondary or mass media sources.
This 10 page, 12pt. font, double spaced report will include your analysis of the selected speech. In your analysis you will use the terms defined and explored in this class. You will provide historic context and background for the speech.
Explanation & Answer
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Freedom or Death
Give me liberty or Give me death is the title of the speech that was delivered by Patrick
Henry in 1975. This was the speech that was made during the second Virginia Convention,
which was held in St Johns Church in Richmond. In early 1975, the revolution was in the air.
Earlier in the same year, the delegates from America had held the continental Congress, where
they sent a letter to the Britain King as a petition for redress for the grievances where some of
them were known as intolerable acts. Currently, the mass boycott of the British goods was
underway. The second Virginia Convection was convened by 120 American delegates where
George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were among the attendees. Also, Patrick Henry was
one of the most respected lawyers from the Virginia States.
He was known for his stance against the British manipulative policies. He was known for
his mellifluous and unfailing speaking voice. Henry was convinced that the revolutionary war
was nearing, and he arrived at the convention focused on alluring his fellow delegates to support
his stance of defending the United States against the British invasion (Kidd, 17). In the
Convection, Henry raised a defensive resolution strategy of proposing the thirteen American
States to raise an army to secure America's "inestimable rights and liberties, from those further
violations with which they are threatened” (00.04.57). Henry himself suggested and supported
the combative measures, which were some delegates feared. Some delegates wanted a more
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reconciliatory approach to address the grievances that were forwarded to the King of Great
Britain. In his speech, Henry warned his fellow delegates against appeasing the crown. He
maintained that delegates should rise against all the atrocities that were done by the crown to the
Americans. Henry receives credits for his silver tongue that set the foundation of the American
Revolution. The speech employs different rhetorical strategies to effectively and logically
communicate to its audience on the issue of freedom.
Rhetorical Strategies Used and Why They Are Effective
Logos as Rhetorical Strategy
In his speech, Henry used several rhetorical strategies, which include pathos, ethos, and
pathos. The first strategy that Henry uses is an appeal to logic. The appeal to logic is also known
as logos, and it was the term that was first introduced by Aristotle. It is a rhetoric strategy
whereby the speaker or author focuses on persuading the audience through the use of logical
facts such as evidence and reasoning. In the rhetoric, the authors or speakers use logos to
persuade the logic of the audience. As Brooks, highlights, logos are anything that the author or
speaker says either inform of a sentence word or a speech or written work that is meant to appeal
to the audience logically (519).
In order to appeal to the audience, the speaker or the author needs to be consistent. It is
important for the speaker or the author to understand his or her audience. It is through
understanding the audience the speaker is able to choose the right topic or language that will
persuade them. There are different approaches that the speaker or the author can use to appeal
logical proofs. The first approach that an author or speaker can use is statistics. The statistics are
mostly used by most authors or speakers to prove the validity of the matter they are presenting to
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the audience. It is using the statistical audience to understand the topic presented. The second
approach that authors or speakers can use to appeal to pathos is a definition. It is important for
the speakers and the authors to define the technical terms to make it easier for the audience to
relate with (Endres, and Samantha, 277). Also, the authors or speakers can use inductive or
deductive reasoning. In inductive reasoning, the author or speaker can use examples and draw
some conclusions. On the other hand, in deductive reasoning, the audiences should be able to
relate to t...
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