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Ethos And Logos In President Lincoln's The Gettysburg Address

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After the Battle of Gettysburg, which involved the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War and was according to many the war’s turning point, president Lincoln delivered a meaningful speech known as the Gettysburg Address. In his speech, president Lincoln wisely uses ethos, pathos and logos. To begin with ethos, president Lincoln starts his speech by referring to the Founding Fathers, which helps him gain the listeners’ attention and to establish his credibility. He then mentions the basic principles on which the American nation was founded, that is liberty and equality, which also adds to his credibility. The president knows that many of his listeners lost the loved ones in the battle and that the majority wants the war to end, so he clarifies his motive for ending the war and states: “the brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract”. Those men died fighting for the …show more content…

He emphasizes that they are met at “a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live” to show his compassion to those who lost their loved ones as well as to induce empathy among those who did not. He then refers to the men who lost their lives fighting for the belief that all men are created equal and that their sacrifices should not be in vain. President Lincoln then states: “The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.” That sentence expresses compassion to the families of those who died and gives them comfort as the actions of the world will never forget what the brave men did. On the other hand, that statement also conveys the message that actions speak louder than words as the world will not remember what is said, but what is done. The purpose of that message is to inspire the audience to take action in ending the

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