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Rhetorical Analysis Of Patrick Henry

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In Patrick Henry’s speech to the Virginia Convention on March 23, 1775 he utilizes the three pillars of rhetoric, Ethos, Pathos, and Logos, to persuade his fellow delegates to rally with him against the tyranny of Great Britain. It was desperate times and Henry knew that if we did not go to war with Britain, we would surely fall into the chains of slavery by British hands. In his speech, Henry uses a strong ethical appeal by being very respectful in order to show that he understands and respects his opponents argument but he also has some things to say that oppose him. In the very beginning of his speech he honors the man before him by saying “No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as the abilities, of the very worthy gentlemen who have just addressed the house.” to gain the respect of his audience and captivate them into the rest of his speech. He also throughout the entirety of his speech said the word “sir” to respectively address the opponent. …show more content…

In one of his main points when he tries to convince the audience that they must fight Britain, he states, “I repeat it, sir, we must fight! An appeal to arms and to the God of Hosts is all that is left us!” in order to draw out an emotional response of anger or courage to want to fight the British. He also says at the end one of his most famous quotes which is “Forbid it, Almighty God! I know now what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” which is an extremely powerful sentence that made a huge impact on the people in the room with him and is well known even today for its strong emotional appeal. Same as the first he is trying to receive a response of rebellion, anger, courage, and most importantly a passion for his cause and the chance of their

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