Ethos In Jfk Inaugural Speech

John F. Kennedy will always be remembered for two things; his triumphant inauguration and his tragic assassination. After being sworn in, Kennedy gave the traditional inaugural speech. He addressed America, as well as the rest of the world, to inform them what his intentions were during his presidency. By referencing current events such as the Cold War, he was able to identify dilemmas in need of a remedy. Kennedy's overall message was meant to inspire his nation and convey strength and hope to the world abroad. At the beginning of his speech, Kennedy condensed his message. He stated the problems in need of fixing during his presidency while also proposing solutions for them. By doing this, Kennedy was able to evoke confidence from Americans that he will follow through with his claims. Kennedy used anaphora, allusions, and emotional appeal to create an effective argument in the first half of his inaugural speech.

In the event of his inaugural address, JFK uses pathos to show the people that he was passionate and truly wants to see these changes he talks about happening in the future. He says “for man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life” stating his first point of equality. Here JFK is allowing the people to see his emotional charge that is fueling his need for change. He sees every man and women as equal and he wants to see these happen in America. Later in his speech he talks about how the people are in more control than he is to fail or to succeed in his term. By showing the people their power in the change, JFK gives the people the feeling that they actually have a say in what will be done. He does this by including

Before all else, John F. Kennedy respectfully acknowledges and establishes his ethos through the introduction of his speech:

John F. Kennedy’s inaugural speech is was one of the best speeches ever written. It wasn't just remembered for the length of the speech, but it was remembered for the speeches content . Kennedy said that he will unify the United States of America and the whole world. Kennedy also says that he will not allow the enemy to threaten the U.S. or its allies. Through the use of ethos, logos, and pathos, Kennedy strongly tells this message to the American people and to all the leaders of world.

With the threat that the Cold War brought to America Kennedy’s use of Ethos incredibly helps him to thoroughly get his point across to the rest of the World that they must band together. His use of ethos is primarily found in the beginning of his speech where he reminds America that “we are heirs of that first revolution” and that now we are “proud of our ancient heritage-- and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed, and to

The Kennedy family was very popular and had well-known moral standards, so it is no surprise that in John F Kennedy’s inaugural speech there were constant examples of ethos, in which he appealed to the audience through moral values. His moral standpoint became apparent as he mentions God and doing the right thing.

In his inaugural address, Kennedy uses ethical appeal to establish credibility throughout his speech. He uses this appeal in his very first statement: “Vice President Johnson, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Chief Justice, President Eisenhower, Vice President Nixon, President Truman, reverend clergy, fellow citizens, we observe today not a victory of party, but a celebration of freedom – symbolizing an end, as well as a beginning – signifying renewal, as well as change” (Kennedy). By making this statement, Kennedy establishes himself as a president who values unity amongst the Democratic and Republican parties and the American people as a whole. Kennedy was inspired by Thomas Jefferson’s inaugural address, which followed an election similar to the election between Kennedy and Nixon, so he wanted to make sure to state that he does not want his victory to just be a victory for the Democratic Party. Later in the speech, Kennedy shows

In John F Kennedy’s “Inaugural address”, he tries to bring the nation together by speaking confidently and powerful. Kennedy’s vigorous use of rhetorical devices including Antithesis, Reasoning, Emotional Appeal, Allusion, and Anaphora that contribute to the success of his speech. JFK uses these rhetorical devices to convey his ambitions and hopes for america as a nation in a whole. Also hoping for a pledge of peace; that we do not show weakness. In his hopes of coming together our acts individually would make us look and be stronger. Kennedy used his speech as a way to draw all of the audience in by pulling us together.

A. Support for #3: January 20, 1961 John Fitzgerald Kennedy was inaugurated into office and became President Kennedy our nation’s 35th President. It was in his inaugural address where he spoke of the needs of the citizens of America to be active and famously stated, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country” (Dallek).

Kennedy rarely implements statistics or numbers to build ethos. Instead, he uses his fame and affirming words to build credibility. Having been elected into office, it is a safe assumption that he was already widely accepted as a credible source. He also establishes ethos in the way he portrays himself. Ethos is not built from only a title, but from the verbiage that JFK used admirably. He was well aware of the fact that not everyone supported him or the party he was associated with, and by opening his speech with “We observe today not a victory of party, but a celebration of freedom…”(JFK Library), JFK is able to discard any hostility toward his political opponents, appealing ethically to the opposing viewers. He then goes on to address these opponents by stating, “We shall not always expect to find them supporting our view. But we shall always hope to find them

President Kennedy conveys to the audience about the subject of unity through the rhetorical device known as Ethos. An author that is credible or well-known is likely to persuade an audience into believing his argument, as this is what ethos essentially is. Throughout the speech Kennedy addresses numerous topics and goals he has in mind during his time in the oval office. The result of this speech leads to Kennedy’s legacy being world peace due to the countless mentions of peacetime within the speech. Kennedy mentions the topic of peace in hopes of gaining the support of Americans due to the extreme

On January 20, 1961, John Fitzgerald Kennedy became the youngest man to possess presidency in the United States of America. As a young, wealthy man Kennedy rapidly climbed the political ladder by initially representing a working class Boston district in the United States Congress, then continuing on to the House of Representatives, followed by the United States Senate, and ending with the victorious defeat of his presidential opponent, to become the 35th president of the United States. According to theatlantic.com, Kennedy was so admired by the public, that “in the eyes of the world, this reticent man became a charismatic leader who, in his life and in his death, served as a symbol of purpose and hope.” As a result of John F. Kennedy’s

The Inaugural Address, January 20, 1961, was written to notify the American people with not only the hopes and dreams that Kennedy had for the country, but how he was going to accomplish them. Inside Kennedy’s, Inauguration, 50 Years On, is the explanations of numerous people on what

On snowy, freezing cold January morning in 1961, five hundred thousand people lined Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. The temperature was only twenty-two degrees Fahrenheit and eight inches of snow blanketed the ground in the American capitol that morning, causing even more traffic than usual, but that didn’t stop these hundreds of thousands of people from attending John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s inauguration ceremony. Little did they know, they would be hearing one of the most famous and memorable speeches of all time. Out of all forty five presidents, the inaugural address that American citizens would remember more than all the rest was that of John F. Kennedy. But what made it so memorable? After all, each president has given at least one, sometimes even two or more, inaugural address. Kennedy’s speech was neither the most elaborate nor the longest; it had one thousand three hundred and sixty four words and took thirteen minutes and fifty five seconds to read and it used relatively simple language. The importance of the address laid not in the length or the intricacy, but in the theme and the rhetoric. With figurative language, themes of unity and freedom, and appeal to Ethos, Logos, and Pathos, Kennedy’s address became not only one of the most memorable inaugural addresses, but one of the most memorable speeches of all time.

An analysis of John F. Kennedy reveals a myriad of ideas that he had for the people of America. This is despite the rhetoric that was present in his speech; three dominant themes emerged from his Inaugural address. These are freedom, leadership and the use of rhetoric in addressing multitudes.