Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I have a Dream" speech was a pivotal speech given in response to the problem of segregation in the United States. In the speech numerous examples of logos, ethos, and pathos were extremely prevalent. The first part of the essay will consist of the analyzation for Dr. Kings’ speech and its structure. Next, the use of pathos, ethos, and logos will be clarified to show how Dr. King used these techniques to get his message across to the audience. Finally, the conclusion of his speech will be analyzed, and it will be shown it solidified the message he was trying to convey to the world.
The structure of a speech can be the determining factor of whether the speech was as effective as it was intended to be. Without proper
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King used numerous examples of pathos, ethos, and logos throughout his speech. Pathos appeals to audience’s emotions and feelings, whereas ethos relies on the author's credibility. Logos are used in heated discussions to help get a message across. Pathos often rely on the use of logos and ethos to be effective. An example of pathos used in his speech is how he could guide the emotion of the crowd to make them feel sympathetic towards African Americans. He could make the crowd understand how segregation was tearing the country apart and made people have feelings toward the subject. He stated, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character”. (King) He talked as a parent wanting the best for his children which emotionally touches people because many people want their children to have a better life than they did growing up. He used ethos in the beginning of the speech when he stated” Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. In this example, he refers to President Lincoln and the great work he had done to abolish slavery. This example provides credibility to his speech because he referenced president Abraham Lincoln who played a major role in the ending of slavery. He also referenced the Declaration of Independence, the most important piece of literature ever written for this …show more content…
He wanted everyone across the county to follow him and end segregation once and for all. Dr. King begins to mention different regions of the country from coast to coast and says, “Let freedom ring” (King). This was basically a call to arms for all parts of the country to join him in trying to end segregation and allow everyone to share the same rights and privileges that the Constitution of the United States lays out for every
Pathos and Logos Martin Luther King Jr. effectively uses pathos and logos in his “I have a Dream” speech and “letter from Birmingham Jail” to persuade the specific audience for each occasion. To begin with, Martin Luther King Jr. appeals to his audience about the racial acts, and discrimination. He uses pathos to show his emotions throughout his “I Have a Dream” speech. He talks about how everyone should be given freedom “from every mountainside, let freedom ring”. This shows how passionate he is about equal rights, and the emotions he puts into his speech.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. uses a combination of pathos and logos in his “I Have a Dream” speech and ‘’Letter from Birmingham Jail” to effectively persuade these different audiences for the specific occasion. First, in “I Have a Dream,” King uses logos: “Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free.” King’s use of logos is effective because it helps to justify his cause and further motivate the audience into supporting the cause. Later, King uses pathos: “Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning.
Baden Masenthin Mrs. Christie Advanced English 9 26 February 2024 How Dr. King Used Logos And Pathos To Structure His Ideas When Illustrating Them To Different Audience When Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. explains his ideas, he changes his approach with logos and pathos depending on his audience. Logos uses a more logical approach to support an idea, while pathos uses more emotion-based elements to support an idea. In Dr. King's “I Have a Dream speech”, King illustrates two main ideas using pathos. One idea is about how Black Americans are not truly free, and this is illustrated when King states “But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination.”
Martin Luther King Jr. was one of the highest regarded civil rights activists in the mid-1900s. His two texts, “I Have a Dream” and “Letter From Birmingham Jail”, were greatly influential on the fight for African American rights. The way that King was able to persuade his audience, and preserve his their attention, was through using logos and pathos. Logos use a clear line of reasoning supported by evidence, and pathos use charged language in order to prod at the listener’s emotions. In his two pieces mentioned above, King uses these appeals in different areas and to different extremes.
Martin Luther King’s use of Pathos and Logos in “I have a Dream” showcases how he uses the devices to inspire others, compared to how he uses these rhetorical devices in “Letter From Birmingham Jail” to persuade the Clergymen. Martin Luther King, also referred to MLK, uses both Pathos and Logos to fit the audiences and occasions for each text. His uses of Pathos and Logos in these two texts are examples of how words can inspire change.
In Martin Luther King’s I Have a Dream speech, King makes use of an innumerable amount of rhetorical devices that augment the overall understanding and flow of the speech. King makes the audience feel an immense amount of emotion due to the outstanding use of pathos in his speech. King also generates a vast use of rhetorical devices including allusion, anaphora, and antithesis. The way that King conducted his speech adds to the comprehension and gives the effect that he wants to rise above the injustices of racism and segregation that so many people are subjected to on a daily basis.
There has been many influential figures in American History that have provided the American people with promising messages of hope and equality for all people. One of the most influential figures of the twenty century was Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This time period was marked by the Civil Rights Movement, which was a movement that prompted a group of individuals to fight for the equality of African Americans. This is because “African Americans were granted better economic
We have all heard Martin Luther King’s famous speech, I have a Dream. His main goal was to convince everyone across the country to comprehend racial equality and to reinforce a solution for those individuals already engaged in the Civil Rights movement. You could say his speech was part of what made the movement successful. By him taking a stand, much attention was put into the problems that were going on. He was and still is viewed as an important leader who was an activist in the Civil Rights Movement. Here we will basically dissect parts of his speech and define the points he was making and trying to make. Throughout the paper, you will see how Dr. King uses Ethos, Pathos, and Logos to show his audience and make them feel what went on.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have a Dream” speech was an astonishing display of language that persuaded the American nation to dissolve the barrier that stood between equality for all in our great nation. The true beauty in Dr. King’s speech rests in his ability to persuade the audience at the Lincoln Memorial, as well as, the nation to believe that it is a necessity to rid the exigence of segregation. Through the usage of metaphors that engage the reader, King uses language as an instrument to control the audience’s emotions and fuel their ideas that they can be the ones to make the change to propel our nation from one mediocrity to greatness. In his speech, King uses an eloquent blend between symbols and emotions through metaphors to persuade the audience that there is no true constraint that can hold them from achieving their goal and use the historical March on Washington as the solution to this exigence that failed to wither away one hundred years ago when Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.
In his influential speech, “I Have a Dream”, Civil Rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. emphasized the sorrows of many African Americans. Throughout the speech, King narrates how it is his dream to see everyone as one and to accept change in the world. He adopts an informative and argumentative tone in order to make every race, gender, and age embrace racial equality. King’s emotional conveyance along with anaphora, metaphors and antithesis made his speech stand out. The prevailing use of Aristotle’s beliefs; pathos, ethos, and logos throughout his speech painted the picture of what he dreamed it will be.
Martin Luther King Jr’s, “I Have a Dream” speech sparked a turning point at this time in history. In reading this essay, it surely one filled
From the steps of the Lincoln Memorial more than two score years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King electrified America with his momentous "I Have a Dream" speech. Aimed at the entire nation, King’s main purpose in this speech was to convince his audience to demand racial justice towards the mistreated African Americans and to stand up together for the rights afforded to all under the Constitution. To further convey this purpose more effectively, King cleverly makes use of the rhetorical devices — ethos, pathos and logos — using figurative language such as metaphors and repetition as well as various other techniques e.g. organization, parallel construction and choice of title.
King makes good use of ethos, pathos, and logos in his speech. His confidence is the use of ethos which shows his knowledge and trustworthiness. He also used a reliable source, President Abraham Lincoln. In his speech, he states, “Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation.”(Jr). His use of President Lincoln shows that he respects and admires what he has done for America. He also uses a reminder the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence in his speech. “This note was promised that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the ‘unalienable Rights’ of ‘Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.’” (Jr). This shows that the government has failed to keep their promises to their citizens. His voice and sources make the audience rely on
With the people of The United States of America categorized as the audience, King speaks to people of all races and ethnicity. This discriminated audience included the grasping appeals to the ethos, pathos, and logos. As each appeal is fully informed of the rhetorical purpose, King finds a way to encourage all three. Through several metaphors and types of imagery, he makes the decision to speak to all of the appeals in order to accomplish to need for change. Clearly aimed directly at the hearts of blacks and making the whites feel ashamed of their actions brought together a turn in society as they knew it. This specific structure geared towards the audience was the main reason why King impacted Americans across the country and not just at the march. These different appeals mixed within the audience to help King influence his purpose of racial equality as each type of person could relate to his moving words.
The speaker of the speech that is going to be analyzed in this paper is Martin Luther king junior who was one of the greatest activists in the US and a freedom fighter. The speech which is entitled “I have a dream” was delivered in august 23rd in the year 1963 when he had organized a march in Washington to condemn the racial discrimination and also fight for the civil as well as the economic rights. The speech was delivered on the famous Lincoln memorial grounds whereby the number of the activists in attendance was more than 250,000 and it is said to the foundation of civil rights in America.