Dr. Martin Luther King Juniors use of Ethos & Pathos in his “I have a dream” speech. On August 28, 1963, people around the nation tuned into hear several civil rights speeches going on in Washington. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was one of those civil rights speakers, and that day he gave his famous “I have a dream” speech. In Dr. Martin Luther King Juniors speech, he spoke about unifying the nation, to create a place where Americans “will not be judged by the color of your skin but by the content of your character.”(2) He shocked the nation into actions advising that they’re will be a “rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual.”(1) Thankfully, many people in America were changed, and wanted to make a difference after …show more content…
He was able to relate to the “unspeakable horrors of police brutality” (1) that had been part of segregation. He also states that “We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one.” (1) Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. summarizes how society was treating African Americans. It allowed people to realize on a larger scale how wrong it was and how much it needed to change. Dr.
Dr. King used pathos and logos as well as ethos in his speech to appeal to the audience in a more emotional way. He mostly attempts to appeal to the audiences’ emotions, fears, and desires. When King repeats with the infamously famous quote, “I have a dream,” he stresses a sense of sympathy and hope towards the African American population during that time period. King states that the, “Negro…finds himself in exile in his own land.” In this phrase, King yields compassion as one can see when he emphasizes the unfair treatment and alienation of the African Americans. King also uses highly connotative language so that he could evoke a, emotional response to the audience such as, “chains of discrimination” and “oppression” to reinforce the need
"I have a dream," says Dr. Samuel Proctor, Martin Luther King, Jr. Professor Emeritus of Rutgers University. "All the little children--you hear everywhere you go: 'I have a dream.' All the little children repeating that speech. It's become like the 'Star Spangled Banner' or the 'Pledge of Allegiance.' It's entered our culture." And so it has: "I have a dream" has become one of the most memorable phrases of the twentieth century. Of all the many speeches delivered at the Lincoln Memorial on that hot, steamy day of August 28, 1963, no other remarks have had such an impact as those of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His words reflected then, and continue to do so now, the
Civil rights activist, Martin Luther King Jr. gave his memorable “I Have a Dream” speech while standing at the feet of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. His uplifting speech is one of the most admired during the civil rights era and arguably one of the best in American history. On August 28th, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. spoke about the true American dream: equality. Although the video of his oral spectacle is powerful, the written document portrays exactly how brilliant Martin Luther King Jr. really was. Like an Architect who uses his stones to build strong palaces, Martin Luther King Jr. uses every word, every sentence, and every paragraph purposely to convey the necessity of a civil rights
To begin, Martin Luther King Jr. was an African American rights activist and an impressive preacher. One day during a peaceful protest, he was arrested and sent to the Birmingham Jail. In jail, he wrote a detailed, metaphoric letter to the clergy men, speaking about the recent racism problems and how to fix it. He wrote page after page of issues, using several examples and many iconic phrases from history. Martin Luther King Jr. was not an uneducated fool, as many seen him. He knew that if he used ethos, pathos, and logos, he would get many people on his side, consisting his notable character known by the church, his ability to evoke sympathy, and his logical way to present this problem.
Martin Luther King, Jr had been a strong leader in the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950’s and 1960’s and fought hard to bring an end to the Negro’s struggle to fight oppression and gain equality. When he was arrested and jailed in Birmingham, Alabama he then fell under criticism by white clergy for coming to Birmingham as an “outsider” to cause trouble and increase tension through public sit-ins and marches. I feel that Martin Luther King was able to both set aside that criticism by establishing his credibility to have not only been invited to come to Birmingham to help end the injustice to the Negro people via peaceful means, but he was able to identify moral, legal and ethical cause to promote his quest to put a stop to what he identified as “the most thoroughly segregated city in the United States.” I will provide a summary that will show what Martin Luther King believed were the cause of the injustice that he was striving to end to as well as his concern over the white community’s ability to make the Negro “wait for more than three hundred and forty years for our constitutional and God-given rights.”
Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of “interposition” and “nullification”. One day right there in Alabama little black boys and girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and girls as sisters and brothers.” (King, 3) He gave his “I have a Dream” speech to an audience estimated to around 250,000 people as part of the march on Washington. On August 28, 1963 at Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered this speech with the purpose of fairness, effectively arguing for civil liberties, using ethos, pathos, and logos.
The letter that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote discusses the black racial inequality that was taking place in Birmingham. He wrote this letter while in jail because he felt like he needed to be a part of the biggest issue in Birmingham and the United States at the time. Blacks were being treated poorly and unfairly by the whites in this community and King thought it was time to speak up before it got out of hand. King used different, non-violent, methods to help the blacks in Birmingham fight for their freedom. He did this because he knew that he had the power in himself to change the world, and that he did. This essay is very emotional and relates to most people through logos, ethos, and pathos.
On August 28th 1963, Civil Rights activist, Martin Luther King Jr. made his infamous “I Have a Dream” speech. In the speech, King confronts the mistreatment of the African American community and the lack of free will they contain in society. Throughout the mid-1900s, the Civil Rights Movement took place, influenced by centuries of cruelty towards the African Americans.. The most influential speech in the modern era was said in front of thousands of Civil Rights activists who all shared a common goal; to fight for the respect and to be treated as equals within the United States.
In Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream (1963)” speech, he addresses the idea that in order to fulfill the premise that “all men were created equal,” the people of the nation must work together to move past the injustices inflicted on African Americans in order to ultimately grant them their civil rights. King’s claim is supported by first repeatedly alluding to historically renowned milestones in the fight against oppression and illustrating numerous metaphors to create an emotional connection with his audience. King’s “dream” that he frequently mentions is the nationwide unification to work toward a common goal in order to bring integration of all races and coexist without oppression. By establishing his goal, he creates an earnest
Within just the past few centuries, many have attempted to bring forth how essential racial equality is to the development of the world towards a peaceful society. On August 28th of the year 1963, on the steps of the humbling monument dedicated to Abraham Lincoln, leader Martin Luther King delivered his renowned and eloquent “I Have a Dream,” speech to, according to CNN, an audience of nearly 250,000 marchers for civil rights. He speaks on racial injustice and inequality, calling out to the supporters of the Civil Rights Movement that their cause is one worth working towards, as it is not only a matter that affects them but those generations that are to come. Martin Luther King aims to bring an end to segregation, and emphasizes the importance
Nearly fifty years ago, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream’ speech, a clarion call for the end of racial discrimination in the United States. The 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom also called for
In the mid 1900’s the civil rights movement was one of the most relevant subjects in America at the time. During this era the United States was facing many issues involving racism. Many historical figures from this period gave motivating speeches and Martin Luther King Jr. became one of the most widely known speakers. Dr. King’s “I have a dream” speech gave Americans hope for equality and a better life through making peace. The famous speech is an unforgettable moment in African American history as well as American history. Many people do not know that he also gave a highly important speech 9 years before that. In 1955, King and his supporters demanded freedom and they would do so by declaring a protest. Because he was such a well-known speaker he moved many and the Montgomery bus Boycott would begin shortly thereafter.
Martin Luther King Jr is an African American civil rights activist during the 1960s. I decided to do my analysis on his speech "I Have a Dream" because this speech is very important in American history. The speech has a simple context. "I Have a Dream" speech was given during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963. Dr. King's main purpose was to make a change in white and black citizens during the Civil Rights era. He wanted to end racism in the United States and wanted everyone to accept the change in a non-violent way. “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed. We hold those truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.” (Jr).
On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. gave the “I Have a Dream Speech” to a large group of civil rights marchers gathered around the Lincoln memorial in Washington DC. Martin Luther King Jr. is a great example of how displays of anger must be controlled in order to be effective and lead to good outcomes. Throughout his entire speech he appeals to the emotions of the audience. By addressing that even though the Emancipation Proclamation was signed to free the slaves, and many years later they are still not free. He is constantly reminding the people of color that they continue to be the race being segregated and discriminated by the white people. He blames the white people of being prejudice viewing
August 28th, 1963, 250,000 marchers stood in front of the Washington Monument to hear a message. A message from the leader of the civil rights leader whom many of the marchers have come to respect and follow. Marchers from all different backgrounds all supporting the civil rights and jobs for the African American community. Martin Luther King Jr. took the podium in front of these marchers and spoke a message that would inspire not just those present, but all of America to have a dream just like his. A dream in a country that has been stacking the cards against them for a couple hundred years. King took the podium and spoke of his dream, “… a dream that one day this nation will rise up, live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”” (King npg.). King’s speech resonated with thousands of African Americans and inspired them to dream his dream and start a movement that would lead them their civil rights.