Patrick Henry Rhetorical Analysis

Within Patrick Henry's speech, he states, ?? it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth.? Here he is talking about the people in the House of Burgesses not realizing that the British are infringing on their rights as citizens.

Patrick Henry adresses the delegates at the Convention of Virginia (1776) in his speech titled, “Give me Liberty or Give me Death!” Henry develops his claim by speaking candidly with a dramatic tone. He strengthens his credibility through his use and application of a ceremonious diction, and his syntax perfectly fits the occasion. In the speech he hopes to induce delegates into seceding from Great Britain to take arms against the English.

Henry is appealing to the patriotism and emotions of his audience by mentioning things such as “a question of freedom or slavery”, “the great responsibility which we hold to God and our country”, and “the very worth gentlemen who have just addressed the House”.

Bush’s speech, the speeches are different. The differences in the two speeches are because of the difference in how Bush and Henry argued their ideas, how they used allusions, and how pathos was incorporated into the speeches to elicit certain emotions. Deductive arguing in Bush’s speech and inductive arguing in Henry’s speech was used to deliver the speeches in two different ways. In Henry’s speech, he uses several allusions to persuade his audience to believe that Great Britain was dangerous and would betray America. Lastly, Bush and Henry both utilize pathos in their speeches. Bush uses pathos in a repetitive way to remind his audience of the recent past attacks on America by the Iraqi regime. However, Henry exercises pathos to induce fear into his audience and elicits values of

The prominent patriot Patrick Henry once said, “I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” (Henry 7) implying that a life without liberty is not a righteous life. Henry’s quote is included in his popular oratory “Speech to the Virginia Convention.” While discussing with the colonists, Henry lists all of the discrepancies the thirteen colonies had with Great Britain, concluding that there is no other option, but to retaliate instantaneously. In Patrick Henry’s “Speech to the Virginia Convention,” he utilizes amplifying loaded words and coherent parallelism in order to influence the assembly to unify and reciprocate.

Henry claims, "We have petitioned; we have remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves before the throne." He creates rhythm and emphasizes his point that his countrymen have to adopt a new method. His audience realizes the reality of their current situation when he lists all the past efforts. When Henry proclaims, "give me liberty, or give me death," he means that colonists only have two choices: freedom or slavery. Henry stirs the souls of his audience.

In the Speech to the Virginia Convention by Patrick Henry, the author uses multiple literary devices and a unifying tone to support his claim for the Americans to go against British oppression and to

In Patrick Henry’s speech he wants everyone to stop fooling around and get down to business. Patrick Henry views the issue as a simple question, Freedom or Slavery? In his speech Patrick Henry had to convince the Virginians, their struggle for peace had not worked, is not working, and will never work. His solution to the problem was to fight not in the future, but now. Patrick Henry makes a

Eric Eronimous Per. 2 Patrick Henry played a very prominent role in the success of America’s independence. Along with Thomas Jefferson and Richard Henry Lee, Patrick Henry helped create the Virginia House of Burgesses to resolve the state of the colonies. In the early spring of 1775, Patrick Henry met with members of the second Virginia Convention to discuss the need for a military mobilization against the British. In “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death”, Patrick Henry uses metaphors, pathos, diction, to convince Americans that they need a militia, in order to stand against the betrayals of the British Parliament.

To do this, he uses loaded words and fear tactics throughout his speech to stimulate intimidation and worry throughout the delegates. A line he delivers that evokes such emotions is, “They are sent over to bind and rivet upon us those chains with which the British ministry have been so long forging, and what have we to oppose to them?” (Henry). Henry is expressing that if they do not act now, British rule will close in around them, making them completely vulnerable. Consequently, this would have created a feeling of distress throughout the Burgesses considering how the establishment of the colonies was intended to give new beginnings and independence to American settlers, all of which could be taken by the British if they are further allowed to pursue the nation. Another way Henry strikes fear in the convention is by making the point that freedom, another one of America’s most precious gifts, could be taken away from all if Britain seizes command. He presents this point by saying, “Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains of slavery?

Patrick Henry focuses on the fact that the colonists of America are being treated the same as slaves, with all the taxes/tariffs that the British Government are enforcing on them. He uses great diction and metaphorically describes the colonists as “chained” to prove it. He also elucidates that

Before the American Revolution, unified resistance against governmental tyranny was an unknown to prosperous colonies. In 1775, Patrick Henry’s legendary speech to the Virginia Convention delegates inspires many to take arms against British despotism. Through the rhetorical strategies of allusion and diction, Henry urges the necessity for war against an unwanted government and advocates for the natural born rights of every colonist.

“Give me liberty or give me death!” This statement from Patrick Henry’s “Speech to the Virginia Convention,” delivered to the House of Burgesses, has been quoted by many, becoming almost cliché. However, the declaration is truly understood by a select few. The unjust Stamp Act passed by the British crown in 1765, brought fame and notoriety to Henry as he spoke out against the unjust taxation without representation. Ten years later on the eve of revolution, Henry calls upon the Colonial government of which he is part, to act for the betterment of the people. Patrick Henry attempts to persuade the House of Burgesses to revolt and declare war against Britain by logically convincing them that it is their natural right to be free and calling on

What makes Henry's speech so persuasive is his use of pathos in order to justify his argument. One particularly evoking moment in the eye’s of his audience would be when he says, “fulfill the great responsibility which we hold to God”. Virginia colonists were primarily members of the Church of England and looked down upon those who

Patrick Henry has his respectable speech, with amazing information for more educated people to understand. Since his speech is to convince more intelligent, important, and wise men. His message is to have liberty from Britain, and the freedom of the United States slavery. He is determined to make sure that everyone understands that he is right, and that everyone is determined to follow his idea. He wants freedom, and not the slavery. Finally, “The Hypocrisy of American Slavery”, Frederick Douglass is the speaker, and he is trying to show his own opinion. The audience is the readers, and the message he is trying to send is having freedom. He’s pointing out the hypocrisy of freedom in the American country, when there's people who had fought for the freedom of this country, but they are suffering from slavery. He wants the attention from the audience for his message because he wants freedom for every ethnicity. In addition, this three men share the same message, and the message is to have freedom to one another, and to help each other. These three men also showed the pathos, logos, and ethos in their essays. They all share ethos, to show emotions of what they want, and are trying to