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Patrick Henry Speech Analysis

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Patrick Henry was an American attorney and the former governor of Virginia during the mid 17th century. At the time, America existed as a colony of Great Britain and the tension between the two groups had been on the rise. Henry is most famous for his impact on the decision to wage the Revolutionary war through his famous speech, ¨Give me Liberty or Give me Death.¨ Patrick Henry uses repetition, tone, and imagery in his profound speech to persuade the president of the House of Burgesses to declare war on Great Britain in order for the Americans to gain their freedom. Throughout the speech, the speaker repeats certain phrases and words in order to make his idea clearer by maintaining respect for the president as well remind the president that he has the authority to make a change. Henry wrote this speech to the president of the House of Burgesses thus addressing him as ¨sir¨ is not unusual. Henry writes, ¨Trust it not, sir; it will prove a snare to your feet¨ (Paragraph 2) .Henry orders the president to not trust that their petition to England had been cared for or considered. Yet in the middle of the harsh statement, Henry repeats ¨sir¨ to maintain a sense of respect as well as remind his main audience that he has the authority to make a change. The speaker appeals to the president's conscience through his reminder that has the capability to make a difference for his people. Later into the speech, the speaker continues to use the repetition of ¨sir¨. He writes, ¨Let us not

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