Patrick Henry's Speech In The Virginia Convention

    In Henry’s speech, he first sets the stage by using a proud tone while explaining the importance of war with Britain. His illustrious delivery of the speech itself is very moving, as the efforts to convince America to settle on the side of war. He goes on to convey, “Sir, we are not weak, if we make a proper use of  those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power” (Henry 38). His tone of taking charge and only accepting the best from his country supports the claim that Henry is indeed the proud man he is. Henry also in his speech uses an enlightening tone to inspire his crowd he uses terms to explain how he will settle for only the best for the country. He uses phrases such as, “The war is inevitable-and let it come!” (38). This phrase brings up the emotion of the crowd as they believe in war, and Henry himself is full of power as he enforces that war must go on. He uses such enthusiasm and inspiration to uplift himself and the crowd to ensure that war is necessary. Overall, Henry;s tone of the proudness and

How would life be in the United States of Great Britain? It would not be pleasant for sure. A monarch who sits on a throne thousands of miles across the ocean has absolute sovereignty, while the citizens remain voiceless. Luckily, this isn’t the case. The way early American history unraveled was strongly influenced by Patrick Henry’s speech at the Virginia Convention. This speech was given in 1775 to the members of the convention with the aim of fighting for independence from Great Britain. Henry skillfully executes several rhetorical techniques, leading to the successful persuasion of the members of the convention.

Patrick Henry uses a loud, respectful tone to show that he was serious using ethos. He was respectful while he addressed the House, In the speech he states “No man thinks more highly than I do of patriotism, as well as abilities, of the very worthy gentlemen who have just addressed the house. But different men often see the same subject in different lights; and, therefor I hope it will not be thought disrespectful to those gentlemen if, entertaining as I do, opinions of a character very opposite to theirs, I shall speak forth my sentiments freely, and without reserve.” He did not

Patrick Henry was an American in the 1770s who was upset with the British and all their new policies and tariffs. In the “Speech to the Virginia Convention” (1776) Patrick Henry convinced the colonists to fight against Britain; using four main rhetorical devices: allusions, rhetorical questions, repetition, and figurative language. He uses these to persuade his main goal of war throughout the speech. He uses very powerful diction and has very strong opinions that can instantly persuade. How could just one man spark a war in one speech?

Patrick Henry evolved from being an attorney to becoming an influential and inspirational revolutionary who convinced the colonists to fight for independence. During this time the British ruled and colonists had begun to resist them. Furthermore, religious values were important in the time as most everyone belonged to a church. In his speech to the Virginia convention, Patrick Henry uses pathos to enact a sense of distrust and fear toward the British.

Throughout the entire speech, he creates emotion that affects the audience. He created emotion throughout the speech by using other rhetorical strategies, such as repetition, imagery, rhetorical questions, and allusions. By using repetition, he made the audience feel some guilt. In the repetition “Let us not, I beseech you, sir, deceive ourselves” creates the guilt-feeling towards the audience, because if Henry were right about Great Britain, then the audience would be in fault for not going to war with Great Britain. By using imagery, the images of an “insidious smile”, “delusive phantoms of hope”, and slavery and chains, creates an unpleasant image to the mind making the audience feel angry, empty, and fearful. Henry uses many rhetorical questions. The use of the rhetorical questions is a question that can only be answered with one right answer. This is because the question being asked is the truth. Sometimes the truth can be hard to hear and accept. As Henry asks these questions, “But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction?” he evokes fear towards the audience and perhaps anger. He also uses biblical allusions in the speech. He does this to create some credibility but also to provoke some trust from the audience. When Henry mentions God or the biblical allusion it comforted or delighted the audience to know that God is a role in his speech. Although Henry uses repetition, imagery, rhetorical questions, and allusions, he incorporated emotion to those three other rhetorical strategies used.

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”, in which he discusses with the colonists who were under the tyrannical reign of the Crown. Throughout his speech, Henry lists all of the discrepancies the thirteen colonies had with Great Britain, concluding that there is no other option, but to retaliate instantaneous. 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.

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.

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.

As with war, peace dissipates and the American people will eventually see the truth. Patrick Henry’s was using the time he had with his speech to essentially declare war against Great Britain. The big difference that came from the two armies was that it looked like Henry wasn’t trying to force anyone to go fight in a war. He was giving the option of fighting rather than forcing the idea onto them. Even though he doesn’t force the American people to fight, he instead inspires people to fight by stating, “Three

Writing to an audience that still lacks the desire to oppose the British, Patrick Henry in his "Speech to Virginia House of Burgesses" focuses on the rights of man and defying oppressors. Through figurative language, rhetorical questions, and diction, Henry heightens the necessity to rise up and fight against the British ruling power over the colonist population in Northern America.

Patrick Henry, born in Virginia in 1736, was a lawyer and great orator, as well as public officer for nearly 30 years, who believed strongly in citizens’ right to bear arms, especially in face of Great Britain’s injustice towards the colonists, and whose speech to the Virginia Convention lead to the persuasion of his delegation and, therefore, participated in the start of the Revolutionary War. (Probst 100) (Colonial Williamsburg Patrick Henry). In his speech, Henry, whose patriotism had lead him to represent his region since 1765, addressed those who did not want to organize a militia for Virginia. (Probst 100) (Henry 102). One of the first and most important arguments Henry makes is that the question of whether or not to organize a

“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

Henry daring, asks the convention “Have we shown ourselves so unwilling to be reconciled that force must be called in to win back our love .”This quote reaches the extent where the convention attendees may have reminisced on the love that the colonies were built on and if it was really necessary for the force to be used to get them to fight for what they started with. In this case, they knew love was what built the colonies. Therefore, Henry’s daring attempt to the convention’s feelings through rhetorical questions will essentially be a major key to the decision the legislation makes. This can also be noted when he asks “Shall we try argument? Sir, we have been trying that for the last ten years. Have we anything to offer upon the subject? Nothing. We have held the subject up in every light of which it is capable, but it has been all in vain. Shall we resort to entreaty and humble supplication.” Again, this question is going to try the feelings of those at the convention. In Henry saying this, he is trying to get the attendees worked up and angry in order for them to give in by saying that every attempt they have made in the last ten years have been in vain and there have been no solutions to their restrictions with Britain. This method also

Risking his life just for saying this speech, Herry is very powerful in his delivery of it. He knows that if his idea fails, he and everyone at the convention will be hung for treason. In “Speech in the Virginia Convention”, Patrick Henry used aristotelian appeals and specific stylistical strategies to strengthen the persuasiveness of his argument. He used pathos, logos, and rhetorical question in his speech. His speech was to push for war with Great Britain.