Rhetorical Devices In Patrick Henry's Speech

Patrick Henry’s speech to the Virginia Convention written and spoken by Patrick Henry raised the people 's attention. He spoke passionate words because he no longer wanted to be a slave to Britain.The men that attended the Virginia Convention realized that they needed to start fighting back after all the troubles the British caused. The British terrorized innocent people of America, even killed men, women, and children. In his speech he proposed resolutions to prepare the Virginia Colony for war and gave the speech to support those resolutions. His reasons for the speech were to convince the colonist, to try and maintain peace, to persuade war against Britain, and to show that he would be a good president. Patrick Henry’s speech was very effective regarding the Virginia Convention using ethos, pathos, and logos.

Many men were pivotal to the American cause in the War for Independence, and one of the most influential was Patrick Henry. In his famous speech “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” Patrick Henry delivered a powerful speech through the manipulative use of language and word choice. On March 23, 1775, the third Virginia convention was held in St. John 's Church in Richmond. The convention was held to discuss relations with Great Britain. This was the place where Patrick Henry made his timeless speech "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death!" to the House of Burgesses with the hope of freeing Virginia from British rule. He spoke with conviction and showed undeniable support for the fight against the English government. He used the appeals of ethos, pathos, and logos to instill fear and anger in his audience. He effectively used religion and evidence of British oppression to connect with his audience and help persuade opponents and supporters of the Revolution to unite and fight for American independence.

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

“They are sent over to bind and rivet upon us those chains which the British ministry have been so long forging”(2). This metaphor negatively portrays Britain as a master and America is its slave; in conjunction, this also speaks for his tone towards another country as negative compared to his tone regarding America as positive. “Three millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us”(3). Stating to the delegates a call to action, Henry elucidates that America has three million patriots ready to fight and die for their country to maintain liberty and, because of this, are invincible. There is also a God who help them win their battles because the cause is just. Henry’s display of overflowing trust of American people and the support from an omnipotent being promotes a confident and patriotic response to the delegates in the room thinking that they cannot lose to

In the “Speech in the Virginia Convention” by Patrick Henry, Henry urges the British colonists to fight for their independence. Although it was very unlikely that the colonists would win, this speech motivated the colonists to fight with all of their strength. Arguably, Patrick Henry’s speech had a monumental impact on the moral of the colonists, leading them to a victory. If Henry’s speech did not inspire the colonists, they may not have gained their freedom and Henry could have been convicted of treason. In the “Speech in the Virginia Convention” by Patrick Henry, Henry uses imagery and conveys a sense of fear to the colonists in order to inspire them to fight for their independence.

Henry intrigues the audience by provoking answers to the questions “when shall we be stronger?(2)” and “shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance..until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot?(3)” and other important questions. By constantly questioning the people of the convention, Henry keeps the audience’s attention in check. The audience must think of their own responses to Henry’s inquiring and thereby, Henry maintains the interest of the audience into his speech. This high level of interest may impress the audience, as those in the convention may have found themselves attracted to Henry’s arguments, even if they were not concerned about it before. The constant interest that Henry’s speech provokes impresses the audience in a way that heightens attraction to his speech; this level of appeal is matched by his fervent

In Patrick henrys speech at the Virginia convention, he uses strategies that remind the colonial leaders of their failed attempts at equality and liberty. Patrick henry, along with the leaders of this time were infuriated at the British government for passing the stamp act to try and place the colonies further under their rule. The feeling of independence was quickly slipping out of the colonies grasp, and they needed a permanent solution. War was on the minds of many, but no single person wanted to go to war with the greatest superpower of the time. Patrick henry uses various forms of diction, parallelism, and figurative language to demonstrate that the united states methods of diplomacy have proved ineffective, and that the British were still and impending threat to their growing society.

He tells what he think what is treason. Patrick Henry spoke, “Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, though fear of giving offense, I should consider myself as guilty of treason toward my country.” This means he believes that not doing anything in his situation is the worst thing he can do to for his country of america. More so, he state his opinions on the armies being there. As quoted, “These are implements of war and subjugation -the last arguments to which kings resort.” Henry is saying that the war has already started and having the armies there a way to force the colonists to obey the king. Addition, Patrick said the peaceful ways are not working. He spoke “We have held the subject up in every light of which it is capable; but it has been in vain.” All the piles to the king have ended up with nothing. Also they got nothing after pleading for ten years. Patrick Henry uses logos for the reasons on why they must go to

“I know of no way of judging the future by the past” The colonists of the 1760s believed in God and He was an everyday factor in their lives. They worried they would forever have to listen to the King and pay unfair taxes. Also one of their desire was to have freedom and and to cut loose from the King. Patrick Henry used logos in his”Speech to the Virginia Convention” because you cannot argue with facts or logic., so he used that so he couldn't be argued or proven wrong.

1. Patrick Henry’s purpose in his speech to the Convention of Delegates in Virginia was to convince the people to take action against the British government. This excerpt is an effective conclusion to that speech. Throughout the speech, Henry appeals to both reason and emotion. He argues that the choice before the people of the Colonies is between freedom and slavery, and he claims that sharing his opinions is in the service of God and country. These final sentences bring Henry’s reasoning and his appeal to its logical end. In them, Henry uses rhetorical questions and an appeal to pathos. The effect is to leave the reader/listener feeling that Henry’s conclusion is the only one for a person of patriotic and sound mind.

In March 23, 1775, Patrick Henry gave the Speech to the Virginia Convention at St. John’s church in Richmond. The reason this speech was written was to tell delegates that they needed to fight against Britain to be free from then. It was intended to “Mr. President” of the Virginia Conference who was Peyton Randolph, and the delegates. This document is still important now because it’s the beginning of the Revolutionary war with Britain. Patrick Henry knew that the only way to the freedom from Britain was to fight back too.

During the 1770s, Britain had multiple conflicts with the colonists, leading to a strained relationship between Britain and its colonies. Talk of revolution and rebellion began to unite the colonies and their people with a common passion. Patrick Henry, a Virginian orator, uses moving words that had influences on the rise of the revolution. In Henry’s famous speech he persuades the House of Burgesses in opposition to the Stamp Act. Henry exclaims, “‘We must fight! I repeat it, sir we must fight!’” (Henry 72). He encourages the Virginian legislature to stand and revolt against British tyranny and oppression. Henry’s use of literary elements in this speech makes all the difference on the impact and influence that Henry’s words have over his listeners. His use of metaphors and repetition give his speech a more lasting effect and feeling in

Henry asks his audience, “Ask yourselves how this gracious reception of our petition comports with those warlike preparations which cover our waters and darken our land. Are fleets and armies necessary to a work of love and reconciliation?” Henry tells spectators to ask themselves if their graceful appeals call for preparations that seem like they’re going to go to war. Henry also asks his audience why Britain has fleets and armies ready if they say they don’t want war. This makes attendants of the convention really think about Britain and what they really mean based upon their actions and not their words. Following, Henry uses parallelism, repetition, and pathos to give his spectators reasons for why they should take more rigorous measures towards Britain. Henry mentions, “We have petitioned; we have remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves before the throne, and have implored its interposition to arrest the tyrannical hands of the ministry and Parliament.” Patrick Henry lists the strategies they have used to ask King George to stop the tyrants of the ministry and Parliament, but have not been listened to. This gives his spectators reasons for why they should stop their peaceful behests and prepare for war. In addition, through the use of logos, Henry proves to the crowd

Pathos appeals to emotion. Henry stated, “There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged!” (Henry). By stating this, he uses emotion to get the audience to feel that there is no other choice but to go to war with Great Britain or else the people will be slaves.

There were many men crucial to the American cause in the War for Independence, and among the foremost was Patrick Henry. In his famous speech “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” Patrick Henry delivers a powerful speech through the manipulative use of language and word choice. On March 23, 1775, the third Virginia convention, was held in St. John's Church in Richmond. The convention was held to discuss relations with Great Britain. This was the place where Patrick Henry made his timeless speech "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death!"