When persons give a speech or even to write a speech, the greatest fear is in whether or not the audience will be interested enough to listen or read to the end. But in 1775, one man forgot these fears and created a speech that still captures the heart of almost every American citizen. Henry’s speech was riveting and the ending was so powerful that educators today continue to use this speech as a part of the lectures on developing rhetoric in persuasive speeches. Patrick presented his speech to convince the representatives in the House of Burgesses that the alternative the current restrictions on from the British was war. The audience at the time included the future Presidents of the United States – Thomas Jefferson and George Washington and others who were divided in the issue of the inevitable war. Patrick Henry’s “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death is the ideal oratorical presentation of rhetorical strategies that evoked different emotions in a number of persons and appealed the ethos, logos and pathos in the audience.
The speech reflects Henry’s skilful use of rhetorical devices and rhetorical strategies to evoke ethical considerations, emotions and logical reason. Henry starts his speech by acknowledging the men who spoke ahead of him and the patriotic emotions of his audience. This was the major issue at hand where the audience was undecided on protecting their country. Right away, Henry holds the audience as he shows the audience that he is credible and ethical in his actions. His credibility also comes by way of use of ethos when he says: “I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided” (Henry 3) he argues that he is just as patriotic as every other man in the room. In addition, it is his love for his country that forces him to want to achieve freedom, independence and equality for the British rule.
In addition, Henry uses parallelism to reiterate the belief that persons control their freedom. By encouraging the audience to appreciate their freedom and their need to be free, Henry evokes his desire when he says: “If we wish to be free—if we mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable privileges if we mean not basely abandon the noble struggles” (Henry 3). Clearly, Henry anticipates the responses of his audience as he can relate to their need to the experience of wanting freedom. By appealing to their emotional needs, Henry brings out the needs of the people to be free and he argues logically in this respect. Henry’s arguments hold the appeal to emotions as the audience, despite their different views wants to achieve the ultimate goal of freedom from oppression. The speaker makes logical references to the fact that the war was inevitable and it was too late to retreat. In essence, Henry reminds his audience that ther can be no compromise in the fight for freedom.
Clearly, Henry’s use of rhetorical devices and rhetorical strategies impacted the way the audience responded to his speech. At the time that the speech was written, the society was largely a God-fearing society and Henry capitalized on this factor to add logical reasoning to his arguments. His Biblical allusions to the betrayal of Jesus drives home the idea that Britain had betrayed the citizens and therefore it was important for the citizens to free themselves from further betrayal. His appeal to pathos is clear in suggestion that they would not be classified as being weak if they made proper use of those means that God has place in their power. Here, he refers to their strength to go to war as “people, armed in the holy cause of liberty” (Henry 4) are invincible to any force that the enemy possess. In the end, Henry strikes one of the most powerful logical arguments when he compares the present situation: “Freedom or slavery”. No one wants to be a slave and by making this comparison, Henry successfully gives the audience the reason to want to be free.
In concluding, Henry’s speech gives the readers an understanding of how writers integrate pathos, ethos, logos and rhetorical devices and strategies in their writing to appeal to their audience. In addition, Henry’s speech incorporates much of these devices and his credulity forced the audience to listen to his speech. One of the challenges speakers may face is the lack of ethos and this leads the audience to question the morals and ethics of the speaker. Speakers who are respected by their audiences are more likely to use pathos and logos more effectively as the audience will be more inclined to appreciate the oratorical persuasions. The arguments that Henry put forward were successful as the audience could relate to the need for freedom even though they were unwilling to fight for that freedom. Nonetheless, the arguments put forward and the appeals using ethos, logos and pathos created much success for the speaker.
References
Henry, Patrick. “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death.” Liberty Online. 1999. Web. March 23,
1775.
