he speeches delivered by John F. Kennedy in his inaugural address and Martin Luther King Jr. in his "I Have a Dream" speech during the 1960s both reflected their desires and hopes for a better society, and these aspirations were deeply rooted in the principles embodied by the Magna Carta, also known as the Great Charter. By carefully analyzing the appeals of logos, ethos, and pathos in each speech and exploring historical documents that resonate with their messages, we can gain a deeper understanding of the ideas presented by Kennedy and King and how they align with the timeless ideals of justice, freedom, and equality. ("President John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address (1961)," National Archives, September 29, 2021) The Magna Carta, "The …show more content…
He skillfully evoked a sense of national unity and collective action, inspiring patriotism and a sense of duty among the American people. His famous call, "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country," appealed to the emotions of the audience, instilling a sense of pride and responsibility in shaping the nation's future. By appealing to their values and aspirations, Kennedy inspired a deep emotional connection with his audience. In his iconic "I Have a Dream" speech, Martin Luther King Jr. also employed the appeals of ethos, logos, and pathos to significant effect. King established his ethos through his leadership in the civil rights movement and his commitment to nonviolent protest. His moral character and credibility as an advocate for racial equality influenced his audience, who saw him as a trusted and respected leader. Pathos was the dominant appeal in King's speech. Through his powerful and evocative language, he captured the hearts and minds of the audience, inspiring hope, unity, and a collective desire for justice. King painted a vivid picture of a future where racial equality was realized, creating an emotional connection with his listeners. His repetition of the phrase "I have a dream" became a rallying cry, stirring deep emotions and a renewed commitment to the fight for civil
citizens. Kings point of view is being represented by facts and general information, these are called logos. “When the achits of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir.” (king 261). By mentioning the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution this shows that this speech is persuading people by using logic and fact.
"I have a dream" by Martin Luther King is one of the most well-known speeches that radically changed the landscape of the Civil Rights Movement due to the impact it had on the listeners in attendance as well as the articulate and fluent language. It was on the date August 28th, 1963 that Martin Luther King proudly presented his unforgettable speech in front of over 200,000 people assembled around the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington. To many African Americans in the 1960s, his speech was uplifting and encouraging. The factor motivating King to write this speech was that he saw how African Americans were not treated equally even though the Declaration of Independence stated that "all men are created equal, that they are endowed
I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi… will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice” (“I Have a Dream”). By repeating the words ‘I have a dream’, King was able to place emphasis on the central idea of his speech – his vision of a country where black citizens are treated the same as white
King inspired millions to change the situation they were in and end discrimination with his emphatic diction. Unbeknownst to many, allusion was one of King’s most powerful and persuading forms of rhetorical devices in his, I Have a Dream,” speech. “Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,” is guaranteed to both black men as well as white men, was a phrase spoken by King
In his speech, Dr. King alluded to the Emancipation Proclamation to give credibility to his speech: “Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today signed the Emancipation Proclamation.” By using the authority of Lincoln in his speech, he established trust and common ground with the audience. He also uses the Declaration of Independence to appeal to the audience by reinforcing “unalienable rights” to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” to show that the government has not kept its promise to the American people. His use of these historical and significant documents adds to his credibility, or ethos, as a speaker to convey his message. He also gained a lot of attention from the ways he would, using pathos, capture an emotional response from the crowd by appealing to their emotions, fears, and desires.
Martin Luther King Jr. then employed logos to appeal to their sense of logic and reason. In his "I Have a Dream" speech, King appealed to logos when he cited the Declaration of Independence and the Emancipation Proclamation, stating that they were promises that had not yet been fulfilled for African Americans. He did this to support his arguments and establish credibility with his audience. As an example, he stated "When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."
The “I Have a Dream” speech is well known throughout history to be one of the most famous speeches to be on the subject of civil rights. Throughout the entirety of “I Have a Dream”, Dr. King uses pathos more than logos. “We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities.”
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an extremely impactful activist during the Civil Rights Movement that gave over 2,500 speeches in his lifetime. Of these speeches, his most popular is his famous I Have a Dream speech that he gave on August 28, 1963 in Washington, D.C. during the March on Washington. Even famous speakers like Martin Luther King, Jr. use persuasive techniques to appeal to the different sides of their audiences. In order to appeal to his predominately African American audience, Martin Luther King, Jr. makes reference to Abraham Lincoln and his granting freedom to slaves by signing the Emancipation Proclamation.
On August 28th, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr gave us one of one of the most rhetorically moving speeches ever given. Titled as the “I Have a Dream Speech,” he read this speech to the “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom”. As a civil right mover he gave this great speech to all Americans (black and white) so that he could give off the idea of equality on the same level. Because of his crowd of mix races King made sure to make his speech imploring to all no matter what the race that they may be. He uses metaphorical imagery, powerful diction,and symbolism to create an impact on the audience.
There was not any room for patience, only for change. Another captivating speaker is reputable Martin Luther King whom enticed a mass public with influential persuasive language. The iconic “I Have a Dream Speech” delivered at the March on Washington—same march John Lewis presented his speech—utilized a somewhat different approach. King’s speech depicted the life that was yearned for by so many.
To achieve this, he used rhetorical strategies such as appeal to pathos and repetition. His passionate tone flowed through these strategies, increasing their persuasive power on the people and encouraging them to follow/listen to his message on racial injustice. While pathos elicits an emotional response from the audience to make them more accepting of King’s ideas, repetition structures the speech and emphasizes key ideas for the audience to take away from listening. These two techniques played a crucial role in furthering his purpose and in provoking a powerful response from the audience that made this speech memorable and awe-inspiring. To this day, King’s speech remains one of the most famous and influential speeches in
“I Have A Dream” “I Have A Dream”, a quote that many Americans hold dear to their hearts and a quote that is remembered and is associated with an unforgettable movement in history of the Untied States of America. From 1954-1968 one of the most memorable movements in history took place and will not be forgotten is the civil rights movement. Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the many greats remembered and recognized in the movement for being an influential leader of his time. Having given over 2000 speeches, MLK(Martin Luther King) has one particular speech that stands out from the many and it is his “I Have A Dream” speech. MLK’s message being about peace, unity, fairness and freedom for and to all people shines through in this speech.
The main idea of his speech is that all people were created equal and, although this is no longer the case nowadays, King felt it must be the case for the future. He argued peacefully, yet passionately and powerfully. In preparation for the speech, he studied the Bible, The Gettysburg Address and the US Declaration of Independence and he alludes to all three in his address. The intensity of King’s speech is built through parallelism, metaphors, bold statements and rhythmic repetitions:
In 1963, Martin Luther King delivered one of the most influential and impactful speeches in history. King's I Have a Dream speech was consistently powerful assertions of emotional appeals, repetition and paradox. In King’s speech, he utilizes pathos to build a relationship between his black and white audience. This is evident through his references to both black and white children and the history of slavery which appealed to the audience members of the older generation.
Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech is one of the most well-known and critically acclaimed speeches of all time. Every child, every teenager, every adult has at some point in their lives heard King’s speech. They have heard the words “I have a dream” ring through the air. The success of King’s speech is not accidental by any means. King’s speech bears many of the hallmarks of a strong persuasive speech.