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Compare And Contrast Britain And Patrick Henry

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Patrick Henry vs. Britain “Give me liberty or give me death!” was a statement that Patrick Henry said when he was at the Virginia Convention of 1775 on March 23rd at St. John’s church. At the convention, he wrote a magnificent speech to get the colonists to support his claim about going to war against the British. He wanted to urge the colonists to fight back against Great Britain for what they have done to them. Patrick Henry convinced the colonists to go to war by using various literary devices. The first literary device that he uses to persuade the colonists to go into war are metaphors to help the colonists imagine what Britain makes them go through and how they are treating them. The first metaphor that he uses is, “Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be [purchased] at the price of chains and slavery” (par. 5)? This metaphor shows the comparison between people being purchased with chains of oppression at the cost of the colonist’s livelihood. One simply cannot take someone’s peace and life for the price of chains and slavery. It’s just brutally cruel for the colonists to endure oppressive treatment, they should have their freedom. The second metaphor …show more content…

The first allusion that he uses is, “ … songs of that siren till she transforms us into beasts” (par. 2). He says this because Britain only sees the colonists as their worker to help them export goods. The second allusion that he uses refers to the Odyssey by Homer. Odysseus put wax into the men’s ears. Henry uses the wax to symbolize the Colonists getting their freedom and overcoming the British after the war. The third allusion also refers to the Odyssey by Homer. When Circe turns some of Odysseus’ men into swine yet Odysseus doesn’t turn into a swine because he eats a herb to save him from Circe’s drug. The usage of this allusion helps Henry to tell the colonist to not fall for the British’s lies and fight back against

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