How Does Nelson Mandela Use Ethos In I Am Prepared To Die

Nelson Mandela gave his speech “I am Prepared to Die” in 1963 in a courtroom where he was being accused of sabotage, furthering communism, and aiding foreign powers. In the speech he uses Ethos, or the appeal to ethics, to get his point across clearly. He was very concise and calm while speaking. It was a speech that had a large impact on South Africa and apartheid. “I am Prepared to Die” was a speech that had a huge impact on the movement to stop apartheid in South Africa. Nelson Mandela gave the speech in a courtroom where he and a few other ANC leaders were being accused of sabotage, furthering communism, and aiding foreign powers. He gave this speech to explain the actions that seemed out of place constitutionally for the ANC. He explains

He uses them all in a way that makes the speech one of the most effective and historic speeches that have ever been written. But mandela tends to use the technique of ethos the most. It was easiest to use ethos because of the discrimination. Mandela uses the writing technique of ethos when he talks about what hae has fought against in his lifetime. Mandela says, “I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people. I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination.” When he says this it gives people an emotional connection to how Mandela feels about racial discrimination and apartheid. Mandela simply wants a United South Africa with no discrimination. It shows his moral and his values. Mandela came into the courtroom not to plead guilty, but to plead not guilty. This shows that he was willing to do anything to stand up against the injustice of apartheid and all of the wrongdoings that were being carried out in South Africa. He uses logic when he talks about how it is unfair that one race is held at a higher prestige than other races. Mandela uses pathos throughout the speech by convincing you that the whites are being unjust to the blacks. He displays all three in a very convincing manner. He also uses his language and his use of sophisticated words to show that African Americans are being treated inhumanely, or like dogs when in reality a lot of those people are very smart and deserve to be treated fairly as human