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I Have A Dream Speech Rhetorical Analysis

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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech is very historical and influential. Dr. King gave his speech on August 28, 1963. He gave this speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. It was a part of the March on Washington, where 250,000 people gathered. It was one of the biggest demonstrations the nation’s capital has ever seen. Dr. King was a Baptist minister that was extremely involved in trying to end racial discrimination. Dr. King’s speech is known as “a masterpiece of rhetoric” by scholars. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech makes good use of the rhetorical triangle. The rhetorical triangle is composed of ethos, pathos, and logos. Ethos is convincing the audience that the author …show more content…

King’s speech through his use of logic and evidence. Dr. King says, “It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked ‘insufficient funds.’” This is an analogy. He reasons that everyone can relate to and understand this because money is such a predominant thing in life. Another thing he does is logically speak about discrimination and segregation. One example of this is when he said, “We cannot walk alone. And as we walk we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, 'When will you be satisfied? ' We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality.” He is saying that nothing is going to get better until discrimination and segregation are eliminated.

Dr. Martin Luther King’s speech was a major turning point in American history and represented a firm stand for equal rights. He spoke out to confront the issue of race inequality in the nation. This speech was an influential and historical moment in the fight for equal rights of everyone. Dr. King will forever be known for his famous speech. His use of rhetoric throughout the speech is what made it so powerful and

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