What Is The Rhetorical Question In Patrick Henry's Speech

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In Patrick Henry’s “Speech in the Virginia Convention,” Henry uses persuasive techniques such as repetition and rhetorical questions to interrogate the motives of the British and to reason why the colonies should declare their independence despite the consequences. In Henry’s speech, he uses repetition to address that war is inevitable to show how they must fight in order to achieve their goals as a nation and to prove that the colonists will not be alone over the course of the battle. In Henry’s speech he includes, “The war is inevitable—and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come!” By this quote, Henry is saying that the colonists have already gone so far and worked so hard to give up now. Also, he is saying that if they give up, they …show more content…

He calls upon Britain’s intentions with their use of their military force in the colonies when he said, “Ask gentlemen, sir, what means this martial array, if its purpose be not to force us to submission? Can gentlemen assign any other possible motive for it? Has Great Britain any enemy in this quarter of the world, to call for all this accumulation of navies and armies?” Through this rhetorical question, Henry was saying that the British’s only desire for their forces in the colonies was to sustain the loyalty of the colonists toward Britain and to fetter the colonists from true freedom. One may believe that claim is true because, if losing the loyalty of the colonists wasn't a threat, the English would never have bothered to send their troops in the first place. Additionally, if they sent the troops for good reasons and had good intentions for the colonies, the colonies would not be scared to declare their independence. A reason they may have worried about preserving the loyalty of the colonists is because when one nation or government has more people loyal to them, there are more taxes being issued and more money for the kingdom. This quote applies to the peoples logical sense because the colonists went to the new land searching for freedom and they see it wrong for the British to be

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