Ethos In The Gettysburg Address

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One of the most famous speeches in the history of the United States is the Gettysburg Address, delivered by Abraham Lincoln on November 19, 1863, in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The speech is directed to the American citizens and the soldiers to gain their support; Lincoln also wanted to lead the people to peace and prosperity. The main focus of the speech was to honor the soldiers that fought in the Battle of Gettysburg and to emphasize the importance of liberty. The tone of the speech is extremely hopeful in such a way that he hopes the audience will live a peaceful life. Throughout the speech, Lincoln uses repetition to really get the point across to the people just how dedicated he was and how dedicated the people should be. He repeats multiple …show more content…

At one point, Lincoln uses the line, “…that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain…” (Lincoln) taking the approach of almost making the citizens feel guilty so they feel they need to continue the reason the fallen soldiers were fighting for. He gives the people a reason to fight for what they think is right. While using pathos, he also used egos with the same idea of using the fallen soldiers. Every time Lincoln mentioned the fallen soldiers, he’s referring to someone whom the people of the nation had put their trust in and believe in. Lincoln refers to these soldiers as “honored dead” (Lincoln). This portrays the soldiers as highly respectable and easily trusted. Abraham Lincoln took the emotional approach when delivering the Gettysburg Address, really trying to get the people of Gettysburg to think about the current circumstances, thinking about what they can do for their nation. Also, by creating the memorial for the fallen soldiers, it giving the people something to really fight for, to strive to be as great as those before them. Lincoln was striving for greatness while delivering the Gettysburg Address, striving to be the best leader he could