Ethos Pathos And Logos

One of major reasons the "I Have a Dream" address by Martin Luther King Jr. leaves such an enduring imprint on everyone's ears is the fact that it contains an excellent balance of ethos, pathos, and logos. Ethos you could call a credibility so to speak, they demonstrate that they are trustworthy. Mr. king draws on three well known people of power for this particular speech. Abraham Lincoln, US Declaration of Independence, as well as the Bible. He begins by implying Abraham Lincoln and his statue, before which he forwarded the address. He alludes to the Emancipation Proclamation, Lincoln's declaration that the chattel in the South were free, to institutes the rights of blacks in America. He then quotes from the Declaration's assertion of "the

King's analogy of the "promissory note" drawn on the American "bank of justice" is a seemingly compellable appeal. Blacks, especially slaves, did not at first lend a hand in the guarantees of the Constitution and the Declaration, as King notes in the following statement: "It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note inasmuch as her civilians of color are concerned." Referring to this blatant failure, King uses a logos appeal. Later, when he refers to the police brutality as well as inability as a black person to get a damn room at a hotel, he is speaking facts to buoy his argument. With reason though, it points out cause and effect, the explanation, "In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrong deeds," uses a logos appeal as well. Pathos, or a bid to emotion, is probably the most substantial appeal in King's speech. King's figurative language, elevated diction, as well as repetition all elevate the emotional connection with his listeners. The phrases "I have a dream" and "let freedom ring," executed perfectly and ascending to a apex carry the listener's emotions along with the