Patrick Henry played a major role in leading the fight against British power in America. Henry was a lawyer by profession, but also an outstanding rhetorician. He helped liberate and found America in any way he could, including serving as a member of the Virginia committee of Correspondence, serving as a delegate to the Virginia Convention, and a delegate to the Virginia Constitution Ratification Convention. He was also commissioned as a colonel in 1775. Patrick Henry gave the famed “Give me liberty or give me death” speech, which displayed his fervent desire for America’s freedom from British oppression.
Under the control of the British Parliament in 1775, the American colonies consider going to war in order to gain independence from Britain. In “Patrick Henry’s Speech in the Virginia Convention,” Henry addresses the need for American colonists to work together to stop the British from controlling them. Thus, Henry’s periodic sentence, rhetorical questions, antithesis, and anaphora successfully convince the American colonists to unite against the British and to bring awareness to their wrongdoings. Firstly, Henry applies periodic sentences and rhetorical questions to convey the idea that the American Colonists must fight back against the British by working together if they want to gain freedom. Henry believes that “if [they] wish to
In 1775, American colonists were divided about their relationship to Great Britain. Some were hoping to work out disagreements and remain British subjects. Others, like Patrick Henry, believed that the only choice left was to go to war with Britain. In his speech to fellow Virginian patriots, Henry makes an effort to persuade them into fighting for freedom. Henry uses ethos to convince his audience, sharing his morals and values with everyone so that they appreciate and respect him.
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.
The first example is when he says, “SHould I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of going offense, I should consider myself guilty of treason toward my country. What he means by this is that if he did not encourage the colonies to take arms, and the colonies were to fall, it would be his fault. If he never gets the colonies to fight, Britain would ultimately force the colonists into slavery/ strict freedoms. His next use of logos is when he is talking about the british navy surrounding the colonies. Henry is quoted as, “Ask yourselves how this gracious reception of our petition comports with these warlike preparations which cover our waters and darken our land.”
On March 23, 1775, “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” was heard all throughout St. John 's Church. These famous words were not only a great speaker looking to have his voice heard, but they would have an everlasting impact on young English students studying the use of ethos, logos, and pathos. Patrick Henry also used figurative languages such as allusions, parallelism, and biblical references to bring his speech to life. In this specific piece of literature, qualities like independence and individualism are exceedingly prominent, this all being due to Henry’s use of literary devices. Conversely, in the very first sentence, Henry uses ethos to articulate how he is patriotic to his home, but he occupies diverse views than his audience, the Virginia
In this talk, Patrick censured the war and all the out of line acts done by the English. The English ensured they were done out of worship, yet the American Pioneers felt that divergence had been directing into the country. In Henry's talk, he induced Virginia that the exhibitions they did to achieve peace were not working and war would at introduce happen. The game plan he saw was to fight and he named ways that they anticipated that would fight. "The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave.
He was asking for help to revolt against England. At the time, he sought for freedom of the state. Patrick Henry was trying to convince Virginia that the what they have done to achieve peace had not been working and will not work, or will never work. So, he stokes a stand and was ready to fight against it. This speech is important for our next future generations because it shows them that if they want something done that they have to fight for it, and it also shows them not to give up on what they believe in because they can make a change just like the historical figures I just talked about.
Patrick Henry’s claim in his speech to the Virginia Convention is war with England is the only way to win freedom and their desires because England makes this the only choice. Before Patrick went up there were other men that had spoken before him, these men were speaking their views on whether or not they should initialize the war. Once Patrick has his chance to say his part he believes that they should fight because England hasn’t been fair. Patrick states this basically by saying “An appeal to arms and to the God of Hosts is all that is left us”. This is such a powerful statement because what he’s proposing is extremely dangerous.
The imagery Patrick Henry utilizes in his speech emphasizes the perception he has of commencing war with Britain. In this quote, "Is it that insidious smile with which our petition has been lately received?" (P. 264), he exemplifies the feelings flowing through the Colonies during that time. Henry uses imagery to describe the deceitful British government giving the complaints of the oppressed Colonists a sly smile before brushing them aside which greatly decrypts the image the representatives had of the British.
He also said the British had no interest in compromising with us. Henry used logos in his speech so the audience could really think about the consequences in not fighting and staying with
Patrick Henry, former governor of Virginia, bravely spoke on the 23rd of March, 1775, at St. John’s Church, introducing his strategies to end the American Revolution in victory. The speech was so inspiring that it ignited a massive flame of patriotism. Americans began to greatly support his political ideology. Due to his stirring choice of words, the phrase “Give me liberty, or give me death!” impacted the listeners, making his remarkable words yet known to this date.
Finally, he also uses logos to show logical appeal towards the audience. Patrick henry says "shall we try arguments" talking about and thinking about everything they have done in the past that hasnt worked. Henry say the British will betray the colonists, telling the audience you can't trust the British that why we shall fight. Give me liberty or give me death is a way of him saying and showing he will get peace one way or another, but if the people dont agree with him then there is no hope for freedom so give him
During this time, religion was very important so it was very crucial for Patrick Henry to mention this in his speech, because it was a main appeal everyone had in common. Finally, Patrick Henry uses the rhetorical appeal of logos, logic appeal. Mr. Henry uses logos when he says, “...what means this martial array, if its purpose be not to force us to submission?”. This is a logical analysis, because he points out that there is no other reason for the warlike products, but for the Americans. Another logical point Mr. Henry makes is when he says “...we have done everything that could be done to avert the storm which is now coming on...petitioned...remonstrated...supplicated...and implored its interposition...
In 1775 the American Colonies stood at a tipping point. Britain and the Colonies had been embroiled in a continuing struggle over numerous injustices, and the Colonies seemed at long last situated to engage in a revolution against Britain. However, the colonial representatives were still tied up in negotiations with Britain, and many delegates of the Virginia Convention wanted to delay actions until the negotiations had concluded. Patrick Henry disagreed with the delay, so he addressed the Convention, arguing for the need to mobilize troops against the British, a request tantamount to treason. Instead of shying away from the polarizing nature of his argument, Henry adopted a respectful, but urgent, tone, crafting an argument that would inspire his audience into action.