How Does Atticus Use Ethos In To Kill A Mockingbird

472 Words2 Pages

During the trial in the book to kill a mockingbird by Harper Lee. The Lawyer Atticus Finch uses rhetorical appeals such as ethos, logos, and pathos tap into the jury's sense of ethics, logic and emotion to convey Tom Robinson, a black man, is innocence in a rape case. Atticus uses ethos many times throughout his closing argument, His most powerful ones are “I would like to… remind you that this case is not a difficult one… but it does require you to be sure beyond all reasonable doubt as to the guilt of the defendant”. This makes the jury think again because Atticus is forcing the jury to look in at their own morals when he says to be sure upon all reasonable doubt. Atticus also says “i am confident that you gentlemen will review without compassion the evidence you have heard, come to a decision, and restore this defendant to his family. In the name of God, do your duty.” This is the strongest point that Atticus makes that alludes to the jury's sense of ethics, because when Atticus says God, it makes any of the jury who believes in a God which at that time most did it draws to their attention that Tom Robinson is a man with a family, that he is a human being and that is what God wants them to do. Atticus also uses logos many times. He says “the state has not produced one iota of medical evidence.” This makes the jury think about how valid …show more content…

He uses this by saying “ there is not a person in this courtroom who has never told a lie =, who has never done an immoral thing, and there is no man living who has never looked upon a woman without desire.” By saying this Atticus is forcing the jury to feel compassionate because they realize their own fault. Atticus also says “All men are created equal, a phrase that the Yankees and the distaff side of the Executive branch in Washington are fond of hurling at us.” When Atticus says this it reminds the jury to have compassion because all men are created equal. Even the black