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Martin Luther King Jr Speech Comparison Essay

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Martin Luther King Jr. and President Barack Obama have shared similar ideas of peace and equality, along with numerous differences in their Nobel Peace Prize speeches. They both utilize an excellent use of rhetorical devices to acquire their point across. For example, they manipulate the use of irony, pathos, and ethos throughout their speeches.

Irony was used in both Martin Luther King Jr and Barack Obama’s speech. “Therefore , I must ask why this prize is awarded to a movement which is beleaguered and committed to unrelenting struggle”. Martin Luther King questions the reason why he got the award. King declares how the segregation struggle still hasn’t ended but why did he get the peace award for the same thing he has been fighting for. Martin Luther king was also a religious leader. It’s ironic that King was a Baptist minister and he was fighting against other men who were like them. King sought rights for African Americans even if meant for him to contradict fellow religious …show more content…

and Barack Obama both use Pathos as another one of the rhetorical devices. For example, “The foundation of such a method is love” shows how Martin Luther King Jr. feels about nonviolence. King believes that through showing love and nonviolence will end segregation. Another example was “I accept this award today with an abiding faith in America and an audacious faith in the future of mankind” and it furthermore adds to King's idea of violence is always the answer. Unlike Martin Luther King, Barack Obama wants to use violence if needed but tries to use it as last resort. “A non-violent movement could not have halted Hitler's armies”

The “Acceptance Speech” by Martin Luther King Jr. and “A Just And Last Peace” by Barack Obama demonstrate how both leaders want a change. The two made some progress with their achievements and hard work. Martin Luther King and Barack Obama may have been working at different times, in different places, but their products are

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