Patrick Henry Persuasive Speech

In Speech to the Virginia Convention Patrick Henry uses many persuasive arguments in his speech and most of them are emotionally persuasive. Henry’s first line of his speech is an emotionally persuasive argument also! Patrick Henry writes: “Mr President: No man think more highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as the abilities, of the very worthy gentlemen who have just addressed the House. But different men often see the same subject in different lights; and, therefore, I hope that it will not be thought disrespectful to those gentlemen, if, entertaining as I do, opinions of a character very opposite to theirs, I shall speak forth my sentiments freely and without reserve” (Henry 122). This statement is trying to persuade the President to think highly of him even though he is disagreeing with the other speakers, thus it is a pathos argument. Henry also tries to convince the President that if he doesn’t act now, he may not succeed in getting liberty by writing: “Mr. President, it is natural

The logos in this essay were easier to identify than the ones in Patrick Henry’s speech. One example of a quote from The Crisis, No 1 is “Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph” (Thomas Paine 132). Paine tried to use reason in order to convince his readers. Paine also writes “...she has a right (not only to TAX) but “to BIND us in ALL CASES WHATSOEVER,” and if being bound in that manner, is not slavery then is there not such a thing as slavery upon earth” (Paine 132). Paine does have a few pathos arguments in The Crisis, No 1, but they are not very well written arguments, they are very weak. An example of a weak pathos argument is Paine writing: “Not a place upon earth might be so happy as America” (Paine 133). This weak because it does not do much to evoke any kind of emotion in the