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Patrick Henry Speech Rhetorical Analysis

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Liberty or Death The American Revolution is one of the greatest things The United States of America can take pride for. One American, Patrick Henry, had a strong voice of protest and spoke up about unfair treatment from British Parliament during his "Speech in the Virginia Convention" in 1775. Henry daringly urged and persuaded the citizens of the United States to show armed resistance to England. He sparked a feeling of revolutionary spirit to his audience by using many different methods of persuasion, which eventually led to the signing of the Declaration of Independence. In his speech, Henry used metaphors to show credibility, imagery to provoke emotions of rage and fear, and rhetorical questions to catch the attention of his audience. …show more content…

Pathos promotes either a positive or negative emotion or feeling, and in this case, Henry used pathos to evoke negative emotions. His audience could feel a sense of betrayal when he said that the colonists' petition had been received with "that insidious smile." Insidious means treacherous and crafty, and that's what Henry wanted the British to seem like in his speech. He was trying to show the citizens at the convention that Parliament was deceiving them into believing that they would accept the petitions in a positive manner, while he knew that the British were really just trying to keep the colonists under their rule. This angered his audience, and made them resent and fear the British when they realized how much power they had over …show more content…

His use of metaphors to establish credibility, imagery to provoke fear and rage, and rhetorical questions to catch the audiences attention are just a few of the different persuasive techniques Henry used in his speech. In the end, Henry was successful and did manage to get the colonists to go against Great Britain, and made many rethink what they had previously thought or believed in. He was straightforward and daring in his speech, ending it strongly and without any doubt or hesitation: "...give me liberty or give me

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“It is only in this way that we can hope to arrive at truth, and fulfill the great responsibility which we hold to god and our country” (Henry) during the time the speech was written, the colonist were trying to be separate from Britain. People wanted out of British laws, but had fear of fighting war. The colonist struggled with no money for an army nor the support to create one. In Patrick Henry’s, “Speech to Virginia convention ” he primarily used pathos to persuade the audience to stand up and fight.

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One of the earliest well-known opponents of Great Britain was Patrick Henry. Throughout his life he gave many speeches supporting the American Government, ultimately making a name for himself. During a time of uncertainty for the colonists in 1775, Henry still supported his opinions on American Democracy. In his opinion, the only choice left was to go to war with Great Britain. In order to gain the colonist's approval, he issued a marvelous speech persuading the colonists to go to war.

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730 Words | 3 Pages

Lawyer and politician, Patrick Henry in his speech, “Give me Liberty Or Give Me Death” (March 23, 1775), explains that he give this plea to urge the old dominion to form militias to defend itself against British. He supports his claim by first using a religious reference to express the themes of freedom, equality, and independence. Then uses a selection of other strategies like rhetorical question and allusion to disprove the opposing arguments and clarify the point he is making. Patrick Henry purpose is to fight back and he wants other to fight with him in order for independence. He creates a powerful and commanding tone for the second Virginia convention.

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In 1775, America was under the control of Great Britain. Many people were oblivious to the fact that we were under control, while other people thought it was time to break free and gain independence. Among these people was Patrick Henry, who was a huge advocate for colonial independence. In his speech at the Virginia convention, Patrick Henry argues to forcefully persuade the audience to go to war with Great Britain and pushes for the use of military action by using figurative language, rhetorical devices, and organization, and by confronting them with their current position of danger in the face of the inevitable British invasion.

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301 Words | 2 Pages

I would imagine that the idea of an independent American was not an easy idea for many to stand by. Many would have probably thought that it was an effort that was not worth the risks, that fighting the kingdom of Britain would bring too heavy a cost. But of course, there were those with enough courage to speak openly about their feelings on their country 's situation. Patrick Henry seemed like a man that was willing to do whatever it took to gain independence. Henry’s letter made me proud to be an American, and to know that these men and women were coming together to fight for a better future.

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545 Words | 3 Pages

“ Give me liberty or give me death”,( Patrick Henry). The most well known speech given by the prestigious Patrick Henry on March 23, 1775 expressing his thoughts and feelings about fighting back against Britain and protecting their beloved country. At this time the British was defeating America terribly which had made Patrick Henry feel as though his freedom was being jeopardized. Patrick Henry’s speech was an attempt to persuade the american citizens not to just sit and do nothing, he wanted to fight back against Britain. Patrick Henry felt as though many of the citizens were not aware of the seriousness of what was happening and that the needed to have a wake up call.

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1045 Words | 5 Pages

He was able to motivate through the use of rhetorical questions, a strong emotional appeal, and speaks directly to the audience in 1st person to influence their opinions personally. One of the main goals of the speech was to bring a sense of nationalism into the colonists through fear of what would happen if the British had control of America. Henry uses first person to bring a sense of mutual bonding to show that he is one of them and wants to help be a part of a movement which drew the people towards him. He encourages the fight by saying “we must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must fight!”.

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Patrick Henry used these rhetorical strategies to make the colonists revolt against the British. In the end, his attempts worked and the people took up arms and fought for their freedom. Henry’s effective and skilled manipulation of persuasive techniques empowered the colonists, resulting in a fight for independence and eventually

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In the years leading up to the American Revolution, there was a tense relationship between the colonists and their British rulers. Large gatherings in the colonies to discuss the grievances caused by the actions of the British were common. Patrick Henry applies the rhetorical strategies of allusions and repetition in his “Speech in the Virginia Convention” to assert that the colonists should believe fighting for their freedom and rights is necessary and that they must fight as soon as possible. Although Henry has rather radical beliefs in comparison to the other members of the Convention, he connects with them through religious and literary allusions that are able to convince them of his assertions. In his speech, Henry alludes to

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Patrick Henry, a Virginian lawyer, made himself known for the speeches supporting American democracy. He is known as the "Orator of Liberty." In 1775, American colonists were still under Great Britain’s power. Many were hoping to be able to work out their disagreements and remain British subjects. Patrick Henry had had enough of cooperating with the British.

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800 Words | 4 Pages

Henry’s use of ethical appeal, logical and emotional appeals, as well as rhetorical devices, touched the audience. His persuasive techniques were the reason behind his exceptionally successful speech. The patriot strongly believed that the colonization of the British was a deadly virus that spread across the nation, killing the freedom of Americans. His goal was to stimulate action against the British forces by persuading the residents of Virginia that the only way to

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459 Words | 2 Pages

To begin with, Patrick henry uses pathos to appeal to the audience's emotions, and feelings of going to war with Britain. For example, he says "i consider it nothing less than a question of freedom and slavery." He connects with the emotions and thoughts of being a slave. The audience doesn't agree with his decision, even though he does appeal to the

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756 Words | 4 Pages

Henry’s “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” speech effectively utilized logic, credibility, and emotion in order to persuade his audience into voting in favor of his suggestions. Henry starts his speech by addressing his

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442 Words | 2 Pages

Henry’s Method for Achieving His Purpose In the speech Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death, Patrick Henry uses allusion, symbolism, juxtaposition, and rhetorical questions to achieve his purpose. Henry’s purpose is to convince the Loyalists of his cause, which this speech does effectively. Because he used strong rhetorical devices, his language really clarified his points in why the Loyalists should commit treason and join the war, effectively convincing them to join the revolution.

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1000 Words | 4 Pages

Henry's way of using pathos convinced all the people listening to him, that they felt the same way he did about the arising situation. When Henry used ethos, he continued to show the urgent actions that needed to be done. As Henry's last sentence to the Virginia Convention,“Give me liberty or give me death!” showed that he was willing to die if that was what needed to be done, for the colonists to be free. Patrick Henry was a wonderful speaker and really knew how to capture

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