I Have A Dream Ethos Pathos Logos

527 Words3 Pages

Dr. Martin Luther King Junior, a well-known civil rights leader, took many actions and went through many dangerous procedures to get his views on segregation and equality amongst all people across when presenting his famous, “I Have a Dream” speech. Numerous facts were stated to help in proving his beliefs to be true. These facts sat well with his already exquisite credibility earned from being such a well-mannered, genuine, and respected man. As factual as the speech was, Dr. King did not fail to speak with incredible passion in his voice and emotions so strong, connecting with them was inevitable. These components were essential to making Dr. Kings’ main message crystal clear; it was time for the government to make a drastic change in society’s effort towards putting an end to racial discrimination. Although both ethos and logos were evident in his speech, it is clear that the rhetorical appeal, pathos, was displayed most effectively. …show more content…

Although emotions were predominant in his speech, logic and credibility were key characteristics in getting his key idea across; government had to make a change regarding the rights of all African Americans in the country. An example of logos in his speech can be recognized in the quote, “America has given the negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked ‘insufficient funds.’” He is using logic to reason. He knows everyone listening understands money and can relate to being handed a bad check, therefor he uses this metaphor to describe the broken promises of American equal rights to all men. Ethos and logos are both extremely significant in the making and preaching of Martin Luther Kings’ speech but they are nowhere near as effective as pathos when in hopes of connecting with the