Rhetorical Analysis Of I Have A Dream

732 Words3 Pages

“I Have A Dream” by Martin Luther King Jr. argues for the rights of black people. He declares that white people need to remove the harsh treatments that restrict the black people from living a normal, first-class citizen lifestyle. Martin Luther King Jr. speaks in an authoritative tone that signifies that changes must be made to the black people, and he clearly speaks for every single black person that lives in the land of the free. Martin Luther King Jr. effectively justifies his argument that black people need to be treated like everyone else through ethos, pathos, and logos. First, Martin Luther King Jr. uses ethos to confirm that what he is saying is justified. He talks about how the Emancipation Proclamation was signed about one hundred …show more content…

uses ethos to effectively touch the emotions of the audience. Martin Luther King Jr. repeats the phrase, “I HAVE A DREAM TODAY!” to intensify the emotions and raise the hopes of many black people who are being treated as “second-class citizens” that one day they might get to be free. He talks about how he understands that many of the people that are listening to his speech had a difficult time to even get there. Martin Luther King Jr. uses the word “hope” many times in his argument. Hope is a very strong word. All the black people listening to his speech are hoping for a change. Martin Luther King Jr. is hoping for a change. One can hope for something and feel very emotional about it. Martin Luther King Jr. creates this urgency by using the phrase “Now is the time..” multiple times to bring hope to the audience that they do not want changes as early as tomorrow because they want it now. He creates this excitement in their minds that they will get their freedom right now. At the end of his speech, Martin Luther King Jr. connects with the audience emotionally that every state, every religion, every color, every nationality, and every citizen in general must be treated equally. Martin Luther King Jr. effectively uses ethos to touch with the audience to make a strong argument.
In conclusion, Martin Luther King Jr. effectively justifies his argument that black people need to be treated like everyone else through ethos, pathos, and logos. He speaks with