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What Are The Similarities Between The Speech To The Virginia Convention And Bush's Speech

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Quarterly Essay Throughout the years America has faced problems with freedom and war. The “Speech to the Virginia Convention” (Henry) and “President Bush Outlines Iraqi Threat” (Bush), have plenty of similarities. Henry’s speech was given to the citizens of Virginia before the American Revolution began. Former President George Bush’s speech was given one year later, after the attack on September 11th 2001. Henry and Bush’s speeches are similar in the way they use ethos, pathos and loaded language to persuade people to go to war. Henry and Bush use ethos in their speeches to show credibility for ensuring the safety of the American people. For example, in Henry’s speech he states, “I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided; and that …show more content…

Bush and Henry appeal to their audience's emotion by using pathos. One example from Henry’s speech would be, “ Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance, by lying supinely on our backs, and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot?”. This captures the audience's attention and grasps to emotion because Henry is saying that if the colonists do not fight they will be defeated and hopeless in the end. Which causes the audience to feel worried and concerned, maybe even a bit frightened. An example from Bush’s speech would be, “ Alliance with terrorist could allow the Iraqi regime to attack America without leaving any fingerprints.” The emotional appeal in this quote is similar to Henry’s because Bush is saying that another terrorist attack could occur if America became allies with Iraq or if America and It’s citizens don’t do anything at all. Causing the audience to feel worried and …show more content…

The two rhetorical devices are used to elicit emotion from the audience. Not only that, they can be used in positive or negative ways for a type of propaganda. Henry uses loaded language that has a negative effect on emotion by stating in his speech, “Is it that insidious smile with which our petition has been lately received?” What Henry is trying to tell the colonist of Virginia is that, the British are not trustworthy and they are going to invade the peace that the colonist have created, in order for Britain to become more powerful. An example from Bush’s speech would be, “Saddam Hussein is a homicidal dictator who is addicted to weapons of mass destruction.” Bush used Loaded Language that has a negative effect on emotion by “demonizing” the enemy: Saddam

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