What Is The Use Of Ethos In Patrick Henry's Speech

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Patrick Henry’s Speech Patrick Henry presented a speech at the Virginia Convention on March 23, 1775. Henry was known by the people for his honorable speeches. Henry was very good at changing people's attitudes and their perspective on their choices. Patrick Henry’s speech mainly focused on how people of the thirteen colonies needed to stop hopelessly waiting on England, and that they needed to go to war in order to be treated with freedom and respect. His well structured speech touched the people, gave them courage. Henry's speech made them consider he was right and war was soon to begin. Henry's use of of rhetorical devices helped make his speech more powerful. Henry’s use of ethos helps him gain people's trust and helps encourage them to do what is right. By using ethos it helps him with his communication skills with the people. Many times in his speech he uses ethos to help structure it and influence the people to feel his words “ If we wish to be free, if we mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable privileges for which we have been so long contending, if we mean not basely to abandon the noble struggle in which we have pledged ourselves to abandon until the glorious object of our contest …show more content…

Before his speech people didn't want anything to do with war and they were going to live by peace as slaves then to speak up for their freedom, Henry's speech helped encourage people into believing that's not the way to live anymore. He structured his speech so well off ethos, pathos, and logos that he won the people over and was able to change America. He helped gain people's freedom by just a little push. Patrick Henry used his words to show emotion but also to his advantage, and that how he helped gain the people into going to