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Wilberforce's Persuasive Speech

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On May 14, 1789 William Wilberforce presented a persuasive speech regarding the Atlantic Slave Trade. His intension behind giving this speech was, “the total abolition of the slave trade.” Initially mostly the individuals in The House of Commons listened to Wilberforce’s speech, but Wilberforce hoped for a global change—not just a change in the British Empire. He stated, “I from this time determined that I would never rest till I had effected its abolition.” Additionally, he set the boundaries for his audience by pleading his listeners to avoid casting the blame on other people. Due to Wilberforce’s tone, the stubborn barriers of the Members of Parliament opinions lowered. This was also made possible by him stating, “I wish not to take them by surprise, but to deliberate, point by point, upon every part of this question.” Utilizing Aristotle’s modes of persuasion, Wilberforce began his speech with Ethos, Pathos, and then Logos. …show more content…

Words like, “terrified,” “concerned,” and “conviction,” made Wilberforce come across as a man who wanted to make a change out of the tenderness of heart rather than hardness of mind. Due to his lengthy sentences his speech could have sounded more fluent and less scripted. He also made his audience trust him more by saying, “It is not their passions I shall appeal to I ask only for their cool and impartial reason,” and added that he will also use true evidence. Saying this made people trust that Wilberforce will not propagandize them. After he built his creditability, Wilberforce used a proper amount of Pathos paired with Logos to set the scene of a ship crossing the

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Most importantly, Henry uses pathos as the main source of persuasion in his famous speech. Henry tells the audience, “There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable and let it come!

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