A Rhetorical Analysis Of The Gettysburg Address

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One afternoon, on Thursday, November 19, 1863, Abraham Lincoln began his undoubtedly most well-known speech with the now iconic phrase “four score and seven years ago.” On this day, Lincoln effectively honored those who lost their lives and—to an even more significant effect—emphasized the ideas of freedom and equality that the war was fought over as well as encouraging the nation to act as a purposeful, united whole. The turning point of the American civil war, the battle of Gettysburg, took place a few months prior to this speech between July 1st and July 3rd of the same year. It was during the dedication ceremony of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania that Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address. For his entire speech,
Of the three appeals, Lincoln’s emotional appeal is arguably the strongest and most effective. Regarding the situation, the event itself already lends its hand to an emotionally charged atmosphere; the audience is thick with those who have dedicated time, money, and their lives to the civil war. In addition, the battle of Gettysburg had a very high number of casualties reaching nearly 50,000 when both sides are viewed. He also emphasizes the emotional appeal through his diction to evoke passion within the audience. Lincoln’s ethical appeal is apparent as he references “dedication” and “devotion”—both words that possess strong ethical connotations. Most notably, his position as president grants him a situated ethos where the audience begins with a belief in his strong ethical stance on any given subject. He engendered good will and rapport with the audience by his utilization of inclusive language that lessened the rhetorical distance between audience and speaker. To round out all three rhetorical appeals, he also employed an appeal to the audience’s logic (though this was to an arguably lesser magnitude). An example of his logical reasoning is his statement that the death and sacrifice of the soldiers on the battlefield consecrated it to a degree that those not involved cannot grant greater justice to. In addition, he applies deductive reasoning to highlight that worth and value of equality and liberty should be points of dedication by the audience.
Abraham Lincoln’s “Gettysburg Address” is one of the most influential and effective speeches delivered—several iconic phrases pulled from his ten-sentence rhetoric. It is through his prolific use of rhetoric devices and figurative language that he is able to effectively construct an ethos, pathos, and logos argument that resounds through the audience and encourages them to dedicate themselves

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