Margaret Thatcher: Rhetorical Analysis

When someone dies, no matter who, everyone they came across in life comes to say goodbye and relive old cherished memories. This is no different for former presidents. When former president Ronald Reagan passed away, the former prime minister Margaret Thatcher, a dear friend to Reagan, had to say goodbye. Through a heartfelt eulogy, Thatcher convinces audiences around the entire world that the world truly will miss the great American hero. By using repetition, structure, and pathos, Thatcher convinces audiences what a man he truly was.

Thatcher uses repetition to provide insight into the late president’s life. In the first line, Thatcher stated, “We have lost a great president, a great American and a great man.” Thatcher used “great” three times within the line in a row to emphasize Reagan’s greatness through her own eyes. The repetition also shows that in all parts of his life he was “great.” By using

She first uses pathos in lines such as former prime minister says, “Ronald Reagan was such a cheerful and invigorating presence.” The adjectives used to give a sense of sympathy to the late president. Why would anyone want a man with such a cheerful disposition dead? Thatcher uses pathos to get the audience to sympathize with essential history. She believes that the man who was lost was such a warming and cheerful presence the future with be at loss without such a great man. Additionally, Thatcher calls his by his nickname “Ronnie” in the line “Ronnie himself certainly believed that he had been given his life back for a reason.” At glance, this shows how much of a ‘normal’ person Reagan was rather than just a president. Ronald Reagan became ‘Ronnie’ through the eyes of the public. Through pathos, Thatcher was able to make the former president appear as an everyday Joe. How could someone not applaud a man like that which is exactly what Thatcher is going