Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered what would become an iconic event in United States history when he gave his I Have a Dream speech to thousands who had gathered in Washington D.C. on August 28, 1963. His striking words reverberated throughout the nation and lit a fire in the Civil Rights movements, triggering a momentum that shook up the cold chains of racial injustice. There, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s use of pathos, logos, and ethos, advanced the path of equal rights beyond what the forces of oppression had thought possible. The first mode of persuasion that we will examine is Dr. King’s use of pathos, which means to persuade an audience by invoking powerful emotions such as sympathy, pity or …show more content…
When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the black people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds" (King par. …show more content…
King continues to give a perfect speech by using the third and final weapon in his persuasion arsenal. The third mode of persuasion Dr. King used is ethos, which is when a speaker establishes themselves as an authority on a given subject. Within the historical context of the time the speech was given, Dr. King had traveled throughout the south, and visited thousands of blacks; he had already experienced firsthand racial inequality as he visited southern states and met with thousands of people. In paragraphs 13 and 14 of his speech, Dr. King uses ethos via his firsthand accounts of the situation in America has he had personally seen, by describing “For White Only Signs,” how blacks were not allowed “lodging in motels,” and how blacks were forbidden to vote in Mississippi and New York (King par. 14). Dr. King establishes himself as having character enough to travel throughout the south and report on the plight of blacks to gain civil rights in America, hence, a powerful use of
Martin Luther King Jr.’s command of rhetoric had a way of making phrases like “Good morning” feel as refreshing as a sweet tea on a hot Memphis day. His speech included all of Aristotle’s persuasive appeals – logos, or logic, pathos which is an emotional appeal, and ethos which refers to the credibility of the speaker. A simple example of an appeal to logos is “something is happening in Memphis, something is happening in our world” (King). Primarily, the good Doctor appealed to pathos and ethos when he stated: “Secondly, let us keep the issues where they are. The issue is injustice. The issue is the refusal of Memphis to be fair and honest in its dealing with its public servants, who happen to be sanitation workers. Now, we’ve got to keep the attention on that” (King). Another powerful example of pathos is his use of the parable of the Good Samaritan. In his speech, he says “That’s the question before you tonight. Not, if I stop to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to my job? Not, If I stop to help the sanitation workers what will happen to all the hours that I usually spend in my office every day and every week as a pastor? The question is, if I do not stop to help the sanitation workers, what will happen to them? That’s the question”
After 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln gave African American slaves their freedom in society they were still not treated as equals. In August 28, 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C Martin Luther King Jr. gave the speech “I Have a Dream” that impacted the nation. The twenty-six-year-old pastor of the city's Dexter Avenue Baptist Church had to show the grievances of his people, justify their refusal to ride on Montgomery's city busses, and encourage them in peaceful way. In the “I have a dream” speech given by Dr. King he uses persuasive appeals to fight for the civil right movements in the most civilized way. To do this he had to convince African Americans that his way of going with things was in their best interests, and he had to convince white Americans that his vision was not going to change their heritage and in their best interests as well.
Dr. King is an emotional, inspiring and strong speaker. His " I Have A Dream" speech tugs a deep root war of emotions in every American’s heart; therefore, this speech is the perfect display of pathos. Even though pathos overwhelm logo and ethos, they also very much present in his speech.
... awarding them citizenship had already been written into law. Logically, one would assume that means the former slaves were being treated equally with the rest of the country, due to their citizenship. However, King repeatedly declares that black people have not been given the full rights of a United States citizen, even though it was the logical course of action following the “Emancipation Proclamation” and the laws it represented.
The author of the “I Have A Dream” speech is Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. King, known for his work in Civil Rights during the 1960s. In this informative speech, Dr. King inspires individuals to have a change in both white and black citizens during the Civil RIghts era in the United States. Moreover, the premise of the speech is that both sides of the discussion must accept change in a non-violent yet effective way. He spoke about the injustices of segregation and discrimination of black citizens that was occurring in our nation. As he opened, “I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation,” he explained what he was there to do for all citizens. He is
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was the leader of the civil rights movement in the 1960’s. His speech, entitled “I Have a Dream” was given in front of the Lincoln Memorial on August 28, 1963. Dr. King used his speech as a rally for people, blacks and whites alike, who desired equality and social justice, but there is so much more to it than what appears on the surface. Dr. King employs a number of stylistic techniques, all of which serving a purpose too subtle for the naked eye to pick up. Dr. King uses the stylistic techniques of word choice, metaphors, and repetition to fuel hope and bring about change.
Civil rights activist, Martin Luther King, Jr, in his powerful speech, “I have a dream” indicated that even though we own the Emancipation Proclamation, we also had been suffering the discrimination. King’s purpose is to invert the current unfair situation and make the Negros have the same rights as white people. He adopts a poignant tone in order to claim that Negros should have their own rightful place and appeal the Negro people who have the same inequity experiences.
During the 1950s, racism against African-Americans was a prevalent issue in the United States. Although all blacks were supposed to be free, under a corrupt law system, blacks were victimized mercilessly. Therefore, many civil rights activists emerged in order to fight for equal rights for the black community. The most notable activist was Dr Martin Luther King Jr. King engaged in various civil rights boycotts and protests. Out of all of his civil rights efforts, the most prominent was the “I Have a Dream” speech, given on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the “March on Washington” in 1963. The speech illustrated the issue of racism and provoke the audience to sympathise with the blacks while providing hope to the depressed African-American community.
From time immemorial, the promoters of social justice utilize rhetorical strategies to persuade theirs opponents of theirs claims. The proponents of the movement for civil rights for African Americans have made an intensive use of those strategies to advocate their cause. On April 16, 1963, from the jail of Birmingham, Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote an extensive missive to eight clergymen who had attacked his work for civil rights in a public statement released on April 12, 1963. Martin Luther King, Jr. primarily aimed this letter at those eight leaders of the white Church of the South. However, the eight clergymen's letter and the response from Martin Luther King, Jr. were publicly published. Martin Luther King, Jr. wanted to convince of the utility of his commitment in this particular area at this specific moment. To persuade his readers, Martin Luther King, Jr. predominantly employs Aristotle's three types of persuasion that are appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos. First, he appeals to his own reputation and wisdom. Second, he tries to arouse emotions or sympathy in the readers. Finally, he appeals to logic, supported with evidence and citations from influential thinkers.
In Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, he elaborates on the injustices that were wildly plaguing America in the year 1963. Black people all over the country were being treated unfairly, locked up in prison for false crimes, and refused the great opportunities that white people were so lucky to receive. Before the year 1963, President Abraham Lincoln was the last person to make such an impact in the equal treatment of all people, so for about 100 years, blacks had no one to back them in their fight for equal treatment.
Speeches are a method of persuading people to do something. For Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, their speeches were to bring equality for the people of color. However, their approaches are different. Consequently, the effects may be different. An example of their contrasting differences is a speech from each, King’s “I Have a Dream” and X’s “The Black Revolution”. Their speeches used pathos, a central metaphor, and a warning, but was presented differently.
King uses in his speech is Pathos, which is the appeal to someone 's emotions or beliefs. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. presented a strong feeling towards African-American people about how they were treated as equal individuals “But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination” (King par. 3). Another example of pathos that Dr. King used was when he uses vocabulary and phrases, such as “I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream” (King par. 12). He uses the appeal of emotion, especially the word of choice and diction to let his audience’s know what he would like to see in the
... oppression blacks faced. King’s appeal to ethos set the stage for other methods of persuasion. By building up this appeal, King was able to establish a common ground between himself and the audience. King delivered an effective appeal to pathos, which in turn evoked an emotional response from the viewers. King also used appeals to logic in order to reason with his audience. By appealing to all three rhetorical elements, pathos, logos, and ethos, King was able to effectively persuade and motivate the audience to achieve equality for all American citizens.
On August 28, 1963 more than 250,000 civil-rights supporters attended the March on Washington. Addressing the protesters from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. Profoundly, he proclaimed for a free nation of equality where all race would join together in the effort to achieve common ground. King stated his yearning for all colors to unite and be judged by character, not by race. African Americans would not be satisfied until their desire for freedom from persecution, bitterness, and hatred prevailed. Not only were the points in his speech powerful, but also the delivery he gave was so persuading and real that it changed the hearts of many people across America. By using four artificial proofs, mythos, logos, ethos, and pathos, Martin Luther King was able to open the eyes of people who were blinded by the color of skin.
In this speech he repeatedly used the phrase “I have a dream” to speak about things he wanted to see happen in the future for the African Americans. He used this so frequently it stuck with the audience. Some might think that Roosevelt’s rhetorical device stating “...the only thing we have to fear is fear itself” was powerful and more creative. However, King used his phrase in a more dynamic way. He used it over and over to gain the lasting effect that would stay in the audience’s mind. This tool was efficient in aiding the success of his speech.