The Black Death Rhetorical Analysis

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Although Martin Luther was not the first to voice dissent towards the Catholic Church and the papacy, the changing socio-economic statuses and political structures permeating throughout the Holy Roman Empire allowed his views to spread more quickly and become widely accepted. The renaissance brought about a period of individualistic thought and humanistic values, as well as a substantial increase in economic growth throughout each societal class. Combined with technological advances, Luther’s views appealed to the changing values of society. Furthermore, the bubonic plague, otherwise referred to as the “Black Death”, was reasonable for the death of nearly half of the clergy in Europe, causing the church to prematurely promote inexperienced students to the role of priests. This inexperience coupled with simony and other forms of corruption gave the religious revolution legitimacy.
The technological advancements that which occurred amid the Renaissance were fundamental in the distribution of Luther’s 95 Theses. The printing press, in particular, played a monumental role throughout the Protestant Reformation. The most
At first glance, the pamphlet seems to be an innocent dialogue between two friends, however, upon further analysis, one notices that it discusses the dissatisfaction of the church and the papacy (source 10). It begins by one of the characters discussing his recent listening of an excerpt from the bible. While discussing this particular passage, that Paul warns them of the anti-christ, and the methods he will use in order to persuade societies to praise him. The most notable connection between the passage and the Pope, was the realization that the Pope believes he is “God-like”. The pamphlet continues by stating similarities between the church and the anit-christ, leaving the audience to question the authority and legitimacy of the church and it’s

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