Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Rhetorical speech exercise

In these famous speeches by Barack Obama and Martin Luther King, we can see very similar rhetoric.They both appeal to their audience(citizens of the U.S) by using the essential tools of ethos, pathos, and logos. We can see ethos in MLK's speech by the very fact of what exactly he and his followers are fighting for, and that's for freedom essentially. Good ethics can be fighting for what's right, and that's exactly what he's doing. In terms of ethos in Obama's speech, he display ethos by mentioning the gays which was a very first in any election acceptance speech. Obama too stands for freedom for all, in this case referencing to sexual preference. In terms of pathos for MLK's speech we can see this when he makes the famous line, "i have a dream."  This is one of the most famous lines in American history as it had a profound emotional impact.  MLK states that he has a dream that one day blacks and whites would be equal and live in peace. Obama appeals to the emotion by stating that we will return America to the top of the world. This is important as it brings hope to a country that has very high unemployment rates and is in a steep recession. People that are in a desperate state like we are today find comfort in a leader who promises hope, and that's what Obama did. In terms of logic , they both encourage equality which in turn is logical as it releases tension between people, which in turn makes people happier. These two speeches are prime examples of the power of rhetoric and how it is used at its finest. The two speakers also have something that cannot be taught, and that's the ability to lead through their voice and charisma. Everyone recognizes the voice of MLK and Barack Obama because of their distinct, powerful voice that can literally leave goosebumps on a person. I chose these two because they will always be remembered as two of the most powerful speakers in history.

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