On August 28, 1963 one of the most powerful speeches was given by Martin Luther King Jr. on behalf of Colored people’s rights. “ I Have a Dream” was delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to more than 250, 000 people. King stated that all men was created equal despite their race or color and persuaded his followers of this by using three rhetorical devices: Ethos, Logos and Pathos. One style King presented quite well was Ethos, which is his credibility in his speech. Since he is an African-American he could not have better portrayed more effectively, the discrimination every single one of the protesters was going through.
Also King gave an example stating, “ We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways on to hotels of the cities… as long as the Negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. ” King changed the view of people by giving realistic examples of what was going on; the kinds of discriminations the African-American people was suffering. Another style he made excellent usage of is Logos, which is reasoning.
He started his speech by stating the history of America and then he explained the reason that they were gathering there that day. “ Now is the time to open the doors of opportunity to all of God’s children…” Another example is when he says, “ In a sense we’ve come to our nation’s capital to cash a check… 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” relating to the words of the Declaration of Independence. He mentioned the reality of how things were and the capability of how things could be.
Last but not least, one of the greatest usages of Pathos in the speech is King himself. He is the heart and the emotion of the protest. When he spoke he emphasized all the meanings because he was the leader of the Civil Rights Movement and he showed all the passion he had to end racial discrimination. He approached his audience on the same level; He spoke of freedom, justice and liberty. For example he said, “ Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. He also characterized all his emotions when he talked about his dreams despite all the obstacles.
He said, “ even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. ” King was a great leader and he will always be known as one of the greatest speakers of our nation. In conclusion he had to be credible, effective and emotive. His speech is considered one of the best speeches of this century and he made great usage of all three methods of persuasion.
