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Rhetorical Analysis Of The HenrySpeechs In Henry's Speech

Decent Essays

When Henry starts his speech he first employs ethos by creating a respectful tone toward the delegates by using a litote to enhance his ethos by showing respect for the delegates: “I hope it will not be thought disrespectful to those gentlemen if, entertaining as I do of opinions of a character very opposite to theirs.” Henry uses the litote, “Not be thought disrespectful,” to show that he doesn’t want to be disrespectful to them because if he were they wouldn't listen or care what he has to say and so he assumes a respectful tone to have them listen and judge it. Then he utilizes the metaphor where he compares the simle to a trap in order to show the delegates that they would betrayed if they make the British allies, “Is that insidious simile...will it prove a snare to your feet.” This displays the unloyalty of the British toward their people. Then he uses the allusion to demonstrate that the British are wicked by comparing them to Judas, who kissed Jesus which sent him to his death: “Suffer not yourself not yourselves to betrayed with a kiss.” Additionally, Henry utilizes these two to show the delegates that British would lead them astray while the colonist or henry wouldn’t which creates an explicit statement in order to fully support himself by saying that god is with us: “There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nation; and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us.” The use of this is to persuades the delegates that his goals of attaining

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