rfk speech ethos, pathos logos

Robert F. Kennedy, running for president at the time, was to give a campaign speech that day in Indiana. Aristotle was the first to come up with them and wrote these concepts in his book, Rhetoric. Lastly, RFK continues and conveys MLKs vision. Kennedys vivid use of diction and metaphor, as well as his extremely memorable syntax, are particularly strong and successful. His logic is that its often risky to combine debt with personal relationships, which can result in the loss of both money and friends. Your use of commonplaces is also a good point to interject pathos, as many of these common beliefs can illicit an emotional response. Pathos is a very effective way to bring the audience over to your own perspective, but you have to be keenly aware of 1) the kind emotion you want to elicit, and 2) what truth youre going to draw on to trigger that emotion. You know how much I care about all of our children. He also spend considerable time explaining the different figures, also known as the flowers of rhetoric, which can be thought of as the literary weapons you can use in your war of words. Besides the use of pathos, King uses repetition to enhance the effectiveness of his argument. Though this letter was intended for the judgemental and condescending men of high faith, his response touched the hearts and minds of the entire U.S. population, then, and for years to come. Robert F. Kennedy did exactly this when giving his speech. Ethos, pathos, and logos are Greek words that make up the rhetorical triangle. One method you can use with logos is the syllogism, whether you combine two premises and draw the logical conclusion from them. It relies wholly on the strength of the argument itself, regardless of the emotions felt by the audience or the expertise of the speaker. The use of pathos is effective because it appeals to emotions and the issue of civil rights and civil disobedience. On April 4, 1968, Robert F. Kennedy was in Indianapolis for a campaign stop, when he received news that Martin Luther King was killed, causing Kennedy to write and deliver a speech regarding the assassination. See how he uses repetition with We can never be satisfied to drive his point home. However though the centuries racial equality and social; justice have been hard to achieve, even now in the modern era. Dont forget to use analogies, humor, surprise, body language, maybe even visuals if the forum is right. During his speech, Robert F. Kennedy spoke with compassionand care. RFK includes a quote from the poet Aeschylus In our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart until, in our despair, against our will comes wisdom through the awful grace of God(24-30). To successfully give a persuasive presentation, you must look to master these three pillars of persuasive speech: Ethos: the ethical appeal; your authority, credibility, and character. What have I got Harry, hmm? Logos is the reasoned discourse, the logical demonstrationwhether its inductive reasoning (drawing general conclusions based on factual evidence) or deductive reasoning (starting with an hypothesis and confirming it with logical reasoning). Kennedys purpose is to inform the audience of Martin Luther King Juniors assassination and to convey the importance of coming together as a nation in order to get through the tragedy. In Shakespeares Hamlet, Polonius counsels his son Laertes to never give money to friends. Although King was arrested for a nonviolent protest, he still found a way to justify his actions with the use of logos and pathos. RFK continued, I had a member of my family killed, but he was killed by a white man. Similar to MLKs death, JFK was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald, a white man. All three are very important to use in any argument. It refers to a person's character when they are presenting an argument. Robert connected his point of unity by asking the audience to not resort to hatred and violence, but to follow Martins dream of unity and peace. They dont need me. While ethos uses the speaker's credibility to persuade people about something, pathos uses emotion to trigger people. Finally, RFK ends with,So I ask you tonight to return home, to say a prayer for the family of Martin Luther Kinga prayer for understanding and that compassion of which I spoke. RFK asks his audience to pray. MLK is showing the audience that by doing these actions is the only way they will be heard. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. uses more powerful and plentiful examples of pathos in his literature, examples of which being his I Have a Dream speech and his Letter from Birmingham Jail, than logos due to the more powerful emotional connection they carry which can convince his listeners to sympathize with his civil rights movement. In his book Rhetoric, he defined these 3 Greek words. Ethos, when everything is stripped away, is about trust. Jokes are often memorable techniques for pathos. While Aristotles three persuasive appeals make appearances throughout the book, there is so much more to Words Like Loaded Pistols. The wise persuader starts from one or two commonplaces he knows he has in common with his audience and, where possible, arrives at one too. To do so, they need to understand who theyre talking to and the greater societal context quite well. This use of logos and ethos showed the audience how RFK could really understand how this affected them, because he had already experienced it. Ill never put on a lifejacket again. In a similar light, King addressed the speech I have a dream to a peaceful mass gathering in Washington asking for change. His incredible public speaking skills and ability to properly get his message across can clearly be scene throughout the speech. Doing so definitely makes the reader think about how black people must feel in emotional aspects, as well as how they should move on and remember King. Paromologia is when you concede part of your opponents point. See our Privacy Policy. Ill never put on a lifejacket again. The text shown above is just an extract. An argument with logos should be able to stand up by itself. Thus, Kennedy's logic attempts to unite a fragmented nation. But I think to do so would be an insult to his memory.". In the speech, Kennedy effectively uses rhetorical devices, ethos pathos and logos to calm his audience from riots. In Kings speech he says, Its ugly record of police brutality is known in every section of this country (King Page 6). Everybody likes me. Ethos is Greek for character, "credibility," or "authority." In this speech Kennedy uses ethos,pathos,logos,as well as other rhetorical devices to convince the audience. Robert said,Martin Luther King, RFK said, But we have to make an effort in the United States. As President Kennedy enters office he gives an speech on the celebration of freedom; symbolizing an end, as well as a beginning of a new nation. This is something that can be deployed verbally or through writing, including content writing. This speech was analyzed through a PDF copy of the text. You can see how he uses a logical argument to talk about natural selection. RFK repeats these positive words in an attempt to soothe the crowd. I like the way you based your analysis on contrasts. Ethos is when a speaker or writer appeals to their authority as a means of persuasion. Without that grounding, youre already setting yourself up for failure. It was filmed in the oval office and broadcast on national radio and television. So, eleven hundred men went into the water. Pathos can also be thought of as the role of the audience in the argument. Martin Luther King Jr. displays pathos by targeting the audiences emotion by talking about his American dream that could also be other peoples too. Kennedy admits that based on the past history it is fair to say that there will be a struggle to achieve true equality and acceptance. Toward the end of his speech, RFK recommends his audience to say a prayer for our country and for our people. He wants the people to reflect on the days events. Moreover, pathos is most effective if used sparinglyyou dont want to be too sappy or forced. His efforts to consolidate and harmonise the US into one country for all is reflected in many of his writings and speeches spanning his career. RFK used this quote to say people may want to stay angry and bitter, but anger will eventually be replaced with wisdom and understanding no matter how much they try to fight it. This works because the celebrity is commonly seen to possess certain virtues that the brand wants to be associated with. For instance, a politician may establish rapport by mentioning her up-by-the-bootstraps childhood (ethos), speak about the unifying power of the countrys citizens (pathos), and then go on to explain how her election will bring about these ideals in practicality (logos). From Hawaii and now based in Lithuania, Wailana spends her free time reading creative essays on science, and working on a speculative memoir. He doesnt separate himself, he considers himself an equal to his audience as a more friendly and inviting way to speak. RFK connected with his audience as a way to prove hes on their side. You have to work backwards, in a way. Lastly, to take some tips from Aristotles own rulebook, here are a few more tools you can use with pathos to make it more effective: Aposiopesis is the unexpected breaking off in the middle of a sentence. Here, the speakers or writers effort is focused on the rational validity of the argument proposed. RFK again uses repetition of the word beyond to create emphasis. Ethos is sometimes mistakenly defined as the speakers appeal to the audiences ethics, but, in fact, it has more to do with the speakers own values or character. On the other hand, logos rely on facts and logic to drive a point across. The first kind depends on the personal character of the speaker; the second on putting the audience into a certain frame of mind; the third on the proof, provided by the words of the speech itself. Remember? Its the equivalent of a tactical retreat, or of the judo fighter using an opponents momentum against him. LOGOS (Reason/Text . Lord Mancroft. Logos comes from the Greek term for word, and is a direct ancestor of the English term logic. Talking about Coca-Cola, in each commercial from the brand, the people in it are happy, young, generally loving life under the sun, accompanied by bright colors, buoyant music and an atmosphere of energy and positivity. The next time youre posting on social media, or give a presentation in the office, try using ethos. Lyndon B Johnson, a white persistent president speaks out to the lawmakers using compassionate encouraging appeals about voting for Civil Rights, in order to unify the nation to build a new community. He establishes a solemn tone while addressing the predominantly black neighborhood in Indianapolis, Indiana. Social conventions and generational behaviour becomes one of the largest obstacles when facing any type of change; and racial equality is no different. Ethos: Buy my old car because Im Tom Magliozzi. Logos: Buy my old car because yours is broken and mine is the only one on sale. Pathos: Buy my old car or this cute little kitten, afflicted with a rare degenerative disease, will expire in agony, for my car is the last asset I have in the world, and I am selling it to pay for kittys medical treatment.. Aristotle had a tip here: He found that the most effective use of logos is to encourage your audience to reach the conclusion to your argument on their own, just moments before your big reveal. Kennedy was advised not to attend the speech due to concerns of safety in the neighborhood, yet proceeded even when his security team did not. You can use them in any argument if you want to drive your point across or sell something: an idea, a product, or a brand. 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.". Pathos is the perfect choice as the other methods of persuasion fall flat. Show, dont tell. Although the speech is short as such speeches go, and although its main persuasive device is pathos alone, the masterful skill with which Kennedys speech is written makes it one of the most moving and effective political speeches to date. For this reason, there are three modes of persuasion. John F. Kennedy discusses and analyzes on how the nation differs from the past and present day in that time period. Throughout the speech, RFK refers to everyone as, we. Any time youve asked a listener to trust in what you are saying, based on your character or expertise, youre working with your ethos. Then, build a narrative to encapsulate that truthyou cant simply plop the truth on a platter. Some might say this speech was the most influential speech ever given by a president, and that it was one of the biggest motivations for the U.S. to get to the moon. It pulls at the readers heartstrings, connects them to the characters, and makes them want something similar. While he does not mention John F. Kennedys name, the audience understands his reference: For those of you who are black and are tempted to be filled with hatred and distrust at the injustice of such an act, against all white people, I can only say that I feel in my own heart the same kind of feeling. Kennedy used this rhetorical device the most in his speech. And onceyouve established why you are an authority on the subject, you need to buildrapport. If you can create something with ethos, logos, and pathos peppered throughout, and tie it all into your audiences belief system, you will have a very strong argument. In the Versatile Stain Remover ad by OxiClean, you see Billy Mays use the stain remover to clean different products to showcase the product's ability as a stain remover. I like thinking about the red dress and the television and you and your father. It seems Kennedy really knew what he was doing when he gave this speech. MLK has written many, many speeches and letters in favor of the Civil Rights movement in America, the most famous of them being his legendary I Have a Dream Speech and the monumental Letter from Birmingham Jail. This phase is referred to as invention, but its not about making something up, its more about the information gathering or research phase of your work. Furthermore his speech did not, By using the rhetorical features, MLKs speech reached a different level of effectiveness for his audience. Heres how Leith describes logos, the next link in the chain: If ethos is the ground on which your argument stands, logos is what drives it forward: it is the stuff of your arguments, the way one point proceeds to another, as if to show that the conclusion to which you are aiming is not only the right one, but so necessary and reasonable as to be more or less the only one. Your audience needs to know (or to believe, which in rhetoric adds up to the same thing) that you are trustworthy, that you have a locus standi to talk on the subject, and that you speak in good faith. President John F. Kennedy, in his speech, uses rhetorical strategies such as diction, emotional appeals, and a persuasive tone to convince Americans that steel companies are declining the standards to maintain stable prices.

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