Examples Of Ethos In V For Vendetta

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V for Vendetta is a dystopian film about a masked man, only known as V, who wreaks havoc on the oppressive government presiding over London. Throughout the film, V makes several speeches to appeal to the people of London, while Chancellor Sutler makes speeches in an attempt to paint V as a terrorist and a common enemy of all citizens. While V and Chancellor utilize ethos and pathos to connect to the people, V’s speech is far superior in persuasion. Chancellor Sutler’s speech is a last ditch effort to retain control of the masses. He attempts to appeal to the masses by repeatedly using the words “we” and “our”. He is trying to unite his citizens against V. He commences his speech with “My fellow Englishmen” (Sutler 1), using ethos to make his subjects trust him by depicting himself as part of the masses. He continues on to state “that which we stand for, and all we hold dear, faces a grave and terrible threat” (Sutler 1). He is trying to invoke sentiment and passion to his listeners. However, his simple repetition fails to truly bond himself with the audience. While he gives “[his] most solemn vow” (Sutler 7), V undermines his oath by addressing how he has not upheld his previous promises. …show more content…

V reminds the people how Sutler “promised you order, he promised you peace” (V 23) but has failed to keep his promises. He uses rhetoric to make the citizens of London think about how their country got to the state it is currently in. He states “if you’re looking for the guilty you need only look into a mirror” (V 19). He openly blames them, but follows it with his understanding of “I know why you did it. I know you were afraid” (V 20), to show that he recognizes why they created a scapegoat. V’s speech makes him sympathetic to the citizens by recognizing their strife, but also forces them to realize that they are only powerless if they allow themselves to

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