Rhetorical Analysis Of Dr. Martin Luther King's I Have A Dream Speech

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's “I Have A Dream” speech has been an Iconic piece of writing. It has stood the test of time, and is considered to be one of, if not the greatest speech ever written. Written and performed at the march on Washington, this speech became a universal symbol for freedom, and equality. The March On Washington took place on August 28th 1963, during the height of the civil rights movement. It became a key moment in american history. 200,000 Americans, black and white, came together to support the civil rights cause. These people came from hundreds if not thousand miles around, to listen to Dr. King speak. The feeling in the air beginning that day was a mixture of tolerance and intolerance, rest and unrest, passiveness and aggressiveness. People left that day with a hope for the future. In the speech Dr. King uses key phrases to evoke visuals. The first half of his speech portrays a picture of America and the the racial injustices African Americans face everyday. He continues to call up Americans and that the time for action is now. He goes on to paint a picture of the American people to rise and fight social injustices. He finishes the speech with a beautiful image of a not only a tolerant America but an accepting and peaceful one. A phrase that is repeated

King uses pathos and ethos. Raised by a preacher, and being a preacher himself, Dr. King knew how to give a sermon. And that’s almost entirely what this speech was. The tones he used, and the emotions he put towards phrases, and certain words were filled with such passion that this speech was pathos. The ethos portion of the speech are the parts where he tells of the wrongness of racism, and how it has affected people today. It relies heavily on the African Americans who faced the injustices, and the injustices faced by their ancestors. It also relies on the guilt of the White Americans and the injustices their ancestors inflicted on African