Justin Trudeau's Eulogy For His Father

The love of a father is as powerful as to leave a mark on not just the child, but also every witness to this passionate paternal love. The loss of a father is indescribably difficult, but when that father has raised his nation with the same love he gave his sons, the grief is shared by the entire country. Justin Trudeau’s eulogy for his father, Pierre Elliott Trudeau, delivered in October 2000, encapsulates the former Prime Minister’s devotion to Canada and influence on its society, and transforms his legacy into a plow, tilling the fields of Canadian hearts so that he may plant the inspired seeds of continued political change -- a revolution of love. As he develops each aspect of his moving speech, Justin Trudeau uses various rhetorical and

By quoting Mark Antony’s eulogy speech written by Shakespeare as his first line, “Friends, Romans, countrymen”, he compares Trudeau’s final legacy to Caesar’s, which, although controversial, was unparalleled in the Roman Empire, cementing this monumental impact on Canada by listing the different images Pierre Trudeau’s name evokes to different audiences. He supplements this legacy by developing his father’s character as a father. As the younger Trudeau describes the incredible love and devotion that his father held and the many lessons that he learned at his father’s knee, he uses the pronouns “us” and “we”, which in that scenario refer directly to him and his brother, but are later expanded to include every Canadian as students of Trudeau’s school of philosophy. By including an anecdote from his childhood of a lesson taught by his father, Justin emphasizes his father’s profound principles: “it was at that point that I understood that having opinions that are different from another does not preclude being deserving of respect as an individual”. As Justin reveals the former president’s deep respect of all, including rivals and adversaries, he subtly uses his childhood persona to project an image of Pierre Trudeau, the stern, but tolerant, respectful, and loving father. Justin augments his father’s legacy by describing Trudeau’s loving paternal