Intro
Attention Getter
A powerful speech can leave a huge impact and create a lasting memory, either good or bad.
Context
RFK
Robert F. Kennedy’s speech was about the tragic news of Martin King Jr.’s assassination. He engages with the senses, memories, and emotions of the audience to persuade them to not shed more blood because of this loss.
ANTONY
Marc Antony’s eulogy was for Julius Caesar. He was able to effectively change the Roman people’s optimistic view of Caesar’s death while simultaneously making Brutus and the conspirators look evil.
Thesis: Antony and Kennedy both effectively use rhetoric devices like ethos, repetition, and pathos to persuade their audiences in different manners.
Body Paragraphs
Ethos: By proving their credibility
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to the audience, both Kennedy and Antony present themselves as speakers that the listeners can trust. RFK Robert Kennedy is campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination. This gives him the authority to present the speech to this audience. “I had a member of my family killed...” His brother was assassinated therefore he has experienced an event similar to what the audience is going through. “...my favorite poet was Aeschylus...” The reference to this Greek poet shows how Kennedy’s points are similar to an ancient philosopher. ANTONY “He was my friend, he was faithful and just to me.” Antony is showing Caesar's virtuous character. Caesar sees himself as one of them, which makes him a good leader. Therefore, Caesar’s murder should be considered treason, and the conspirators should be punished. “How dearly Caesar loved him” Antony indirectly points out Brutus’ betrayal to Caesar by stating how much Caesar loved his friend Brutus. This poor reflection on Brutus' character shows him as heartless. Repetition: The use of repetition in Kennedy’s and Antony’s speech emphasizes certain words which are meant to be remembered. RFK “I have some very sad news for all of you, and, I think, sad news for all of our fellow citizens” The news of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination brought to all across the nation. King was an important voice of the American civil rights movement, which worked for equal rights for all. “What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence and lawlessness... whether they be white or whether they be black.” Make his case and unify all of us in one category rather than just race. “We will have difficult times.
We’ve had difficult times in the past, but we — and we will have difficult times in the future. It is not the end of violence; it is not the end of lawlessness; and it’s not the end of disorder.”
Contrasting the events of the present, past, and future.
ANTONY:
“The noble Brutus; Hath told you Caesar was ambitious; If it were so, it was a grievous fault, And grievously hath Caesar answered it. Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest—For Brutus is an honorable man; So are they all, all honorable men—Come I to speak in Caesar’s funeral. He was my friend, faithful and just to me. But Brutus says he was ambitious,And Brutus is an honorable man.
Antony’s repetitive and sarcastic use of “honorable” hints that Brutus’ intentions are not what they seem. Antony effectively undermines Brutus’ noble character and persuades the Roman people against him.
“To wrong the dead, to wrong myself and you/ Than I will wrong such honorable men.”
Antony would rather say horrible things about himself, about the dead and to the public then saying horrible things about such “honorable” men. Antony uses the word “wrong” to make the word reverberate in their minds. That the word “wrong” does not belong to Antony for Antony is noble and a plain man to the people. But rather “wrong” is being taken to describe Brutus, for his actions were “wrong” that he killed Julius Caesar and it takes away from Brutus being
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“honorable.” Pathos RFK: He spoke about Martin Luther King’s death and how he pursued a life of love, peace, and justice-we should do the same He’s trying to instill a feeling of compassion and love.
By doing this, he wanted to show the life’s work of Dr. King and that an uproar would undo this work and prove it was meaningless. He’s trying to prevent an uprising and feelings of
hatred. He is trying to prevent rebellion by quoting a Greek philosopher . This utilizes precedence to teach those of the modern era a lesson learned by those of an older era. These ideas demonstrate and illustrate the pathos of this speech ANTONY "Bear with me. My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar, and I must pause till it come back to me." Antony states love for Caesar and, that he misses his friend deeply. His intention is to trike compassion in the hearts of the citizens. Antony wants the Romans to feel dishearten by Caesar's death in order to push them against the conspirators. "When the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept." Antony states that Caesar shows compassion for the people as he sees himself as one of them: when the Romans are sad, it affects him too. Conclusion Restated Thesis: Both Antony and Kennedy similarly use rhetorical devices to influence their audiences in different manners. Clincher : Power of words should not be underestimated
This speech proves that Kennedy had a way with words and knew the best way to get a message across. He clearly expressed his feelings but did so without letting them take over. He didn’t scream or shout, but showed he could handle his anger while still letting it shine through. Kennedy used the three appeals, strong diction and syntax, and a well-organized structure of his ideas to convey his purpose; Raise anger in Americans and side with them, while making the steel companies feel guilty for their
In his prominent 1961 Inaugural Address, John F. Kennedy extensively employs pathos, parallelism, antithesis, and varied syntax to captivate millions of people, particularly to persuade them to stand together and attempt to further human rights for the “betterment” of the world. Kennedy’s effective use of various rhetorical styles succeeds in persuading his audience –the world and the U.S. citizens—that his newly-seized position as the U.S. President will be worthwhile for all. Evident throughout his entire address, Kennedy employs a cogent pathos appeal to keep his audience intrigued. This can be demonstrated when Kennedy initially proclaims: “Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans.” who he urges to be “unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of.human rights to which this nation has always been committed.”
John Fitzgerald Kennedy delivered one of the most important American speeches after being sworn in as president on January 20, 1961. His inauguration speech was so influential that it seized the nation’s attention, and quotes from it are still clearly remembered by people today. It is considered one of the best speeches ever written and ever delivered. It presents a strong appeal to pathos, ethos, and logos and accomplishes what any speaker strives for – it speaks straight to the heart of the audience and inspires people.
The second henious act Brutus commits is murder on his dear friend Caeser. After commiting the crime he said "If there be any in this assembly, any dear friend of Caeser’s, to him I say that Brutus’ love to Caeser was no less than his". Brutus killed his dear friend because of ambition. If only today’s leaders had some ambition! He said that he love Rome more than Caeser and that is why he commited one of the most dishonorable acts a humn being can commit. After the act, Antony appropriately and sarcastically called Brutus an honorable man. Unlike Brutus, Antony knew what honor was. Even though Brutus knew that Caeser had turned down the crown three times, he still felt he was to ambitious to rule over Rome. If only Brutus would have had a level head on his shoulders like Antony. If anyone can call a murderer honorable, let them be known.
After Brutus kills himself, Antony says "This was the noblest Roman of them all: all the conspirators save only he did what they did in envy of great Caesar; he only in a general honest thought and common good to all, made one of them." This quote means that Antony regarded Brutus as an honorable man, despite the fact that he killed Caesar.
Firstly, Antony says a general statement that, “the evil that men do lives after them” (III.ii.74), when in fact he is subtly and sneeringly referring to the conspirators actions. The Roman commoners don’t realize that this general statement is swaying them, but the rest of Antony’s speech further convinces them of the evil the conspirators have done. Later, Antony talks about Brutus says that “sure, [he] is an honourable man” (III.ii.98), emphasis on the sure. Because he uses a scornful tone while sarcastically saying this statement, he is really beginning to show the audience his true feelings on the situation. Knowing that even Antony bitterly disagrees with the choices of the conspirators, it further persuades the common people of Rome to turn against Brutus and the rest of Caesar’s murderers. These occasions show Antony’s sour tone, especially towards the conspirators, and Antony’s tone also riles up the Roman citizens. His tone helps to exasperate the commoners with Caesar’s murder, and therefore assists Antony in achieving his purpose to manipulate the audience to turn against
The structure of the speech enhances the ability for all people in the audience to connect. Beginning with an intimate remark and closing with a broad regard marks the address as both authentic and propelling. Nevertheless, what is most effective is Kennedy’s skill to access the atmosphere of the crowd and examine the circumstances of the juncture that is primarily the cause for the prosperity of this distinguished speech.
Greed, ambition, and the possibility of self-gain are always constant in their efforts to influence people’s actions. In Julius Caesar, Marcus Brutus, a venerable politician, becomes a victim of the perpetual conflict between power-hungry politicians and ignorant commoners. He is a man of honor and good intentions who sacrifices his own happiness for the benefit of others. Unfortunately, his honor is strung into a fine balance between oblivion and belief and it is ultimately the cause of his downfall. His apparent obliviousness leads him to his grave as his merciful sparing of Mark Antony’s life, much like Julius Caesar’s ghost, comes back to haunt him. Overall, Brutus is an honest, sincere man who holds the lives of others in high regard while he himself acts as a servant to Rome.
Honor is also a vibrant underlying foundation of Brutus’ character. After the suspenseful assassination of Caesar, specifically during his funeral speech, Brutus inquires the people of Rome, “Who is here so rude that would not be a Roman? If any, speak; for him I have offended” (3.2.29-32). Brutus is proving to the people of Rome that he is the noblest Roman of them all. However, on the eve of his shocking defeat by Antony, Brutus runs onto his sword preserving his undeniable honor as a noble Roman citizen.
John F. Kennedy’s speech was revered then and it is revered now. He talks on peace and freedom will never be forgotten. JFK arrived when America was going through a rough patch and delivered a speech for the ages. His line “…My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country” still applies even today. Even though John F. Kennedy’s live was tragically cut short in 1963, his speech on freedom and peace will always be remembered and it carries on with JFK’s legacy.
Early in the speech Kennedy attempts to connect with his audience. He asks how, “when we are asking Reservists to leave their homes and families for months on end, and servicemen to risk their lives—and four were killed in the last two days in Vietnam.” Kennedy reminds them of their brothers, neighbors and friends fight across seas, effectively emotionally involving all present. The diction which he uses to draw his audience in, makes you feel like he too is experiencing loved ones who are away and fighting or to have even died when he acknowledges the four recently fallen soldiers. He gives a certain friendly, caring tone and yet urgent tone as he leads into the main idea of his speech.
Throughout his speech, Antony repeats the words “[Caesar] was ambitious” and “Brutus is an honorable man” to create a contrast between the two statements. (3.2.95-96). Through this repetition, Caesar successfully undermines Brutus. Everytime he calls Brutus an honorable man, he lists a positive trait of Caesar that contradicts Brutus’s claim that he was too ambitious. He tells the crowd about the times when Caesar showed compassion for the people and when he refused the crown thrice. Antony’s sarcasm about Brutus’s honor brings into question as to whether his honor deserved. This leads the audience to doubt their feelings upon Caesar’s ambition. Near the end of his eulogy, Antony uses apostrophe when he claims that “judgment ... art fled to brutish beasts” as a reason for why the Roman people believe Brutus. (3.2.114-115). Antony indirectly shames the crowd for their belief in Brutus in that Caesar was a tyrant. Fearing alienation of the crowd, he attributes this belief to a lapse in judgement that beasts have taken. Antony also makes a pun upon Brutus’s name when he comments “brutish beasts.” Antony implies Brutus has caused a lapse in judgement within the Roman people through his oration
The speech, by Kennedy, claims the importance of the human rights and why citizens elect him as a president. He employs repetition, parallelism and alliteration to make his speech powerful and strike a chord with citizens.
The notorious Indianapolis speech, delivered by Robert F. Kennedy, breaking the news of the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King (informing a mostly black audience) is a perfect example of the humble, humanistic speech style of the former Presidential candidate. Although short, Kennedy’s words in this speech are profound and lasting, a simple approach which was mastered by this great social thinker. Through rhetorical analysis of this somber speech it is clear that Kennedy was a smart, emotionally connected public speaker who used his time to not only commemorate a life, but also build support for his campaign and what it stands for.
Brutus is seen by all of Rome as a good man and Antony sees the self-important side of Brutus which has developed from this. He notices this and uses it against Brutus. Through repeatedly stating the idea that ?Brutus is an honorable man?, he then points out the fact that Brutus is claiming to be so ?honorable? because he murdered Caesar.