Rhetorical Analysis Of Ronald Reagan's Tear Down This Wall

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In 1987, the Soviet Union’s decline clearly began. While the cause is debated to this day, by the time Ronald Reagan travelled to Berlin to make a speech, everyone knew the USSR was nearing its last leg, at least without substantial reforms. Under this backdrop, Ronald Reagan decided to challenge Mikhail Gorbachev, the leader of the Soviet Union, to begin the process of reuniting Germany under one government. He did so in a now-famous speech, often referred to as the, “Tear Down This Wall” speech. Reagan’s speech was very effective due to choices in rhetoric, visual aids, content, and delivery. Rhetorically, Reagan did not have to do much to establish Ethos. America is the leader of NATO and of the free world. During his presidency, he was also incredibly popular in the nation, too, with approval ratings …show more content…

This is especially important for a speech that is based so heavily on helping bring people together. The people are in the audience, and by making sure that the audience’s approval is heard and focused on, makes the viewers of the speech know that the message is authentic and resonating with the West Germans. Furthermore, by timing these pauses correctly, Reagan ensures that the points that need the most emphasis get it, such as pausing both before and after the namesake line. Overall, this is one of the most impressive and effective speeches I have seen. The parts that were most effective and good to remember were Reagan’s forum selection and the amazing use of Pathos. These lessons can be applied to any public speaker. Even if you can’t pick where your speech is, you should try your best to make a part of your speech match the room, city, or state that you are in. This allows you to better connect with your audience. Furthermore, as for connecting with your audience, Reagan’s use of Pathos remains

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