Rhetorical Analysis Of Speech In The Virginia Convention

Often the first battles for change are with ink and spoken word. Rhetoric in language is key to making the word impact others in such a way it creates a movement. These movements serve the desires of those who initially write them out. Patrick Henry’s “Speech in the Virginia Convention” is meant to convince the colonists that war is the only way to for them to be free from Britain and to rally the colonists together as one nation against the British in the coming conflict.
The primary purpose of Patrick Henry’s address is to bring to light the need to go to war with Britain in order to attain their rights. He does this by first acknowledging that the colonist’s allegiance to Britain is a problem. He tells the assembly they “listen to the song of a

siren,” a reference to the sirens, women in Greek mythology who lure sailors to their deaths with their voice.

Henry illustrates how Britain is retaining the loyalty of the colonies despite that Britain will ultimately be their downfall. This allusion makes an appeal to the logic of the audience against Britain and their attempt to “[fool] with a kiss.” This allusion is to the betrayal of Jesus by Judas, a disciple of Jesus who identifies him to the Romans by kissing him. The kiss represents an act that may initially seem beneficial, but is secretly harmful to the recipient. These two allusions play into the doubt and uncertainty the colonists have about the true intentions of Britain. Henry confirms these doubts for the audience when he asks “what means this martial array, if its purpose be not to force us to submission?” This rhetorical question plays back on the audience's growing doubts, causing them to draw the conclusion that if Britain is really their ally, there would be no need for the number of ships and soldiers they are sending to the

colonies. The word “shall” repeats in front of several rhetorical questions about the peaceful ways to respond to the British that have been unsuccessful in the past. The repetition brings attention to how often the peaceful approach fails. The rhetorical questions serve to anticipate possible alternatives to war and refute them as already having been exhausted and proven ineffective. This legitimizes Henry’s proposal that the only viable option involves war with Great Britain.
Henry hopes to convince the colonies to unite as a single nation in the coming battle against Britain. He initially describes remaining silent on the issue of war as a “treason towards [his] country.” The words treason and country instill in the audience a feeling of patriotism and nationalism, cultivating a sense of identity separate from being a part of the British Empire. He then later builds upon this by informing the colonists “[they] shall not fight ][their] battles alone.” This sentence appeals to logos by showing the increased chances of winning if they fight together as well as to appealing to pathos and the human need for camaraderie. In the last paragraph, Henry states “[their] brethren are already in the field,” to get an immediate emotional response. The word brethren makes the idea of the war more personal by projecting the feelings of protectiveness people feel towards family onto the nation as a whole.
The several rhetorical strategies within Patrick Henry’s “Speech in the Virginia Convention” win over the colonists present at the convention. Allusions to the mounting threat Britain poses to the colonists and the diction within the speech serve Henry’s greater goal. Patrick Henry’s ultimate intent is to rally them behind him as a united people in a war against a common enemy in order to retain their liberty.