Jfk Speech Rhetorical Analysis

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On April 4, 1968 Robert Kennedy gave a speech to honor the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The speech took place the eve of Dr. King’s tragic assassination. The speech was given to ensure that people did not act violently after the horrible assassination. Mr. Kennedy uses rhetorical devices pathos and logos the most to effectively get his message across that all should react calmly to this tragic event. Robert Kennedy’s use of transition in between certain statements and the way he connects pathos and logos really develop his speech.

Furthermore, Kennedy uses logos in his speech by pointing out logical things that needed to be said. In one part of the speech he makes a logical claim on how the majority of people want to live in harmony and that this event should cause ideas of finishing what Doctor King started and ending ideas of violence. Mr. Kennedy shares how most people want “justice for all human beings that abide by our land” and that “violence is not what the country needs”. These empowering quotes tell the audience to carry on Doctor Kings ideals of peaceful protests with no violence. His use of logos caused many to really stop and
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Kennedy’s strong emotions conveyed many to change their ways from being violent to being peaceful. At the very beginning of the speech Robert Kennedy explains that he has “very sad news” this prepares the audience for what they are about to hear. His words touch into the sadness that all of the audience is feeling and when he asks citizens to “lower those signs” it almost feels as though he has a personal relationship with people in the crowd and asking them to do him a small favor. His words make it seem as though he is relating to the people who are mourning which increase the amount of emotions. This emotion helped direct people into believing what was the right thing to do. His words when using pathos shaped his speech from the very

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