Pericles’s and Lincoln’s funeral orations both reflect the use of constitutive rhetoric as they use persuasive speech to build up the community. As funeral orators, it is both Pericles and Lincoln’s job not to make the pain go away, but rather bring the grieving community together through overcoming the divide within their respective communities both deaths and civil wars cause. Although providing s successful rhetoric for a grieving community often seems impossible, both Pericles and Lincoln avoid weeping or being clique and focus strictly on building up the community through constitutive rhetoric. In using the constitutive form of rhetoric, Pericles and Lincoln go beyond the individual and explore the notion of the power of their respective
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Standing in front of the grieving Athenian people, Pericles must address the democratic nation in a way which will build up the comminuted and avoid isolating any one individual. In order to build up the democratic city, Pericles avoids praising the heroism of the fallen soldiers, but rather explores the notion of what it means to die for Athens. To pinpoint what it means to be Athenian citizen Pericles states, “In short, I say, that as a city we are the school of Hellas… for Athens alone of her contemporaries is found when tested to be greater than her reputation” (Quote). Through describing Athens as the school of Hellas, Pericles implies Athens exist as the center of democracy were opportunities to learn are bountiful and living as an Athenian citizen offers one the best opportunity to reach full capacity in knowledge and become apart of the best civilization in the world. Through discussing the achievements of Athens, Pericles builds up the community spirits through making them …show more content…
During the civil war, what would become one the world’s greatest super power was divided. The North and the South failed to verbally come to agreements, and as a result the opposing sides became engaged in a civil war. As President of the United States, it became Lincolns job to build the community of the United Stated back up and he began the process of doing so during a funeral oration for soldiers lost civil war through his persuasive speech used through his constitutive rhetoric. Much like Pericles, Lincoln goes past the individual and engages the United States as one community. The very last line of Lincoln’s speech states, “that the government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth” (quote). Lincoln appeals to the ideals of the fundamental system of democracy on which America was built upon, and through doing so brings to light the key aspect every American has in common. Through engaging a commonality amongst the ever single American, Lincoln successfully goes past the individual and enters in to the world of a greater community. Through defining a commonality between both Athens and the United States, both Pericles’ and President Lincoln’s speeches, reflect the use of constitute rhetoric. Providing a community allows each speaker to go beyond the individual and engage the community as a whole, exploring the
Standing in front of the grieving Athenian people, Pericles must address the democratic nation in a way which will build up the comminuted and avoid isolating any one individual. In order to build up the democratic city, Pericles avoids praising the heroism of the fallen soldiers, but rather explores the notion of what it means to die for Athens. To pinpoint what it means to be Athenian citizen Pericles states, “In short, I say, that as a city we are the school of Hellas… for Athens alone of her contemporaries is found when tested to be greater than her reputation” (Quote). Through describing Athens as the school of Hellas, Pericles implies Athens exist as the center of democracy were opportunities to learn are bountiful and living as an Athenian citizen offers one the best opportunity to reach full capacity in knowledge and become apart of the best civilization in the world. Through discussing the achievements of Athens, Pericles builds up the community spirits through making them …show more content…
During the civil war, what would become one the world’s greatest super power was divided. The North and the South failed to verbally come to agreements, and as a result the opposing sides became engaged in a civil war. As President of the United States, it became Lincolns job to build the community of the United Stated back up and he began the process of doing so during a funeral oration for soldiers lost civil war through his persuasive speech used through his constitutive rhetoric. Much like Pericles, Lincoln goes past the individual and engages the United States as one community. The very last line of Lincoln’s speech states, “that the government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth” (quote). Lincoln appeals to the ideals of the fundamental system of democracy on which America was built upon, and through doing so brings to light the key aspect every American has in common. Through engaging a commonality amongst the ever single American, Lincoln successfully goes past the individual and enters in to the world of a greater community. Through defining a commonality between both Athens and the United States, both Pericles’ and President Lincoln’s speeches, reflect the use of constitute rhetoric. Providing a community allows each speaker to go beyond the individual and engage the community as a whole, exploring the