Rhetorical Analysis Of Patrick Henry

“It is better to be violent, if there is violence in our hearts, than to put on the cloak of nonviolence to cover impotence” -Mahatma Gandhi. Just like Gandhi Patrick Henry also protested Britain's rule over his land. They also thought that it was better to fight the British when it got to a breaking point versus pretending like the problems didn’t exist. Tensions between Britain and the American colonies were escalating after the blockade of Boston Harbor in retaliation of the Boston tea party. This caused the formation of the second Virginia convention convened to debate the course of action that should be taken to deal with the cruel rule of the British over the American people. Patrick Henry wanted to go to war with the British and when …show more content…
Henry is telling the president about how waiting for Britain's response to their petition is an “illusion of hope” (Henry 2) when he uses ethos to bolster his credibility “I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided; and that is the lamp of experience. I know of no way of judging of the future but by the past.” (2) Henry says that his opinion is based on one thing, his experience. He effectively used ethos in this passage by bolstering his credibility. Henry elevates his credibility by showing his argument is based in truth as well as the “the lamp of experience” which everyone trusts to light their …show more content…
Henry urged his audience to realize the foolishness of their hope of peace and showed them that with these words "What terms shall we find which have not been already exhausted? Let us not, I beseech you, sir, deceive ourselves longer. Sir, we have done everything that could be done to avert the storm which is now coming on."(3) There was no other way for the colonies to go but to fight is what Henry meant at his moment;consequently, he was right. The utilization of logos was flawless. Henry dictated in supremely clear words that they had tried everything diplomatic to “avert the storm” of war “which is now coming on”. Logos is shown here because Henry says that every other avenue has been eliminated from perspective and the only course able to be taken is to sail into the storm and fight it till they come out the other side. Facts are being used, nobody came up with another course of action that has worked and will work to prevent war, so the only option left is war. Henry harnessed the persuasive power of logos efficiently to show the delegates the impudence of their ways by illuminating their only option