The Rhetorical Analysis Of Pericles's Funeral Oration

In his funeral oration, Pericles speaks of the intangible qualities that make Athens great, beyond their simple military might. He talks about how the Athenians treat other peoples and says “when we do kindnesses to others, we do not do them out of any calculations of profit or loss: we do them without afterthought, relying on our free liberality” (Thucydides 2.41). Pericles believes that every decision does not have to be made out of selfishness. According to this philosophy, one can and should show mercy merely because one has the ability to do so. The fundamental reason Pericles holds this position is because he views the world through the lense of self governance. He says “our constitution is called a democracy because power is in the hands …show more content…
When Cleon advocates the execution of all of the adult male Mytilenians, he speaks as the antithesis of these democratic ideals. He argues against democracy and any sort of abstract sense of morality. Cleon says “to feel pity, to be carried away by the pleasure of hearing a clever argument, to listen to the claims of decency are three things that are entirely against the interests of an imperial power.” It would be logical to think that Diodotus, who next argues against the killing of the Mytilenians, would use some kind of moral justification against the slaughter. However, that is not the case. Diodotus, like Cleon, argues for his viewpoint based purely on the self interest of the state. He says “if we are sensible people, we shall see that the question is not so much whether they are guilty as whether we are making the right decisions for ourselves” (Thucydides 3.44). Overall, Pericles would deeply disagree with the underlying logic of both Cleon and …show more content…
We are capable at the same time of taking risks and estimating them beforehand” (Thucydides 2.40). Pericles believes that debate is an integral part of the democratic process. When one begins making rash decisions, one runs the risk of causing deadly consequences that could have been easily foreseen with a little bit of logical discussion. Cleon, meanwhile, believes that once the Athenians make a judgment they should rarely change their minds. From his point of view, a change of heart shows weakness. He says “‘worst of all for us will be if there is no constancy in our decisions, and if we forget that imperfect laws kept valid give greater strength to a city than good laws unenforced” (Thucydides 3.37). In some situations, It may be true that one would appear strong by sticking to one’s decisions, but that could come at a serious cost; perhaps even leading to the end of