Justin Lockamy, Faith Stall, Adam Whiteside
Abraham Lincoln used all three appeals-ethos, logos, and pathos-within his speech, while at the same time implementing several rhetorical devices. Lincoln used an ongoing analogy throughout the speech, comparing slavery to a machine. Pathos was being displayed through this analogy by demonstrating to the audience that slavery is a cold and unjust institution. Lincoln made a quick reference to the Bible during his speech, which in some aspects was a display of ethos: “’A house divided against itself cannot stand.’ I believe the government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free.” By alluding to the book of Matthew from the Bible, Lincoln established credibility; the Bible was to be taken seriously and was something the audience could relate to. The quote itself was used to imply to the Republican audience that if they did not come together than everyone would fall. The speech was filled with facts to back Lincoln’s argument, making use of the persuasive appeal logos, in knowing that he had an educated audience. He made countless allusions to both the Nebraska Bill and Dred Scott Case, tying those in with the Constitution, “The people were left to be ‘perfectly free,’ ‘subject only to the Constitution.’ What the Constitution had to do with it, outsiders could not then see. Plainly enough now: the adoption of it would have spoiled the niche, for the Dred Scott decision to afterward come in, and declare the perfect freedom of the people to be just no freedom at all. Why was the amendment, expressly declaring the right of the people, voted down?” Within this quote, Lincoln questions slavery and why African Americans do not have the same rights spoken of in the Constitution, using logic to back his argument. Lincoln then moves on to answer his own questions continuing his use of anaphora, a form of repetition, by stating “Plainly enough now…” Using this particular rhetorical device reinforces Lincoln’s ideas and opinions, making his argument clear to the audience. |
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