Patrick Henry Speech

Words: 774
Pages: 4
Open Document
Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death
1. Context
2. Synopsis “Give me liberty or give me death” is a well-known line from a speech given by Patrick Henry on March 23rd, 1775. (“Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death”). Patrick Henry was a man who had grown tired of waiting for the so-called liberty America had promised to bring. For the opening of his speech, Henry recognized the men who opposed him, and made it clear his opinions were not to be thought of as disrespectful. He spoke in a matter of urgency, and told his audience he could no longer hold back his thoughts because he believed it would equal to that of treason towards his country. He then proceeds to ask the current president rhetorical questions about the illusions of false hope. According …show more content…
In almost every form of figurative language that was used, Henry would seem to portray the British as deceitful and misleading. He wanted to establish the British could no longer be trusted, and they were only feeding the colonies false hope. To reel in the audience even more, Henry uses more figurative language to refer to biblical verses and scriptures. Because the colonists were so devoted to their religion, they often used biblical references to come off as more relatable. With all this being said, Patrick Henry knew how to evoke certain emotions from his listeners, and this is why his speech turned out to be so …show more content…
His speech is said to be one of the most eloquent speeches ever to be delivered in American history. The impact of Henry’s words swayed the members of the Virginia convention to pass a resolution that would send troops for the upcoming war. Not only did this shed light on Virginia, but also the remaining colonies throughout the nation. Patrick Henry’s speech sparked the fire needed for the Battle of Lexington and Concord, which was the precursor the American Revolution. Moreover, it inspired many to act out on their oppressions against Great Britain. This speech has shown the true importance of speaking out when liberties and freedoms are being
Show More

Related Documents: Patrick Henry Speech

Patrick Henry Persuasive Speech

Persuasive Patrick Patrick Henry was one of the most persuasive and influential people of his time. People during the late 1700’s worked time consuming and difficult jobs and they desperately needed a change. Struggling to sustain their life, many people during this time period often had to work many hours and had to live in tiny houses. One man was going to come along and make a change for these people though. Patrick Henry’s “Speech to the Virginia Convention” used pathos more than any other persuasive…

Words 410 - Pages 2

Patrick Henry Speech Essay

While some remained loyal to the British Parliament to avoid treason, others were passionate and rebelled against the British, who saw their actions as pugnacious crimes. In Patrick Henry’s speech, Henry attempted to persuade the president to prepare for the unavoidable war against the British after his attempts to achieve reconcilement failed. Henry anticipated a war coming with the British because all their methods to mediate with the British failed. They resorted to drastic measures to avoid this war, but their efforts were…

Words 591 - Pages 3

Patrick Henry Speech Analysis

both Patrick Henry’s speech to the Virginia Convention and “The Crisis No.1” by Thomas Paine. These two documents were some very important and key ideas during this time period involved in helping the people make their decision about staying with Great Britain. The main purpose of these two documents was freedom from Great Britain for the Colonies. Both of these men were very persuasive in their methods of getting the point they were trying to make across. While Thomas Paine and Patrick Henry both…

Words 653 - Pages 3

Analysis Of Patrick Henry Speech

A Speech to be Remembered During Patrick Henrys speech at the Virginia convention he uses many different techniques like asking the colonists questions, comparing things, and using alluding to past events in hope to persuade the colonists to stand up and fight for their rights against Britain. Many people are often deceived by the words of others. By using an allusion Henry hopes to help the colonists get a better understanding of his want for fighting Britain. By saying “suffer not yourselves…

Words 419 - Pages 2

Rhetorical Analysis Of Patrick Henry Speech

In March of 1775, Patrick Henry delivered a speech to the delegates of the Virginia Convention. In this speech, he appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos by using many forms of rhetoric and figurative language to sway the convention to support his revolutionary ideas of fighting the British To help convey the importance of enacting a militia, Patrick Henry uses many stylistic devices to portray the British Parliament as deceitful tyrants. He believes that the British is only there for their benefit…

Words 474 - Pages 2

Rhetorical Analysis Of Patrick Henry Speech

Patrick Henry’s Speech to the Virginia Convention Patrick Henry’s Speech to the Virginia Convention is a compelling call to action directed towards the people of America. Its goal is to persuade the American population to fight against Great Britain for independence. Clearly, this speech was persuasive enough to do so. Henry used pathos, an emotional approach, to relate to his audience and influence them to fight for their independence. Americans are tired of Britain’s intrusions in their government…

Words 293 - Pages 2

Rhetorical Analysis Of Patrick Henry Speech

their contributions? The answer must be “No” if we take Patrick Henry out of the options. Patrick Henry really played a very prominent role in the success of America’s independence. In his speech to the Virginia Convention in 1775, 'Give me liberty or give me death’, Patrick Henry encourages the Colony of Virginia to rise up, fight for the revolution and stand for their freedom by uses diction, organization, and figurative language. Within his speech, he uses ethos, logos, and pathos convey a feeling…

Words 399 - Pages 2

Patrick Henry Speech Rhetorical Devices

On March 23, 1775, Patrick Henry, a Son of Liberty and politician, in his speech entitled “Patrick Henry’s Speech in the Virginia Convention, invigorates support for secession from Britain and the willingness to fight for freedom. He validates secession by informing the Convention that Britain is assembling navies and armies to subjugate America, that war is coming and it cannot be ignored, and finally that no efforts of peace can succeed in halting the bloodshed. Through Henry’s use of tone, rhetorical…

Words 1048 - Pages 5

Rhetorical Devices In Patrick Henry Speech

Towards the end of the eighteenth century Patrick Henry, a lawyer and politician, felt oppressed due to the lack of representation that American colonists had in British government (“Patrick Henry Biography”). Parliament and King George III passed legislation that affected the lives of colonists without their input in any part of the decision-making process (“British Reforms and Colonial Resistance”). Throughout this tension, King George III only managed to further increase the strain on the relationship…

Words 668 - Pages 3

Rhetorical Analysis Of Speech By Patrick Henry

Rhetorical Analysis: Patrick Henry's “Speech to the Virginia Convention” Patrick Henry effectively convinces his audience to challenge England in war for their independence by employing rhetorical questions to diffuse ideas of compromise, parallelism to display King George’s rejection of the colonies’ aspirations, and allusions illustrating the right of the House to safeguard America; however, some representatives of the House may be a bit reluctant to fight because of the way Henry depreciates the complexity…

Words 807 - Pages 4