Rhetorical Devices In Patrick Henry Speech

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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 between Great Britain and the American colonists through the Intolerable Acts. On March 23, 1775, Henry attended the second Virginia Convention ready to voice his opinions on the tyranny that colonists were facing at the time (Andrews). Patrick Henry, a distinguished revolutionary leader, who was rational and passionate delivered his speech to persuade fellow Americans to join the fight for independence. Henry uses rhetorical questions, and they are particularly effective because, right after asking them, he answers them forcefully. For instance, he asks if Great Britain has an enemy in the Americas and quickly replies “No, sir, she has none. They are meant …show more content…
Patrick Henry asserts that the colonies are not weak because they will be fighting for the “holy cause of liberty” (Henry). In a time when the church played a vital role to society, biblical allusions were incredibly effective. Henry used people’s faith to support his argument. He emphasized that God would help the worthy cause of the Patriots, for it is He that “presides over the destinies of nations” (Henry). There was no possible way that men could oppose the power of God’s will in this time period. To question Patrick Henry’s words would have been to question God himself, which is why Henry’s biblical allusions were the most effective in persuading colonists to be part of a
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