Speech to the Virginia Convention

(Imagery) "Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot?"

Are we going to sit here and hope that peace will be made or will we take a stand?

(Allusion to Exekiel 12:2 (Ethos)) "Are we disposed to be of the number of those who, having eyes, see not, and having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation?"

He states that those who cannot comprehend the truth will lose spiritual preservation

(Powerful Diction) "war and subjugation" "submission" "motive" "accumulation of navies and armies"

He wants the audience to deeply think about the situation

(Rhetorical Question) "Is it that insidious smile with which our petition has been lately received?"

He wants the audience to know that the British are misleading

(Imagery) "Ask yourselves how this gracious reception of our petition comports with those warlike preparations which over our waters and dark our land."

He wants the audience to think about how war will affect them

(Appeal to ethos (credibility)) "No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as ability, of the very worthy gentlemen who have just addressed the House."

He is building his own credibility by referring to himself

(Allusion to Christian New Testament) "Suffer not yourselves to be betrayed with a kiss."

He is relating to Juda's betrayal to Jesus

(Appeal to ethos (credibility)) "But different men often see the same subject in different lights; and, therefore, I hope it will not be thought disrespectful to those gentlemen if, entertaining as I do opinions a character very opposite to theirs, I shall speak forth my sentiments freely and without reserve."

He is trying to relate to more than one person's opinion throughout the speech

(Powerful diction) "arduous struggle for liberty"

He lets the audience know that they will need to fight for liberty

(Appeal to ethos (morals)) "guilty of treason towards my country, and of an act of disloyalty toward the Majesty of Heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings."

He refers to his morals by relating to a higher powe

(Reference to God) "Forbid it, Almighty God!"

He relates to a higher power to persuade the audience

(Rhetorical Question) "Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty?"

He wants the question to make obvious sense to the audience in regards to make known the struggle for independence from Britain.

(Imagery) "We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth"

He wants them to imagine all of the hardships that they are in

(Parallelism) "I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst, and to provide for it."

He wants them to know that he is willing to be a public figure for them

(Appeal to Ethos (credibility)) "I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!"

He wants to build on their trust by showing his passion to gain freedom

(Powerful Diction) "noble struggle" "pledged ourselves never to abandon until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained

They are fighting for a cause and will not stop until they are victorious

(Imagery) "have implored its interposition to arrest the tyrannical hands of the ministry and Parliament."

They are making the king look worse

(Imagery (Metaphor)) "They are sent over to bind and rivet upon us those chains which the British ministry have been so long forging."

They are talking about chains and becoming slaves

(Repetition) "we must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must fight!"

They are trying to get settlers motivated to fight

(Exclamatory sentence) "we have been spurned, with contempt, from the foot of the throne!"

They have been punished by the king

(Considering Opposition/Rhetorical) "Sir, we have been trying that for the last ten years. Have we anything new to offer upon the subject?"

They have been trying to negotiate for years, but it has not worked

(Appeal to Logos (logic)) "Besides, sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest."

They have gotten so far, too far to quit. They need to take action

(One-word sentence) "Nothing."

They have nothing to offer except war

(Imagery) "Our chains are forged!"

They have to fight back or they will be enslaved

(Appeal to ethos) "Let us not, I beseech you, sir, deceive ourselves."

They should not only have self respect for each other, but respect other opinions

(Metaphor) "Sir, we have done everything that could be done to avert the storm which is now coming on."

They tried to avoid the war, but the negotiating did not work

(Repetition) "let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come"

Accept that the war is coming

Audience

Second Virginia Convention

(Appeal to Logos (Logic)) "I know of no way of judging of the future but by the past."

He cannot do anything except expect what is soon to come

(Metaphor) "Trust it not, sir; it will prove a snare to your feet."

He compares the alliance to Britain with Juda's betrayal to Jesus

(powerful diction) "truth, and fulfill the great responsibility"

He enhances the speech with the truth of his opinion

(Appeal to ethos (credibility)) "Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offense, I should consider myself as guilty of treason towards my country"

He is building credibility by owning up to his previous mistakes

(Metaphor) "I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience."

He is building his credibility through experience

(Parallelism) "We ave petitioned; we have remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves before the throne"

It adds emphasis of everything they have already to avoid

(Parallelism) "If we wish to be free-- if we mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable privileges for which we have been so long contending-- if we mean not basely abandon the noble struggle in which we have been so long engaged"

It showed emphasis on their freedom

(Rhetorical Questions) "And what have we to oppose to them? Shall we try argument?"

It's showing how negotiation and arguments have gotten them no where

(Allusion to Homer's Odyssey) "listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts"

The British give the colonies false hope, like how Circe lured the sailors to the island

Speaker

Patrick Henry

Context

Patrick Henry believes that Britain is mistreating the American colonists

Purpose

Patrick Henry wanted to persuade the delegates that they should go to war against Britain to gain independence

(Figurative Language) "illusions of hope"

People have hope for something that won't come true (illusion)

(Parallelism) "Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances have produced additional violence and insult; our supplications have been disregarded"

The king is causing more violence, and all cries for help have been ignored

(Imagery) "The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms!"

The next event to happen will be war

(powerful comparison) "freedom or slaver"

The only options he sees are freedom from Britain or slavery under British rule

(Rhetorical Questions) "Why stand we hear idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery?"

The people would rather live as slaves than die at war against Britain

(Exclamatory Sentence) "The war is actually begun!"

They are already in disagreement with Britain

(Allusion to Current Event) "Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable-- and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come."

The war cannot be stropped and will come whether or not they fight back

(Appeal to Pathos (religion)) "Sir, we are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. The millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave."

To be stronger against Britain, they need God on their side as well as people to fight with them.

(Rhetorical Questions) "Are fleets and armies necessary to a work of love and reconciliation? Have we shown ourselves so unwilling to be reconciled that force must be called in to win back our love?"

War and fleets will not "win them back" to Britain, so they must prepare for war in return

(Rhetorical Questions) "But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the best week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall weather strength by irresolution and inaction?"

When will they stand against Britain? Sooner or later?