Patrick Henry Speech Questions
expresses contrasting ideas in parallel grammatical structures." One extreme to the other. Teo contrasts to create effect
Antithesis
How does this line fulfill the commentary in the Aristotle and Joshua Bell video in regards to ethos?
Does the speaker care about the audience? If so people will listen
What image is Henry trying to echo that he stated earlier in the speech?
Echoing freedom and slavery
What appeal is Henry using in the last lines of the speech?
Either/or fallacy
is a kind of repetition in which words or phrases in the same grammatical form connect ideas. Ex: what three things do you like to do? I like to bake, i like to sing, and i like to write
Parallelism
State the questions the way he states them in lines 23-27
"And judging by the past, I wish to know what there has been in the conduct of the British ministry for the last ten years, to justify those hopes with which gentlemen have been pleased to solace themselves and the House? Is it that insidious smile with which our petition has been lately received?"
Prove your answer to the above by citing punctuation and word choice.
"I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death! "
How is the metaphor "...it will prove a snare to your feet" lines 27-28 effective?
A snare is a trap (think of a serpent) it freightens them
Why does he think this?
Because if God agrees that means he will help
are references to events, figures, or phrases from the Bible. In this selection, they have the rhetorical appeal of shared beliefs.
Biblical allusion
What might be a modern day translation of these lines?
Bring it on
What appeal is Henry using by asking these questions?
Ethos and logos It's is adding intensity and making the reader understand his emotion in what is saying
What appeal is Henry using here?
Ethos because if god agrees that means he will help nd he is giving god credibility to persuade the audience
How does this line appeal to ethos and pathos?
Ethos we tend to believe the message of people who care for us he creates pathos thru the emotional appeal
Complete the following famous lines: " . . . we must ___! I repeat it, sir, we must ___!"
Fight, fight
According to Henry, who will help their cause (line 73)?
God
What is Henry trying to get the Convention to see?
He is convincing them to fight the British
How are the lines "but as for me" effective?
He is easing the pressure of the decision but low key forcing them He is manipulating them thru psychology
Explain how the rhetorical questions in lines 29-46 appeal to logos?
He is giving them facts, if you don't believe me look at what the British have done READ LINES 29-46 The taxes angered the people Some things the British did was: tax them, the Stamp Act (tax stamps), the boston tea party
What does Henry accomplish with this allusion?
He is making an allusion to The Odyssey. He is telling us to be careful because if they don't open their eyes the British are going to take over. He is using pathos at the beginning. He accomplishes this by scaring them saying we will end up like the sailors
What do you think Henry is trying to achieve by using the rhetorical question: "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?"
He is portraying an ugly image and by doing nothing we are looking hopeless
Explain the effectiveness of the following questions in lines 17-20.
He is saying are being wise sitting back and do you think this is the righting thing to do? When you ask rhetorical questions you are appealing to the pathos always
What does Henry mean by "For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst and to provide for it."
He is saying that he is willing to know the truth whether it is good or bad and he just wants to know the truth.
How has he prepared his audience for such a statement?
He prepares them and gets them ready by creating the vision of the freedom or slavery and ends with those words.
Give some examples of what Henry means by "everything" in lines 48-53.
He says we have done everything else. He says there is no hope and says that they have tried everything so we should go to war now.
Henry says, "There is no longer any room for hope". Explain this statement
He says we have done everything else. He says there is no hope and says that they have tried everything so we should go to war now.
How are these final statements effective?
He says we have no choice but to fight.
How does Henry feel it should guide him?
He thinks that with his experience he has grown wiser and knows about the topic That they will treat them badly
Why does Henry use repetition?
He uses repetition to create emphasis and so that the audience can listen to him
How are Henry's very famous, " . . . -give me liberty or give me death!" antithesis?
Here he says for me. This is effective because they are going to listen because of ethos and since he is doing it they will follow and he hasn't told them choose this.
Although Henry admits that the colonists are "weak", what argument does he make for not waiting
I know that we are weak but we will get stronger. He is telling them when will we be stronger.
Do you agree with this statement or disagree? Why
I want to know the good and bad so i know what i am up against.
Note the word "insidious" in line 26. How is this word a good choice to describe the British?
Insidious- means treacherous (evil to the core) this is a word that is always bad. Yes, because he saying to fight them. He has got to tell them that they are bad because if not they wont fight.
How does Henry use parallelism in lines 84-85?
Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery?"
How is this an effective metaphor?
It is a good metaphor because it is relatable
How is it effective?
It is effective because he contuineus to emphasize that they need to fight.
An either/or or false dichotomy fallacy refers to when a speaker presents only two options when there are actually more options available. For example, have you ever said to your parents "Either I go to this party or my social life is over!"? How is this type of persuasion effective?
It is effective because you are putting fear into them, he is aging there are only 2 options. Think about it there are a lot of other options. He is using an appeal of pathos. He is presenting them this so that they can choose to go to war. He guilts them into this
According to Patrick Henry, "it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope." a) Explain what Henry means by stating the above.
It is human nature for people to treat self. It is human and normal.
How does this statement add or detract from Henry's ethos? How?
It shows that he is very strong willed and as a courage man with good characters
What is the "storm" Henry refers to?
It's a fear and it looks like a bad thing is coming. He is making it relatable.
What does Henry mean when he says, "Sir, we have done everything that could be done to avert the storm which is now coming on"
It's a metaphor
Explain the use of repetition in lines 78-79.
Let it come let it come
Paraphrase the following lines: "No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism as well as abilities, of every worthy gentlemen who have just addressed the House. But different men often see the same subject in different lights;"
No one thinks better of the people who are in front of the (all men) who have addressed the House before me but people have different opinion
Which appeal is Henry using here? Explain.
Pathos He is making the people angry
Is the recurrence of words, phrases, or lines. (Let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come!)
Repetition
Is a question to which no answer is expected. (But when shall we be stronger?)
Rhetorical question
Who are the sirens in Greek mythology?
Siren, in Greek mythology, a creature half bird and half woman who lured sailors to destruction by the sweetness of her song. The sailors would jump into the water and the sirens would then eat them
Why do your parents repeat things?
So it has permanence and so that it is clear
What does he accomplish by acknowledging that it is "natural" even though he has decided otherwise for himself?
So that the audience doesn't feel bad about it and this adds to his ethos. If the audience thinks you care about them they are more likely to listen to your message. He is establishing more ethos with them by using his pathos.
Explain the significance of the following metaphor: "I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience."
That is a metaphor and he doesn't really mean a lamp. He calls it the lamp of experience. A lamp of experience means lights the way for what hasn't happened yet. The British have done all these bad things for the last ten years, so why wouldn't that happen in the future.
How is it effective that Henry portrays the colonists' only options "freedom" or "slavery
There is no inbetween and it makes the situation seem more dramatic
Discuss the allusion, "Suffer not yourselves to be betrayed with a kiss."
This is an allusion to when Judas kissed Jesus on check and later betrayed him Judas was give 30 pieces of silver to turn Jesus in. We use this allusion when someone is nice but stabs us in the back
What does the line "Flattery will get you everywhere mean" (this line is not in the speech - it's just an aphorism)?
This means that when you want something and you compliment someone, it usually works in your favor. Everyone loves to be complimented and makes you feel validated. Henry has complimented them by saying he thinks highly of all the people there
According to Henry, what is the only alternative for the colonists?
To fight
Do you agree with Henry that "We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of the siren, till she transforms us into beasts"? Give a present day example to show this is true.
We would rather live in the illusion that the reality
How does our experience guide us? Give a present day example.
With experience we wont repeat the mistake. to learn history so that we wont repeat the mistakes of the pass. Yes, because he saying to fight them. He has got to tell them that they are bad because if not they wont fight.
What does Henry accomplish by stating "For my part". What do you think he's trying to do? Is it effective? If so, how?
You are softening it and you are not telling them what to do, because people don't like to be told what to do. He tells them for my part. He is trying to soften them what to do by saying that this is my opinion.
refers to when a speaker presents only two options when there are actually more options available. For example, have you ever said to your parents
either/or or false dichotomy fallacy
What is the "it" Henry refers to in the following lines?: "For mine own part, I consider it as nothing less than a question of freedom or slavery."
he it is the war. Do we go to war with the Brits or stay the way we are
To whom is the speech addressed?
it is addressed to Peyton Randolph. I've is trying to convince the delegate of the Virginia Convention that they should go to war with England. He is addressing it to the President of the convention but really it is all. Peyton Randolph is the President of the Virginia convention. This is important because it helps us understand context. George Washington isn't president because we are still not a nation
Which appeal does Henry use? Explain
pathos
Which appeal does Henry use? Explain
pathos- to emotionally get them
Do you ever flatter your parents before you ask their permission to do something you want? Why do you do this?
yes
