The ELA Common Core Standards, in high school, require students to improve their formal writing abilities by producing well-thought-out essays and arguments that are appropriately structured. They also need students to employ effective argumentative writing methods for them to defend a position or perspective.
The ability to deconstruct and validate, or debunk, opposing viewpoints is essential for strong persuasive writing. This necessitates a basic understanding of rhetoric. Teaching the Aristotelian concepts of Ethos, Pathos, and Logos as ways to enhance students' comprehension of good arguments is a fantastic approach to cultivating their understanding of effective arguments. Students may then assess the efficacy of these methods in a piece of writing, speech, or letter.
Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" is one of the most famous quoted speeches in history. In it, King uses rhetoric to appeal to his audience's emotions, values, and logic. By doing so, he is able to make a powerful argument for civil rights. So with that, it is worth exploring the ethos (expertise), pathos (emotional appeal), and logos (logic) of the speech to break it down into some core elements.
The speech was delivered on August 28th, 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. during the march on Washington for jobs and freedom. Centering around the dreams that King had, having grown up during segregated times of black and white folk. The speech text included repetition of the line "I Have a Dream..." such as:
“I Have a Dream that one day right there in Alabama little black boys and little black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.”
“I Have a Dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
To truly understand the impact of this speech, we first need to understand the meanings behind ethos (expertise), pathos (emotional appeal), and logos (logic).
Ethos is the credibility of the speaker. To establish ethos, a speaker must be seen as an expert in the topic at hand or be someone who is trusted by the audience. King was both an expert on civil rights and someone who was highly respected by the African American community. This gave his speech a great deal of authority and made it more persuasive.
Examples of Ethos in “I Have a Dream” Speech
“I Have a Dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.”
Pathos is the use of emotions to persuade an audience. King does an excellent job of using pathos to appeal to his audience's emotions. For example, he talks about the dreams that he has for his children and how he wants them to be judged by the content of their character instead of the color of their skin. This is a powerful message that speaks to people's hearts and motivates them to act.
Examples of Pathos in “I Have a Dream” Speech
“Five score years ago a great American in whose symbolic shadow we stand today signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree is a great beacon light of hope it millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity. But 100 years later the Negro still is not free.”
Logos is the use of logic and reason to persuade an audience. King uses logos throughout his speech by providing evidence and reasoning for why civil rights are important. He also uses analogy and metaphor to help illustrate his points. For instance, he compares Blacks to "a nation of sheep" being led astray by a "jackass" (the White establishment). This comparison helps to paint a picture in the minds of his listeners and makes his argument more understandable.
Examples of Logos in “I Have a Dream” Speech
“The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to distrust all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. They have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.”
I Have a Dream Writing Template
You can use the I Have a Dream writing template during class to get students to think about the different elements of King's speech. The template has sections for all three components discussed; Ethos, Pathos & Logos. This template may also be used as a guide for students to write their own speeches.
Each section assists students in the I Have a Dream speech rhetorical analysis by allowing them to type in a quote that belongs to each section of the template. Students can then use these I Have a Dream ethos, pathos, and logos sections to illustrate each example quote with characters, scenes, and emotions.
Take logos for example. The logos of the speech are the reasoning and examples that Dr. King uses to back up his argument. These logos quotes can be from famous cases, statistics, or even history. Here are some examples of logos in I Have a Dream speech:
“America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked 'insufficient funds'.”
“We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is a victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities.”
How Does Martin Luther King Use Ethos in His Speech?
Martin Luther King uses ethos in his speech by discussing his credentials as a Baptist minister and civil rights leader. He also talks about his experience with discrimination and how he has seen the effects of segregation firsthand. By sharing his personal experiences, he establishes himself as a credible source on the topic of civil rights.
In addition to discussing his own experiences, King also cites other sources to support his argument. He talks about the Founding Fathers and how they “were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir.” He as well references the Emancipation Proclamation and how it was a “great beacon light of hope” for African Americans.
How Does Martin Luther King Use Pathos in His Speech?
Martin Luther King uses pathos in his speech by sharing the experiences of African Americans who have faced discrimination and segregation. He talks about how African Americans have been “seared in the flames of withering injustice” and how they are still not free even 100 years after the Emancipation Proclamation. By sharing these powerful stories, he elicits an emotional response from his audience and strengthens his argument for civil rights.
King also uses analogy and metaphor to help illustrate his points. For instance, his comparison of African Americans to “a nation of sheep” and the white establishment to “jackass”. This comparison helps to paint a vivid picture of the situation and makes his argument more relatable to his audience.
How Does Martin Luther King Use Logos in His Speech?
Martin Luther King uses logos in his speech by citing statistics and historical events to support his argument. He talks about how African Americans have been discriminated against in housing, education, and employment. He also references the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence to show how all men are supposed to be treated equally. By using these facts and figures, he demonstrates that segregation is unjust and must be abolished.
King also uses persuasive language throughout his speech. For example, he talks about how African Americans “have come to our nation’s capital to cash a check” that was written by the Founding Fathers. This analogy helps his audience understand that civil rights are not just a Black issue, but an American issue. It is something that everyone should be concerned about and working to fix.
Overall the activity resource teaches the children about ethos, pathos, and logos. It is a good way to introduce the topic and allow the children to explore it in more depth.
When looking at how Martin Luther King uses rhetoric, we can see that he employs all three of Aristotle's modes of persuasion: ethos, pathos, and logos. He establishes his credibility as a leader early on in the speech, by talking about his experience with discrimination and sharing his credentials as a Baptist minister. Throughout the speech, he uses emotional language to connect with his audience and paint a picture of the struggles that African Americans face. He also uses logic and reasoning to back up his argument, by citing statistics and historical events.
The way he uses the three cornerstones of making a speech impactful will teach the children the importance of rhetoric in public speaking. They can then use literary devices in the “I Have a Dream” speech, get creative, and start to build up their own scenes, with characters to bring to life the quotes from each section that they have chosen. This will allow them to demonstrate to the high school ELA Common Core Standards that your teaching methods and school are providing the children with the learning resources to develop the ability to find, read, and comprehend complex informational texts.
What is an example of logos in I Have a Dream Speech? ›
Here are some examples of logos in I Have a Dream speech: “America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked 'insufficient funds'.” “We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is a victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality.What are some examples of pathos in the I Have a Dream Speech? ›
Martin Luther King uses Pathos when he says “And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.” He uses pathos here to appeal to his entire audience.What are ethos pathos and logos with examples? ›
Logos appeals to the audience's reason, building up logical arguments. Ethos appeals to the speaker's status or authority, making the audience more likely to trust them. Pathos appeals to the emotions, trying to make the audience feel angry or sympathetic, for example.How do you write ethos logos and pathos in a speech? ›
Ethos is about establishing your authority to speak on the subject, logos is your logical argument for your point and pathos is your attempt to sway an audience emotionally. Leith has a great example for summarizing what the three look like.How did Lincoln use logos in the speech? ›
Abraham Lincoln also uses logos in his speech to appeal to his audience's sense of reason. He brings up the fact that our founding fathers brought together this nation on unity, and it has been destructed by the Civil War.What are three examples of logos? ›
Also called “the logical appeal,” logos examples in advertisment include the citation of statistics, facts, data, charts, and graphs. In Aristotle's rhetorical triangle, ethos appeals to character, pathos appeals to emotion, and logos appeals to logic and reason.How does Emma Watson use pathos in her speech? ›
The second mode of rhetoric, pathos, is about engaging the audience at an emotional level. Watson plainly states early in her speech that “I need your help.” As such, Watson appeals to the sense of decency in her audience. She continues to do so when she speaks of the rights of women and men to be treated fairly.What is an examples of pathos in Steve Jobs speech? ›
The use of the pathos in the speech is observed when the author concludes about the results of his experience: “If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do” (Jobs).What is an example of ethos in a speech? ›
Any commercial in which a celebrity endorses a product, for example, hopes to persuade its target audience by cultivating an aura of authority or expertise through its association with the celebrity—and is therefore an example of ethos.What is pathos in a speech? ›
Pathos, or the appeal to emotion, means to persuade an audience by purposely evoking certain emotions to make them feel the way the author wants them to feel. Authors make deliberate word choices, use meaningful language, and use examples and stories that evoke emotion.
What is an example of logos in persuasive speech? ›
Logos is an argument that appeals to an audience's sense of logic or reason. For example, when a speaker cites scientific data, methodically walks through the line of reasoning behind their argument, or precisely recounts historical events relevant to their argument, he or she is using logos.How do you write pathos in a speech? ›
- Choose emotional points and topics, for example "Beat your social anxiety" would trigger more powerful emotions than "Learn how to speak in a group."
- Use analogies and metaphors - linking your ideas with something your listeners already know about and feel strongly about can trigger emotional responses.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. used pathos and logos in his speech to draw in people so he can make them act and he used pathos and ethos in his letter to defend his ideas using his knowledge of the audience and the occasion.How do you start an ethos speech? ›
You can establish ethos—or credibility—in two basic ways: you can use or build your own credibility on a topic, or you can use credible sources, which, in turn, builds your credibility as a writer.What are examples of logos in Patrick Henry's speech? ›
Logos. Henry is saying that Britain doesn't have any enemies, so there is no reason to call for war. This is logos because it can be proven a fact.Did Lincoln use ethos pathos or logos? ›
Abe Lincoln used literary devices to persuade the American nation that to end war we have to free the slaves . He used Ethos Pathos and logos as Solid Ground to deliver his statement.How does Steve Jobs use logos in his speech? ›
Jobs calls his audience to act on his suggestions through pathetic appeals and employs logos in the form of inductive reasoning to show that success can indeed be achieved by his suggested approach.What is an example of logos in a sentence? ›
He said in The Art of Rhetoric: “All men are mortal. Socrates is a man. Therefore, Socrates is mortal”, which is a perfect example of logos.What is logos in a sentence? ›
Logos sentence example. The immutability of God requires the eternity of the Logos and of the world. Christ himself was the Logos, the Reason. The Logos existed before creation and time; was with the very God and was God; and all things were made through Him.What is logos in Emma Watson's speech? ›
Throughout the speech, Watson incorporates logos to support her claim that women should possess the same rights as men. For example, she states, “15.5 million girls will be married in the next sixteen years as children.
What is ethos in Emma Watson speech? ›
This presentation highlights places where Emma Watson uses ethical appeals to build her credibility with and show goodwill to her audience. She highlights that she is young and doesn't know everything; she even pokes fun at her reputation for being known as a Harry Potter Girl.What are 3 techniques for pathos? ›
Pathos can be promoted by using simple & meaningful language, emotional tone of voice (oral or written), pauses and emotional metaphors or stories.What is a good example of logos? ›
Logos is when we use cold arguments – like data, statistics, or common sense – to convince people of something, rather than trying to appeal to an audience's emotions. Here's an example of logos in action from our man Aristotle himself: All men are mortal. Socrates is a man.What are some examples of positive and negative pathos? ›
Pathos aims to convince viewers by evoking an emotional response. This can be a positive, such the joy you would feel if you bought, say, a new pair of shoes. It can be a negative, as in, “Ouch, my back, I need a pill for relief.” And how about guilt? “Adopt this cute puppy before it's euthanized.”What are some pathos words? ›
Steve Jobs' speech relies primarily on the the concept of pathos with limited use of ethos and logos to effectively convey the message of making use of one's limited time. In the case of pathos, it is about the emotional connection that a speaker makes with the audience through their presentation.What is an example of pathos in an essay? ›
Pathos – The author communicates through emotions; they talk with the reader's emotions in mind, using the special way of expressing feelings to both appeal and persuade. EX: There is no price that can be placed on peace of mind.What is an ethos statement in a speech? ›
Ethos: The speaker tries to show the audience that he or she is reliable, credible, and trustworthy. The speaker also tries to build a bridge to the audience by using first-person plural pronouns (we, us). Pathos: The speaker appeals to the audience's emotions, using emotional language, sensory images, and anecdotes.How does Elie Wiesel use ethos? ›
Ethos is conveyed by using “my friends” to show how Wiesel is attempting to persuade the trust of the audience (Wiesel, 1999/16, p. 80). The author uses historic facts to show how much indifference there is in the world and why there is a need for vigilance in the face of evil.Why is a good to use pathos in a speech? ›
Pathos can trigger any kind of emotions in the reader ranging from sadness to anger. These appeals are particularly effective in terms of connecting with the audience, and giving the message a personal and relatable touch.
What is logos in a speech? ›
Logos is a rhetorical or persuasive appeal to the audience's logic and rationality. Examples of logos can be found in argumentative writing and persuasive arguments, in addition to literature and poetry.How do you write a paragraph in pathos? ›
Example: Animal Cruelty
Appeals to the Reader's Emotions
An effective argument from pathos will draw upon one specific emotion and target it to get a response from the listener. You may find that pathos commonly plays on darker emotions, like sadness, guilt, or anger. This isn't a rule–pathos is an appeal to any emotion!
Logos can also be found when Jobs' talk about what would happen if he did not take the calligraphy class. Steve Jobs had said, 'If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts'.How does Franklin use logos in his speech? ›
Throughout Benjamin Franklin's “Speech at the Convention,” Franklin conspicuously utilizes logos to further his agenda by appealing to the people present at the Philadelphia Convention/Constitutional Convention; with the purpose of persuading and convincing his compatriots to ratify the newly made constitution.How does Churchill use logos in his speech? ›
Winston Churchill uses logos in the quote “Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this Island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands” (“The Finest Hour”, Churchill).What was logos How was it used in the speech? ›
Logos, or the appeal to logic, means to appeal to the audiences' sense of reason or logic. To use logos, the author makes clear, logical connections between ideas, and includes the use of facts and statistics. Using historical and literal analogies to make a logical argument is another strategy.What is an example of pathos in Steve Jobs speech? ›
The use of the pathos in the speech is observed when the author concludes about the results of his experience: “If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do” (Jobs).What is an example of ethos in Steve Jobs speech? ›
Jobs began by saying, “I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation.” Steve Jobs is using ethos to allow the audience to question his credentials to be giving the speech by revealing to them that he did not graduate from college himself.How does Benjamin Franklin use pathos in his speech? ›
Ben Franklin uses the imagery of conflict (“cutting each others' throats”) to show the outcome of refusing to compromise (P3). Ben Franklin reasons that a unified Constitution will create stability among the states and project strength to foreign enemies (P4).
How does Martin Luther King use ethos in his speech? ›
Martin Luther King Jr., used ethos in his speech, “I Have a Dream” to build on trust and connections with the audience. He made the audience know he knew exactly what was going on currently with their struggles and racism issues.What is pathos in Winston Churchill speech? ›
Pathos is a cornerstone of every speech. It appeals to emotions that you want to evoke in people in order to move them in a certain way. For Churchill, there were two emotions that he targeted: fear and hope.What is ethos pathos logos in Churchill? ›
To get the audience to accept their views more easily, speakers can appeal to emotions (pathos), reason (logos), trust and authority (ethos). Winston Churchill uses all these modes of persuasion which are often overlapped in a balanced manner.How did Churchill use pathos? ›
In Churchill's case, the idea is the aim of victory, which he underscores by repeating the word “victory” five times over the course of the paragraph. The incantatory effect of this focused repetition constitutes a powerful appeal to pathos.How do you use pathos in a speech? ›
Pathos is to persuade by appealing to the audience's emotions. As the speaker, you want the audience to feel the same emotions you feel about something, you want to emotionally connect with them and influence them. If you have low pathos the audience is likely to try to find flaws in your arguments.How do you build ethos in a speech? ›
- Use only credible, reliable sources to build your argument and cite those sources properly.
- Respect the reader by stating the opposing position accurately.
- Establish common ground with your audience.