Rhetorical Appeals In The I Have A Dream Speech

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Rhetorical Appeals in the I Have a Dream Speech

The I Have a Dream speech delivered by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the steps of

Lincoln Memorial on 28

August 1963 has gained recognition as one of the greatest addresses

of all time in the world. The speech opposed racial segregation and profiling. It used several

modes of persuasion to convince the audience of the need for urgent interventions to end racial

oppression. King’s perfect use of the three styles of rhetorical appeal namely logos, pathos, and

ethos in the speech electrified America to demand for racial justice for the African American

population making it the most important speeches in history. This led to a strong wave of civil

rights movements which saw the end of racial injustices.

King used logos in the speech as a mode of persuasion on several occasions. Logos is

the use of reason, facts, and figures as a means of persuading the audience. King applied the

metaphor of an uncashed cheque to explain the plight of the African Americans to the audience.

He presents the Emancipation Proclamation as a promissory note and depicts equality and

freedom a cheque that wanted to be cashed only to find the mark of “insufficient funds” (King

para 4). However, he “refused to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt” (King para 5).

The use of this analogy requires the listeners to imagine receiving a bad cheque playing to their

logic. He also references various facts to bolster his speech such as the failure of African

Americans to secure a room in a hotel due to their colour which plays to their logic of freedom.

King also uses history to appeal to the logic of the audience. King used a promissory

note to illustrate the Declaration of Independence. According to King, “this note was a promise

that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the inalienable rights

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of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness” (Para 4). He then explained how the declaration and

the constitution had not lived to their expectations since the African Americans still live in

deplorable conditions. He states that “instead of honouring this sacred obligation…” (King

Para 4). This requires the audience to logically compare the expectations of the citizens during

historical period with the current state of affairs and identify gaps that need to be filled.

Therefore, referencing historical expectations and indicating that they have not been achieved

100 years later demonstrates a strong appeal to the logic of the audience to connect the two.

King uses pathos in the speech when he plays to the emotions of the over 200,000

people in the audience. Pathos refers to an appeal to emotion which is the strongest rhetorical

device used by King in his speech. He makes a plea for the children when he says, “We can

never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood” (king para 12). This

emotionally affects the current and prospective parents in the congregation that the push for

equality is not only for their benefit but also for their children. He also plays to the emotions

attached to children when he says that “I have a dream that my four children will one day live

in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their

character” (King para 20). As a result, he emotionally connects with the crowd to chant their

future for the sake of their future generations.

Additionally, King evokes pity for the negros when he explains the poor living

conditions that they face 100 years after the Emancipation Proclamation. He repeats the phrase

“one hundred years later, the negro is still…” (King para 3). This dramatizes the deplorable

living conditions of the African Americans and evokes pity from the audience and push them

to action. Repetition of the phrases “I have a dream,” “let freedom ring,” and “with this faith”

(King para 17-24, 26, 28,29) also increased his emotional connection with the crowd. The

skilful rising of the crescendo when repeating these phrases effectively carries the audience’s

emotions with him to push them into non-violent action.

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Lincoln strongly uses ethos in his speech as a mode of persuasion. Ethos is the appeal

to ethics and is used as a way of convincing the audience. It entails using the authority and

credibility of the speaker or his/her experience in a particular field. King stamps his authority

as a preacher and a civil rights activist to target the inner morality of the American population.

He uses the Declaration of Independence, Emancipation Proclamation and the constitution as

the references to stamp his authority in the speech since these documents represent the

foundation of the nation. He also believes that the unjust treatment of African Americans is

extremely wrong as all men should be equal. He quotes the creed that, “we hold these truths to

be self-evident, that all men are created equal” (King Para 17). This appeals to the audience to

uphold the ethical principle of justice and equality.

King also uses ethos when he references Abraham Lincoln in his speech as “a great

American in whose symbolic we stand today” (King Para 2). By doing so, draws Lincoln as

his statue before he delivers the speech. Therefore, he invokes the authority of Lincoln and his

stand on civil rights. Additionally, King references multiple biblical passages and God to build

on the credibility of his speech. He incorporates commonly held Christian believes which

makes a strong appeal to the ethical principles of the multitude. For instance, he quotes that

after freedom rings everywhere, “all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and

Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old

Negro spiritual: Free at last! Free at last!” (King para 30). This reference to everyone as God’s

child despite their colour established his credibility both as a preacher and a civil rights leader.

In conclusion, Martin Luther King’s I have a dream speech is a perfect illustration of

the use of rhetoric appeals of logos, pathos, and ethos to persuade the audience. King presents

a clear argument why everyone should be treated equally. He presents a carefully crafted

speech to demand for racial justice for the oppressed African American population. He uses

reason, facts, and figures to address the plight of the African Americans in the speech which

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appeals to the logic of the congregation. Certainly, the speech also evoked a lot of emotional

feelings by presenting an idealized American future with freedom and justice. Finally, the

speech stamped the moral authority of the speaker by referencing key historical figures,

documents, and God to appeal to the ethics of the audience. As a result, the speech inspires a

great congregation of civil rights movements that saw an end to racial injustice in America.

Works Cited

King, Jr. Martin Luther. “I Have A Dream Speech.” Lincoln Memorial. Washington DC. 28

August 1963. Americanrhetoric.com. Web.

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