Ethos In The Gettysburg Address

Words: 355
Pages: 2

In November of 1863, Abraham Lincoln gave his famous speech- Gettysburg Address, during the dedication ceremony for the National cemetery at Gettysburg. The purpose of the speech is to honor fallen soldiers and remind the nation of what they were fighting for, freedom and equality for all. Within this two-minute speech, Lincoln gave a great speech by using ethos, pathos, and logos. Although the speech is considered short by some common standards, Lincoln effectively got his speech across. Lincoln effectively use ethos throughout the speech and he uses other rhetorical devices to give ethos. Lincoln uses repetition by saying we multiple times, he said,”we are engaged in a great civil war” “ We are met on a great battle-field of that war.” .”We have come to dedicate a portion of that field”. Using the word we imply that everyone is equal and it reminds the audience what they are fighting for. Lincoln also says, “ It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining …show more content…
He uses diction to deliver pathos by using words like, “devotion”, “hollow”, and “honored. Most of the audience was already in an emotional state, therefore this adds on to the effectiveness through powerful emotion. Lincoln also used antithesis, he says, “those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. The president wanted the audience to feel proud of people who lost their lives to make sure the country stayed unified.
In addition to pathos and ethos, Lincoln used logos in his "Gettysburg Address" (though to a lesser extent). “All men were created equal,” is an allusion to the declaration of independence. It symbolizes equality and freedom and reminds the nation of what they are fighting for. Another example of logos used in the speech is “Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty,” he is stating when the country was