Preview

What Is The Purpose Of I Have A Dream Speech

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1021 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
What Is The Purpose Of I Have A Dream Speech
On August 28 of 1963, Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered a speech titled “I Have a Dream” at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington D.C. The speech’s purpose was to address racism and to motivate the civil rights activists to fight for the Negroes’ freedom. Martin Luther King, Jr’s “I Have a Dream” speech was rhetorically effective due to: the eloquent delivery of his speech through repetitive phrases, his reputation and reference to Lincoln, and referring to historically significant documents to back up his argument. The speech successfully appeals to the civil rights activists and influences them to act, so successfully that even the racist white people were afraid that they were losing “control” over the black populace. The exigence of this speech was communicated articulately by …show more content…
By using the phrase “I have a dream”, King broadcasts his dreams for the future, where social and economic equality would be achieved. The overall effectiveness of King's “I Have a Dream” speech is overwhelming, mentioning the struggles of the Negro, the freedom promised but not given, and dreams of the future, primarily appealing to pathos. The structure of the speech influences the audience to reminisce of the past in the beginning of the speech, the importance of acting now in the middle of the speech, and dreams of the future to end the speech. Although ethos and logos are important factors in the speech, they work together to amplify pathos. Without ethos and logos, King's speech would be untenable and would only have pathos as its appeal, greatly reducing the rhetorical effectiveness of his speech. However that was not the case, ethos gives the audience reassurance to King's credibility and logos gives logical reasoning to his arguments, together, they give pathos a firm

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Martin Luther King, was a man of equal and respectful treatment. In 1963, with a frustrating yet respectful tone, King gave a speech “I have a Dream” which had the intriguing purpose to inform the nation on how African-americans should be granted the same freedom with no violence. This speech was presented in front of 250,000 people, mainly those who were for King’s cause. While listening to this speech the main rhetorical device, metaphor, is presented.…

    • 405 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Repetition in Martin Luther King’s speech is used overall to evoke emotion within the audience members. He often repeats the using sentences that begin with “go back to …”. The repetition of this phrase expresses his passion and relates it to the audience by showing that is just as worked up over the situation they are in just as much as they are, if not more. By repeating the phrase “I have a dream that …” Martin Luther King gets the audience emotionally involved and , and gives them the same dream and hope that it will one day be a reality, not just a dream. The more the phrase is used the more emotion it evokes. The more emotion that is evoked, the more the audience want to make change in the nation.…

    • 566 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Martin Luther King Jr.’s I Have A Dream speech and John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address both represent turning points in American history. Both speakers address America with views of change, growth, and hope for more positive and enlightened futures. Furthermore, the speakers use their platforms to their advantage, and use pathos to emotionally attract the support of their audiences.…

    • 356 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Martin Luther King, Jr., a Civil Rights Activist of the 1950s, delivered the “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963 to advocate for equal rights for all ethnicities and to convey the message that unity is essential to the strength of society. Martin Luther King, Jr. starts his speech by uniting the audience under a similar belief that, “all men would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the…

    • 1057 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The speaker of the well known speech, ‘I Have a Dream’ was its very own author, Martin Luther King Jr. This speech was mainly about freedom and equality for African Americans. King emphasized on African American history, and how him and his people have been treated. The argument he used was that the African Americans have gone through enough and they deserve freedom and equality as much as white people. To support his argument he uses three appeals; emotional, ethical, and finally logical.…

    • 680 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream (1963)” speech, he addresses the idea that in order to fulfill the premise that “all men were created equal,” the people of the nation must work together to move past the injustices inflicted on African Americans in order to ultimately grant them their civil rights. King’s claim is supported by first repeatedly alluding to historically renowned milestones in the fight against oppression and illustrating numerous metaphors to create an emotional connection with his audience. King’s “dream” that he frequently mentions is the nationwide unification to work toward a common goal in order to bring integration of all races and coexist without oppression. By establishing his goal, he creates an earnest tone for the people of America working toward cutting the “manacles of segregation and chains of discrimination.”…

    • 714 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In 1963 Martin Luther King gave the most powerful and famous speech in the history of the United States. 40 years later, no other speech has been able to overcome the effect that this speech has had on the American people generation after generation. Despite the fact that the message of the speech is perhaps the most enduring aspect of the speech, the rhetorical strategies Martin Luther King used were instrumental in captivating the attention of millions people then, and now. The purpose of “I have a dream” was to awaken awareness about the importance of equality and to transcend his vision through the use of pathos, ethos and biblical imagery, among other elements; these are the strategies that enabled him to compose a dialogue that is essentially as motivating as a work of poetry.…

    • 1053 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    MLK/Mockingbird Analysis

    • 945 Words
    • 4 Pages

    “I have a dream today… From every mountain side, let freedom ring.” These were the words of Martin Luther King, Jr. During the time period set in To Kill a Mockingbird and when MLK lived (1930-1960), racial discrimination and prosecution were sewn into the culture of the south of the United States. The Civil Rights Act through the 1950’S and 60’s was meant to reverse this thinking of hatred and prejudice towards African-Americans. This movement became “the nation’s latest attempt to perform in the South an exorcising of its original sin, and it turned out our most epic moral drama since the Civil War itself” (Marshall Frady, 2). One of the most prominent leaders in this act was Dr. King. This reverend became one of the main reasons segregation ended throughout America. During the March on Washington on August 28th 1963, he gave a speech entitled “I Have a Dream.” The importance of the “I Have a Dream” speech was that it brought greater national attention to the Civil Rights Movement, shined light upon MLK and his nonviolent philosophies, and influenced thousands to come together without racial division.…

    • 945 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In the 1960’s racial injustice in America was at an all-time high, and African Americans faced brutality daily. On August 25, 1963, at one of the largest civil rights demonstrations in history, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C, facing more than 250,000 people, renowned civil rights activist, Martin Luther King Jr., declaimed his views on the injustices that African Americans were facing during the civil rights movement,. In Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech I Have a Dream, King addresses the racial injustices and brutality happening in America and through his use of rhetorical appeals, repetition, allusions, and alliteration, King expresses the need for change in both black and white citizens, and that both sides must…

    • 149 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have a Dream” speech is one of the greatest speeches of all time. He achieves this status because the speech is brilliantly written and flawlessly presented. The speech’s clear purpose is to persuade the audience of the problem that is segregation and to call people to fight for civil rights. King’s language is simple and direct, yet very powerful and well-chosen. The speech itself appears to be easily understood. However simple, it very impactful. He uses analogies throughout the speech, these prove the speech to be more accessible to everyday people. He also treats his audience with a huge amount of respect, acknowledging their troubles, as well as, encouraging them to keep going. His use of the phrase “I have a…

    • 247 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    On August 28th, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. gave the infamous “ I have a dream” speech, a speech that became a pivotal moment in the history of Civil Rights. King’s address took place during the march on Washington rally, where 250,000 civil rights activists had gathered to join the peaceful protest. Martin Luther King Jr.’s purpose is to unite and inspire those fighting for justice, through the use of repetition devices, syntax devices, and figurative language.…

    • 851 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “ I have a Dream” speech to hundreds of people at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C revealing the ideals of the current world and encouraging his audience to envision his dream of a new America where segregation and discrimination were abolished. To do this King intelligently chose words, phrases, references that appealed to his audiences commonalities such as religion, their common struggle, and their desire to make the nation great.…

    • 362 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    On August 28, 1963, in Washington, D.C., Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered the prominent speech “I Have a Dream” at the Lincoln Memorial to over 250,000 civil rights supporters. King’s speech was compelling and potent; it moved everyone. Furthermore, he helped change the world where there is justice. He believed in the equality between whites and blacks and died believing it. In addition, he strongly believes freedom exists for the blacks. He states, “[The white’s] destiny is tied up with [the black’s] destiny.” This quote emphasizes the problem of injustice in this world, and it makes the audience move into action. King’s speech was widely known, due to the effective tone he creates throughout his speech. His use of literary tropes and syntactical schemes help make this formidable tone. King’s speech influences the whites and blacks to listen by using extensive anaphora, metaphor, and diction to create a tone of necessity in his “I Have a Dream” speech.…

    • 547 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963 at Washington D.C. in front of the Washington Monument. Dr. King gave his to help promote the idea that all men should be treated equally. He developed his speech by saying that “100 years later, we must face the tragic fact that the negro is still not free,” (King). Another way he shows that the African Americans are not free yet is by saying “One hundred years later the Negro is still languishing in the comers of AMerican society and finds himself an exile in his own land,” (King). His goal throughout his speech was to show how the African Americans were still not free and how that this is not the end of their fight for freedom, but the beginning. His speech was intended…

    • 163 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    On August 28, 1963, America was gifted with Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, given from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Throughout his entire speech, the crowd was heavily moved and it was apparent from the way that they clapped in admiration. The speech was a highlight in the movement of freedom and equality based on the turnout, and show of support of the movement during the speech. The intended audience was far surpassed with over three-hundred thousand people from all ethnicities gathered in Washington to hear the historical speech.…

    • 907 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays