The rhetoric I will be analyzing is a speech titled “I Have a Dream” delivered by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The speech can be found on video-recordings, as well as a text version. King was a Civil Rights activist who fought for equality across America. The speech was delivered in August of 1963 at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. King delivered this speech to fight for justice and end racism. The audience were people who stood along King, and his fight for equality. There were also people who did not agree with King’s idea of integration. While there is a lot of controversy regarding the context of King’s speech, it was ultimately effective and would change the ways of the world forever. 

The purpose of the speech was to inspire and change the beliefs of others. In an article titled “Martin Luther King Jr. improvised his ‘I Have A Dream’ speech” written by History 101, it is noted that some of King’s speech actually came from the heart. A piece from the article says that “He improvised most of the second half of the speech, including the “I have a dream” refrain (History 1).” This is important to note, because it shows the rawness of Dr. King, and his bravery to speak up for what a large group of people had felt at the time. While King delivered many speeches, his “I Have a Dream” speech is most famous. 

The audience was a mixed crowd. While the majority listened to King’s speech, they all did not have the same views. On one hand, some Americans sided with King, and believed that racism and segregation should be ended. While the others disagreed with King’s views. This crowd had felt as though segregated and apart was equal. While the subject of King’s speeches and sermons may have started some disagreements, King was very influential and was respected by many. He had a lot of government support and won the Nobel Peace Prize. 

During the speech the United States was in the Civil Rights era. This lasted during the 50’s and 60’s. During this time blacks and whites were segregated, and blacks were treated very poorly. They experienced things such as extreme poverty, discrimantion in the workplace and social settings, and also low quality education. King delivered this speech in hopes of bringing America together, by helping us see that we are people regardless of color. An article by MSN titled “This Day in History: Martin Luther King Jr. gives iconic ‘I Have a Dream’ speech” outlines the aftermath of King’s speech by saying “His pivotal speech not only helped bring the Civil Rights Movement even more to the forefront, it also pressured Congress to pass the Civil Rights Act…(MSN).” This is important to note because it shows that King’s speech was influential in a way that changed how the entire country operated, and it opened the door for many people of color allowing them many new opportunities. 

In his speech, King showed a great balance of using ethos, pathos and logos. He showed pathos by appealing to the reader’s values. He does this by relating a lot of the speech to God, and introducing many different religions. King also does this by creating relatable, real world scenarios to appeal to the readers core. Logos is shown in the very beginning of the speech where King starts off by saying “Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation… joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.” This shows King’s knowledge of history. This presents itself as evidence for previous mistreatment of people due to discriminations, and also shows that King knows his facts. King also uses ethos in his speech. He does this by presenting himself to be very peaceful, and involved with the crowd. This makes him appear reliable and trustworthy. The world during the time of King’s speech was essentially going through a social and political crisis. The main idea was for everyone to come together, and in the last few moments of his speech, King makes that clear by saying “and when we allow freedom ring….Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!” The text was organized in a formal form at first, and then gradually got more personal, but King still remained very serious about what was being said.