Aristotle and “I Have a Dream” Speech

Aristotle and Public Speaking

Aristotle used to debate with his teachers about public speaking concerns while he was a student. Aristotle considered rhetoric to be an important instrument in public speaking since the speaker may use it to achieve a noble or deceitful goal. Aristotle’s investigations into the impacts of the speech, audience, and speaker in a public speaking event made a significant contribution to the act of public speaking (Aristotle & Jebb, 2014). Aristotle examined ethos, pathos, and logos as modes of persuasion in a speech, as well as five canons of rhetoric: delivery, memory, style, arrangement, and invention (Bederman, 2017). According to Aristotle, Cope, & Sandys (2010) ethos forms the personal character of the speaker as they try to appear credible to the audience. Aristotle states that a speaker must first consider empathy, intention, and competence for them to appear credible (Aristotle & Jebb, 2014). On the other hand, pathos can be defined as the speaker’s influence on the emotions of the audience. Each speaker aims at persuading the audience with the speech, therefore, setting the right emotions is critical to the speaker. According to Aristotle, Cope, & Sandys (2010), a speaker must understand the current emotional state of the audience, and how they can set the correct emotions. Finally, logos is the arguments and contents that a speaker presents which is important in persuading an audience. Dr. Martin Luther King in his speech I Have A Dream applied the five cannons of rhetoric and logos, pathos, and ethos to appear credible before his 200,000 audiences.

Dr. Martin Luther King’s Speech: I Have A Dream

On August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King delivered an electrifying speech in the Lincoln Memorial grounds. This speech. I Have A Dream, has remained as one of the best speeches ever given even in the present public speaking platforms. Dr. King applied several carefully chosen components of public speaking to deliver his message on racial injustice and to awaken the Americans. Through his speech, the American black community was given a voice to fight against the injustice they faced. In his words, Dr. King showed a perfect understanding of the political and social status of the time and expressed them correctly in a thrilling way. Dr. King believed that all Americans can be treated right since they were all created equal, a message has become synonymous to United States Independence. Therefore, it can be argued that his speech was powerful as he argued passionately.

The Canons of Rhetoric in Dr. King’s Speech

The speech has been praised in the political and literature worlds as it uses the five canons of rhetoric to deliver the key message to the American crowd. The first canon of rhetoric evident in the speech is style. This canon is present in how he uses metaphor style to communicate. In the introductory part he says that “America gave the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked insufficient funds” and that he refuses to believe that the “bank of justice is bankrupt” and that they, the people, have come to “cash this check” because it will provide the “riches of freedom and security of justice.” This style of public speaking may at first appear complex, however, the style gives an easy to understand the concept of the key message that the African Americans “Negros” have been greatly neglected by their country (Bederman, 2017). Invention another canon style is used as the speaker makes use of the innovative styles to persuade the audience into joining his dream. He goes past the normal boring communication styles that are commonly used and uses refreshing styles to show the audience that changes need to be done to the system in the country. Another canon of rhetoric is the arrangement. This is evident in how the speech by Dr. King flows through to the end. Dr. King’s speech flows from one point to the next without contradicting his previous states. This style is important as the people are able to transit from lighter issues to critical ones. The emotions of the people are also attracted to concentrate on the message. He allows the audience to cheer at pauses. Memory is applied in the speech in cases where Dr. King stops reading from his speech. In addition, Ball (2006) states that the speaker talked about some issues that were not written in the speech in order to flow with the reactions of the audience. The last canon of rhetoric is delivery. This is the style that a speaker uses to deliver his key message. To deliver the key message of discrimination and segregation, Dr. King makes gestures and even changes his voice to get the reactions of the audience.

The Means of Persuasion in Dr. King’s Speech

The speaker masterfully employs the means of persuasion ethos, pathos, and logos in his rhetoric speech to demonstrate to the American people that segregation and racism against African Americas were not one of the foundations for the country. An ethos which is the personal character of the speaker is present in the speech. One of the important characters for him was gaining the trust of the audience so that they could see him as competent. To gain the Americans’ trust, he mentions Lincoln, a great American president, to assure the people that he was aligned with the great people and they could trust him. “Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation.” (Dr. King cited from Ball, 2006). The freedom of the Africans Americans which he was looking forward to achieving is brought with the mention of Lincoln. Lincoln was a president who fought for civil rights. Dr. King established credibility with the audience as he provides a great appeal among the masses.

Logos which is the arguments and contents that a speaker presents, these are used severally in the speech. He presents his argument of how the government has treated the Negros as, “America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked ’insufficient funds.’” (Dr. King cited from Ball, 2006). He uses a common thing among the people which are finances. The idea of having bad checks is annoying to most people and therefore people will relate that to how African Americans are treated. He uses current events at the time, content that the audience can easily relate as it is a fact. He says, “Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice” (Dr. King cited from Ball, 2006).

Pathos, the speaker’s influence on the emotions of the audience, is vivid in the speech. Dr. King uses a quote from the Bible to reach the sensitive emotions of his audience. “And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together” (Dr. King cited from Ball, 2006). Religion is always a sensitive issue among the majority of people, therefore, a quote from the Holy Book would strike their emotions into the message. The Bible quote also assures people that the key message in his speech is true and that they should follow it. Furthermore, to influence the emotions he makes use of metaphors, which are important in communication. Dr. King says, “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 the content of their character” (Dr. King cited from Ball, 2006). The mention of his four children and the sense that he is a father gets the emotions of the audience. Therefore, his aspirations that all Americans including the children will have freedom someday gives a human appeal. The use of pathos helps in supporting the arguments presented.

Conclusion

Dr. Martin Luther King applies the five cannons of rhetoric and the means of persuasion in his electrifying speech. He uses delivery, memory, style, arrangement, invention, logos, pathos, and ethos to appeal to the large audience. His skillful use of the rhetoric styles caused a turning point in many of the American affairs. The issues of segregation and racism were confronted perfectly and marked a start in the fight for freedom for every American whether Catholic, Protestant, Jews, White, or Black.

References

Aristotle, Cope, E. M., & Sandys, J. E. (2010). Aristotle: Rhetoric. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Aristotle, & Jebb, R. C. (2014). The Rhetoric of Aristotle. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Ball, J. A. (2006). Martin Luther King, Jr: I have a dream! New York: Bearport Pub.

Bederman, David J. (2017). Classical Canons: Rhetoric, Classicism, and Treaty Interpretation. Taylor & Francis.