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Thomas Paine and Patrick Henry

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Thomas Paine and Patrick Henry
Thomas Paine and Patrick Henry
In Patrick Henry’s speech, he has resolved that “Virginia be immediately put in a posture of defense.” He uses strong opposition and delivers this speech in support of his resolution. In this speech he uses powerful rhetoric devices to make the speech effective and memorable.
While Thomas Paine, was an opponent of slavery and organized religion, he was an outspoken supporter of American and French Revolutions. He uses many different rhetorical devices such as appealing to pathos, and includes a higher power within.
On March 23, 1777, Patrick Henry addressed the 122 delegates from the colony of
Virginia in St. John’s Church in Richmond. He uses multiple different rhetorical strategies. He asked questions such as “Shall we try argument?” and “Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty?” Referring to the fact that if they want to be independent they have to be willing to fight for their own independence and liberty. If not may as well just give up now. This entire speech was constructed to basically state a call to action, that they must fight and must not hold back if they plan to get anywhere, war is the only option left. Henry also appeals to pathos when he says that fighting is the only option left, saying that if theres nothing else we can do, it’s either fight or basically become a slave to the British. Henry uses allusions as in “ The dangerous ‘Sirens’” and “Betrayed with a kiss” . He’s referring to the Odyssey and the even to Judas. Henry even uses metaphors such as “Our chains are forged. They can be heard

clanking in the plains of Boston.” Because he’s celebrating the creation of a powerful U.S. navy which is about to sail from Boston harbor and attack the French, which is why the clanking can be heard in Boston. Henry is also using repetition, when stating “We must fight” and when he’s naming off all of the different things we’ve tried.
In December 1776,

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