Analyzing Famous Speeches

Every great speech begins with a central claim—the primary message or 'ask' the speaker wants the audience to accept. However, a claim is never made in a vacuum. It is specifically tailored to a target audience. To analyze a speech, you must first ask: Who is the speaker trying to move? A general audience might include everyone listening, but the target audience consists of the specific people with the power to act on the claim. For example, in a wartime speech, the general audience is the world, but the target audience might be the soldiers who need courage or the citizens who must fund the effort. Understanding this relationship is the first step in decoding rhetoric.

To persuade their audience, speakers use three primary rhetorical appeals. Think of these as the 'ingredients' of persuasion: 1. Ethos: An appeal to character or credibility. The speaker proves they are worth listening to. 2. Pathos: An appeal to emotion. The speaker taps into the audience's fears, hopes, or values. 3. Logos: An appeal to logic. The speaker uses facts, data, and 'if-then' reasoning.

Effective speeches often balance these three. If a speech is all Pathos, it may feel manipulative; if it is all Logos, it may feel dry and uninspiring. The most powerful historical moments happen when a speaker aligns their character ($Ethos$) with a logical argument ($Logos$) that touches the heart ($Pathos$).

The final piece of the puzzle is historical context, often referred to in rhetoric as Kairos—the 'opportune moment.' A speech that works today might have failed miserably fifty years ago. To analyze context, you must look at the exigence: the specific event or situation that 'demanded' the speech be given. Was the nation at war? Had a tragedy just occurred? Was a new law being debated? The context dictates which rhetorical appeals will be most effective. A speaker addressing a grieving nation will rely heavily on Pathos, while a speaker proposing a new tax plan will likely lean on Logos.