Bella Valdes

English
Barnes
17 October 2016
SWA3
The famous speech given by President Abraham Lincoln, known as the Gettysburg
Address was one of the shortest yet most powerful speeches that has been given by a President,
following the destructive war that took place on US soil. Lincoln's speech was very effective, as
he was attempting to soothe the aftermath of the war and bring the country together, he was
successful in his use of ethos. pathos, and logos throughout his speech.
Lincoln does not directly devise any ethos in this speech, Lincolns known Presidency
establishes his ethos. Not to mention that he was knowledgeable about the matter of which he
was speaking, which is clearly imperative when discussing matters so devastating and close to
home. Lincoln was known for his kindness and caring, and this played in his favor because after
all he was giving a speech after an incredibly horrific war that clearly divided the nation and by
using the collective we, Lincoln closed the distance between him, his audience, and the
divided states. He made his audience feel a sense of belonging with the use of we throughout
his speech. Lincoln also effectively appealed to ethos as he quoted the Declaration of
Independance and used biblical language as he started the speech, Four score and seven years
ago, this was effective because using biblical language creates a sense of credibility because the
bible is supposed to be the highest word, and by quoting the Declaration of Independence which
was created by the founding fathers also establishes his credibility towards the subject of uniting
a country which promises equality.

Lincoln appeals to logos in his "Gettysburg Address" as he calls upon the audiences sense of
reason and logic. It was commonly believed that no one could honor the sacrifices made on the
battlefield more than those who died there. Lincoln emphasized that the people needed to
continue the work that was done by the soldiers to successfully honor their lives and the reason
for their sacrifices by finishing what they had started . By using deductive reasoning, Lincoln
makes the major premise that in this nation, liberty and equality are worth fighting for, as found
in Lincolns speech fighting and in this case dying for what you believe in is honorable.
Ultimately the conclusion that Lincoln wants his audience to draw is that if equality and liberty
are the honorable characteristics that others died for, those are then qualities worthy enough to
keep the fight going. Lincolns underlying goal through this conclusion was to encourage the
people of America to keep up their fight and persevere in its struggle for freedom and equality;
through this address, he was unifying the country.
Throughout Lincolns speech he uses common words, which added to its effectiveness
through the powerful emotions it conjures. Examples of how this effective appeal of pathos,
include the many references to dedication and the repetition of consecration and the need to
honor the lives lost; words like nobly, and devotion, he further argues that we cannot let
the men die in vain. Lincoln is passionately adamant of the importance that the audience
continue work begun by the brave men who gave their lives fighting for the country. The
President wanted his audience to feel the weight of the great responsibility that had fallen onto
them.