Question

Which appeal does Martin Luther King Jr. use in the following line from his "I Have a Dream" speech?

"But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: in the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force."

A) Logos and pathos
B) Ethos
C) Ethos and logos
D) Pathos

Answer 1

Martin Luther King Jr. primarily utilizes ethos and pathos in the given line from his "I Have a Dream" speech, appealing to credibility and emotions, with an element of logos as he offers a logical argument for nonviolent resistance.

Step-by-step explanation:

In Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, the appeal used is mostly ethos and pathos. King establishes his credibility (ethos) by presenting himself as a moral and disciplined leader, urging his followers to conduct their struggle with dignity and discipline. However, the primary appeal is pathos, as he evokes emotions by speaking of justice, freedom, dignity, and the higher moral ground of conducting nonviolent resistance. The use of words like 'warm threshold,' 'palace of justice,' and 'majestic heights' appeal to his audience's emotions and shared values. There is also an underlying element of logos as he presents a logical argument for nonviolence being the more effective path to justice, though this is not the dominant appeal in this particular line.

Answer 2

Ethos
Ethos
(appeals to ethics)is used as a means of convincing an audience via the authority or credibility of the persuader, be it a notable or experienced figure in the field or even a popular celebrity.
Pathos
(appeal to emotion) is a way of convincing an audience of an argument by creating an emotional response to an impassioned plea or a convincing story.
Logos
(appeal to logic) is a way of persuading an audience with reason, using facts and figures.