Question

How does Lincoln use rhetoric to advance his purpose in his Second Inaugural Address?

A. Lincoln uses pathos to appeal to the audience and encourage support for the soldiers and those they left behind.

B. Lincoln uses pathos to appeal to the audience and explain that war must be won in order for them to have vengeance

C. Lincoln uses pathos to inspire the audience to fight on for the sake of peace

D. Lincoln uses pathos to inspire the audience to work towards a resolution to the war

Answer 1

The correct answer is A. Lincoln uses pathos to appeal to the audience and encourage support for the soldiers and those they left behind.

Pathos is a communication technique used most often in rhetoric, considered to be one of the three modes of persuasion along with ethos and logos. Pathos appeals to the emotions of the audience, eliciting feelings that already reside in them.

In that particular speech, Lincoln addresses the issues of the Civil War and slavery in particular.