Final answer:
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. used a powerful combination of emotional, logical, and ethical appeals in his 'I Have a Dream' speech and 'Letter from Birmingham Jail' to persuade his audience. These appeals tapped into the audience's sense of justice, morality, and reason, reinforced by King's use of prophetic rhetoric drawn from religious texts.
Step-by-step explanation:
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s rhetoric in the "I Have a Dream" speech and "Letter from Birmingham Jail" is a combination of emotional, logical, and ethical appeals. These appeals are designed to persuade the audience by resonating on a deeper level with their sense of justice, logic, and moral values.
In his I Have a Dream speech, King uses emotional appeals or pathos to resonate with the audience's sense of what's just and fair, painting a vivid picture of a future where all are equal, which can be exemplified by his repeated refrain, a powerful rhetorical device that emphasizes his vision of racial harmony.
On the other hand, the Letter from Birmingham Jail combines logical appeals or logos, ethical appeals or ethos, and pathos to counter the criticisms from white clergymen. King presents a logical argument about the urgent need for civil rights and justifies civil disobedience as a necessary response to unjust laws, while also boosting his credibility with his moderate tone and well-reasoned arguments.
Moreover, both these works echo the biblical prophetic rhetoric which was essential in civil rights activism, as it drew parallels between the American civil rights struggle and the virtues and stories found within the Bible, thus strengthening his ethical appeal.