The Classical Appeals in Action-George W. Bush's 9/11 Speech

The Classical Appeals in Action – George W. Bush’s 9/11 Speech
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The Classical Appeals in Action – George W. Bush’s 9/11 Speech
Define ethos, pathos, and logos in your own words.
Ethos is the appeal of one’s character or credibility. This happens when a person makes use of their character or personality to convince their audience or move them to agree with what they are saying. Here, a person may opt to introduce themselves first, making sure their accomplishments are mentioned. They may also choose to make use of a language that appeals to their audience. Others can also decide to take a stance that supports their belief in something. Regardless of what one does, it is crucial to note that ethos stems from one’s character or credibility.
Logos, on the other hand, is the appeal to logic or reason or rationality. Here, a person will attempt to move an audience by how they argue a particular case. For example, one could make use of statistics or facts to support a particular point. A person can also draw from history to help showcase their point. In the end, it is all about trying to make the audience agree with one’s point based on how well one presents their idea.
Pathos introduces a different idea altogether because it is the appeal to emotions. Here, authors or speakers make sure that they introduce something or talk about something in a way that they invoke sympathy and compassion from their audience. The speaker can thus transfer a feeling through their words to their audience. An author or speaker can do this by using an emotional tone or narrate emotional accounts. In the end, the audience agrees with the speaker or author because of the emotions the former was able to invoke.
Explain the use of ethos, pathos, and logos in your selected example.
In President George W. Bush’s 9/11 speech, the use of ethos, pathos, and logos is obvious. He combines the three and thus manages to deliver a moving yet rational speech that moved the nation for years and remains fresh in the minds of many.
Ethos
The first instance of ethos is the simple fact that it is the president of the United States speaking. As indicated earlier, one’s credibility can come from who the person is or the position they hold. When the president of the United States speaks, everyone listens. So, President Bush is able to grasp the attention of his audience because of the position he holds.
Secondly, the speech is quite clear, and the president does not stutter or hesitate at any moment while speaking. From this reaction, it is clear to the audience that what he is talking about is serious and that it demands their full attention.
Thirdly, the description of the United States is also something that invokes ethos. Statements like, “our country is strong…we responded with the best of America…our financial institutions remain strong” are but a few of the words that showcase a resilient America.
Pathos
When it comes to pathos, there are several instances that help to illustrate the use of this mode of persuasion. First, the president mentions the victims who were going about their issues, as is the norm. “The victims wer...