Introduction The Declaration of Independence was written by Thomas Jefferson in 1776 to encourage the people of the world to support and join the movement to separate the thirteen American colonies from Great Britain. The document contains information and reasons for the separation, including the multiple ways Americans have been wronged by the British monarch, their past approaches toward the topic, and the current way they must resolve the matter. The author interests and persuades his audience using the three rhetorical appeals: suggesting logical facts with Logos, triggering emotional empathy with Pathos, and establishing his authority and trustworthiness with Ethos. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Argument AnalysisThe Logos rhetorical appeal is repeatedly applied throughout the Declaration of Independence, providing a reasonable argument for the document's primary purpose. At the beginning it is mentioned that: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. . --That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, - That whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it and institute a new government..."This introduces the political situation in which the government's role is to protect the rights of the people, and when it fails to do so it is the people's duty to diminish it and transfer power to a new and improved government. The argument subtly included here is that the British government takes away that right by which people choose their own government and does not take into account their judgments and beliefs. The wording at the beginning of the paragraph, or more precisely the words "evident", force the audience to believe that this is a rational and reasonable statement that requires no further elaboration, leading to the conclusion that the settlers have the freedom to overthrow the government . This is further supported when the author mentions the "long series of abuses and usurpations" and "absolute despotism" to which the colonists were subjected, and when he repeats that "...it is their right, it is their duty to overthrow such government and provide new guards for their future security." Finally, the relationship between the colonists and the British monarchy is directly stated in the words: "Such has been the patient suffering of these colonies; and such now is the necessity which compels them to alter their former systems of government." All these previously mentioned quotes appeal to the readers as true, encouraging them to accept the topic without hesitation. The emotional appeal, Pathos, is abundant in the Declaration of Independence with the aim of having a sentimental impact on the 13 colonies and gaining the sympathy and empathy of the English and other foreign peoples. This can be seen for the first time in the document by the phrases "abuses and usurpations", "absolute despotism", "repeated injuries and usurpations" and "absolute tyranny". The negative diction towards the King of Great Britain and his unjust actions highlights the damage that was done to the colonies and the trauma that was caused. The words are strong and persuasive, arousing sympathy and pity for the foreigners and motivating the settlers to oppose the force that mistreats them. Other examples of emotionally stimulating diction include “tyrants,” “invasions,” “murders,” “harassments,” and many others that are spread throughout the document. Another way Pathos is used is the multiple examples of the ways in.
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