Compare two persuasive speeches

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Persuasive speeches

Barak Obama and Martin Luther King are two very important historical people that helped America return to it ideals. Obama is the first black president of the United States, elected in 2008. King was the moral leader of the civil rights movements; he was fighting for legal equality for black people. King was addressing the 1963 March on Washington to the black and white supporters in favour of civil rights. His profession as a pastor and his pacifist beliefs influenced his speech; also he was a preacher and strongly believed in non violence. The result of his speech and the movement he led was a direct turning point and change of law, which soon lead to the end of segregation. Later on, indirectly it led to the election of the first black president.  Barak Obama was addressing his supporters after the election in 2008, when he made his speech. A few things influenced Obama’s speech, including his election as the first black president and his need to unite all parties. Also, this was the time of the credit crunch and many people were losing their jobs, this was a big influence.

In Martin Luther King’s speech he uses a range of persuasive techniques to engage his audience. For example, he uses similes and metaphors to illustrate points he talks about that are more difficult to understand, so his audience always recognizes what he is trying to get across. For instance, King quotes “we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.” This makes King’s point very clear about how he wants justice to flow as if it were normal and with discretion.

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He also uses references to the declaration of independence and emphasises the idea of equality. King quotes “this note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” This is showing that equality is not just an opinion, but a right that everyone has and it should be accepted and pursued because it is a state of law.

King has used emotive language also to capture the audience’s attention. He quotes “we are free at last”; he repeats this line many times because it really impacts on how ...

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