Rhetorical Analysis Of I Have A Dream Speech

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At the beginning of the speech, King mentions few hints from the history of the U.S., such as the Emancipation Proclamation. The Proclamation gave hope to the black slaves that would finally be free. King continues with the statement that “one hundred years later” black people have still ben treated badly and still are not free. He explains that because their dream has not come true they came “to dramatize a shameful condition.” (Washington, 1986) Next, King starts using a lot of metaphors from the economic area: “a check,” “a promissory note,” “insufficient funds.” African-Americans came to Washington D.C. “to cash a check”, because the promise they were given by the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence was not fulfilled. “A promissory note to which every American was to fall heir” was signed when…show more content…
He wants to emphasize that he black nation should gain their freedom at his time and that an end should be put segregation. It all should happen now and not later in the future. (Washington, 1986) King stresses that nonviolence is the only thing that should be conducted in their struggle for freedom. He says that they “must not allow their creative protest to degenerate into physical violence.” He was a supporter of nonviolence throughout his entire life. The “I have a dream” phrase appears almost at the end of the speech. When he gets to this passage, he stops looking into his notes, speaks from his heart and his voice becomes more intense. King uses a repletion to emphasize reasons why racial equality is so important for black men. For example, King’s wish is that his four children “will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character,” then, that whites and blacks “will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.” He also uses a quotation from the Bible: “and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it
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