Speech to the Virginia Convention Questions and Answers
Speech to the Virginia Convention
What are some examples of ethos, logos, and pathos in Patrick Henry's "Speech to the Virginia Convention"?
Patrick Henry begins the speech with pathos, saying that he regards the matter before the convention as “nothing less than a question of freedom or slavery.” The emotive language continues as he...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
What does "give me liberty or give me death" mean?
The most famous expression from Patrick Henry's speech to the Virginia Convention—“Give me liberty or give me death”—perfectly encapsulates the importance that he and many other Americans at the...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
What is the tone of the "Speech to the Virginia Convention"?
As Patrick Henry was doubtless aware, his "Speech to the Virginia Convention" constituted nothing less than an act of treason against the British colonial authorities. In openly inciting the...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
What was the purpose of the "Speech to the Virginia Convention"?
The purpose of Patrick Henry's "Speech to the Virginia Convention" was to persuade his audience, the Virginia colonial legislature, of the inevitability and desirability of seceding from the...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
What is the counterclaim to Patrick Henry's Speech to the Virginia Convention?
In his famous speech to the Virginia Convention, Patrick Henry is replying to those delegates who argued that some kind of amicable settlement between Great Britain and her American colonies could...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
What rhetorical devices are used in Patrick Henry's speech?
Patrick Henry's famous "Speech to the Virginia Convention" was delivered to the Second Virginia Convention on March 23, 1775. Among those present at the convention were Thomas Jefferson and George...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
Explain how Patrick Henry alerts his listeners to the urgency of his message in his Speech to the Virginia...
The first indication in Henry's speech as to the urgency of his message is when he declares, "This is no time for ceremony." Henry is here indicating that the subject of his speech is too important...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
In 1775, Patrick Henry made his speech to an audience of Virginia legislators to convince them that Virginia should...
As you might already know, there is no authoritative record of Patrick Henry’s rather famous 1775 speech. There are no known transcripts or notes of his speech. What we know about his speech comes...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
Where is antithesis in Patrick Henry's speech to the Virginia Convention?
In his powerful, dramatic speech to the Virginia Convention, Patrick Henry wants to instill a sense of urgency in his listeners. The time for vacillation is over; there is no longer any point in...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
What are the main points of Henry's argument?
In his legendary address to the Second Virginia Convention, Patrick Henry lays out two broad points to convince his audience that armed conflict is the only option going forward: First, the...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
Henry says, ''Are we disposed to be of the number of those who having eyes see not, and having ears hear not, the...
Patrick Henry's speech is liberally sprinkled with biblical quotations and allusions, and this rhetorical question is one of them. As a rhetorical question, this interrogatory implies a negative...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
What metaphors does Henry use in his "Speech to the Virginia Convention"?
Henry is a figurative writer who uses several metaphors in his speech. He says, for example, that the colonists are listening to "the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts." The...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
What is Henry's response to those who say the colonists are too weak to fight the British?
Patrick Henry acknowledges that many people say the colonies are too weak to take on such a formidable adversary as Britain; however, he argues that the colonies simply cannot wait until they...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
What metaphors does Patrick Henry use in his “Speech to the Virginia Convention”?
Patrick Henry uses many metaphors throughout his "Speech to the Virginia Convention." In one prominent example, he mixes a metaphor with an allusion when he compares the temptation for American...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
What emotional and logical appeals did Patrick Henry use in his speech to the Virginia convention?
Patrick Henry was one of the leading orators of the Revolutionary generation, and in this speech, he certainly makes use of both appeals to reason and appeals to emotion. (Indeed, his argumentation...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
What logic is employed by Patrick Henry in his "Speech to the Virginia Convention"?
Early in his speech, Henry declares, "I know of no way of judging of the future but by the past." This is an entirely logical point; the future is unknowable, but in situations where a precedent...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
What are some examples of ethos, logos, and pathos in Patrick Henry's “Speech to the Virginia Convention”?
Speakers use ethos to establish credibility, proving to the audience that they can be trusted. Patrick Henry does this in his “Speech to the Virginia Convention” when he notes that his “feet are...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
What are examples of anaphora in the "Speech to the Virginia Convention"?
Patrick Henry uses anaphora, the repetition of a sequence of words at the beginning of sentences, when he describes how the colonies have attempted to negotiate with their sovereign: We have...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
What was the effect of Patrick Henry's “Speech to the Virginia Convention”?
Before Patrick Henry began his famous “Speech to the Virginia Convention,” the speakers who preceded him had argued against armed conflict with the British. They thought peace could still be...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
Is "give me liberty or give me death" parallelism?
Parallelism means that two parts of a sentence have the same or a very similar grammatical structure. This is true in Patrick Henry's statement, "Give me liberty or give me death." On either side...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
What is an example of restatement in Patrick Henry's “Speech to the Virginia Convention”?
Restatement is when a writer or speaker rewrites or recasts a previous point in a different way. This is a useful rhetorical device for amplifying or emphasizing an important idea. If an audience...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
In his "Speech to the Virginia Convention," what beliefs does Henry share with his audience?
In his "Speech to the Virginia Convention," Patrick Henry shares a number of his beliefs regarding the relationship between the 13 colonies and Great Britain. Henry also shares his belief that the...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
Who is Patrick Henry addressing in the first lines of "Speech to the Virginia Convention"?
In what is probably Patrick Henry’s most famous speech, his Speech to the Virginia Convention, he begins by addressing “Mr. President.” But the speech was given in 1775, before the United States...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
According to the fifth paragraph of Patrick Henry's "Speech to the Virginia Convention," what answers does Henry give...
Unfortunately there is no consistent paragraphing in Patrick Henry's "Speech Before the Virginia COnvention," but he addresses the issue of being unable to win the war after this line which...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
What action does Henry want his audience to take in Speech to the Virginia Convention?
In his speech to the Virginia House of Burgesses, Patrick Henry advocates revolt against Great Britain. Henry's argument to separate from Britain is not what many of the colonists desire, but...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
According to the first two paragraphs of his "Speech to the Virginia Convention, why is Patrick Henry speaking out?
In the first two paragraphs of Patrick Henry's speech, Henry makes it clear that he does not feel able to remain silent, since he feels so passionately about the subject. He assures the House that...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
What are some examples of figurative language in Patrick Henry's "Speech to the Virginia Convention"?
Patrick Henry’s “Speech to the Virginia Convention” is full of highly effective rhetorical devices, including the following: Alternation of long sentences and short sentences, so that the short...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
List at least three logos appeals that Patrick Henry uses in his "Speech to the Virginia Convention" and explain what...
Logos is one of the three pillars of argument in classical Greek rhetoric. To be effective arguments must appeal to emotions (pathos), credibility (ethos), and logic (logos). Logos consist of the...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
In the "Speech in the Virginia Convention," what does Henry indicate are signs that the British are planning to attack?
Patrick Henry believed that war between the American colonies and the British was inevitable. He tells his audience to "Ask yourselves how this gracious reception of our petition comports with...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
Why did Patrick Henry use rhetorical questions in his "Speech to the Virginia Convention"?
Rhetoric is the art of persuasion. As such, it's inevitably a very important component of public speaking, especially during periods of great political tumult. Patrick Henry's famous speech to the...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
What are some analogy examples in the "Speech to the Virginia Convention" by Patrick Henry?
An analogy is a comparison between two things for the purpose of illumination or clarity. In his speech before the Virginia Convention, Patrick Henry several times compares not fighting for freedom...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
Are there any claims in Patrick Henry’s Speech to the Virginia Convention?
In formal rhetoric there are three types of claims, and Henry's speech contains examples of all of them. The first kind of claim is the claim of fact; it is an assertion that something is true or...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
Why does Henry say that God is on the side of the colonists?
In his "Speech to the Virginia Convention," Patrick Henry tells his listeners: There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations; and who will raise up friends to fight our battles...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
What persuasive technique does Henry use in the first two sentences of his speech? What do you think he is trying to...
The first two lines of The Speech to the Virginia Convention are: "Mr. President: No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as abilities of the very worthy gentlemen who have...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
What can you infer about the opinions of the speakers who addressed the convention before Henry? For Henry, what is...
Patrick Henry's opening remarks help us understand what the previous speakers had said that day in 1775: "MR. PRESIDENT: No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
Which emotions are expressed in the speech to the Second Virginia Convention?
Patrick Henry uses a skillful combination of pathos (an appeal to an audience's emotions) and logos (persuasion by reason) in his famous speech to the Virginia Convention. In terms of the former,...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
What is a main point in the second paragraph of the "Speech to the Virginia Convention" by Patrick Henry?
The second paragraph of Henry's speech examines the context within which the inherent resistance to Colonial change is evident. For Henry, there is a contingent of individuals that are unwilling...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
Why does Henry think the colonists are strong?
Patrick Henry thinks that the colonists can be strong if they make good use of all of the talents and fortitude that God has given them. In his "Speech to the Virginia Convention," he says that...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
In the Speech to the Virginia Convention, what does Henry say he would be guilty of if he holds back his opinion...
In Patrick Henry's Speech to the Virginia Convention, Henry claims that he would be guilty of treason to his country and disloyalty to God if he did not implore the delegates to secede from Britain...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
In lines 22-28 of his Speech to the Virginia Convention, why does Patrick Henry choose the biblical allusion and what...
I don't have your copy of the speech, so I don't know which lines you're referring to, but the speech is peppered with biblical allusions, not to mention outright appeals to God as being higher...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
List at least three rhetorical devices that Patrick Henry used in his “Speech in the Virginia Convention.”
Patrick Henry makes use of several allusions—indirect references to an event, text, person, etc.—in order to borrow the weight and emotional tenor of the original. He asks the president, "[...] I...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
What are some literary devices found in Patrick Henry's Virginia Convention speech?
In his speech to the Virginia Convention, Patrick Henry's aim is to win over his audience to his point of view, and accordingly he uses many rhetorical devices commonly used to increase an orator's...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
What are Patrick Henry's reasons for wanting to rebel against the British rule?
Patrick Henry's chief argument in the "Speech in the Virginia Convention" is that it would be futile for the Virginia Colony to try to negotiate any further with the British. He reminds his...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
What does Henry argue that the colonies should do?
Patrick Henry used his speech to the Virginia Convention to argue that the colonies should go to war with Britain if they truly wanted an end to the oppressive policies of King George III. Henry...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
In Henry's "Speech in the Virginia Convention," what is an example of inductive argument?
An inductive argument is a line of reasoning employed in order to show the likelihood of its outcome occurring. In this powerful speech, Patrick Henry is keen to prove that liberty is the most...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
Why does Henry give so many reasons to support his need to speak out in the Virginia Convention?
One of the reasons that Henry gives such a detailed analysis behind his position is because it was not a popular one. We now view the need to fight England as a given, something that existed beyond...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
What makes Americans invincible, according to Henry in "Speech to the Virginia Convention"?
According to Patrick Henry, the colonists cannot lose because they are "armed in the holy cause of liberty" and the just God will preside over their destiny. Henry tells the convention that if...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
What was the reaction of the representatives that heard Patrick Henry's speech?
"To Arms, To Arms," was the cry that apparently echoed through the audience after Henry's speech. Henry was able to articulate the deep seeded colonial rage that existed at the notion of British...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
How have the British responded to the Americans' petition for compromise?
In a beautiful run of parallel structure, Patrick Henry describes what the colonies have done in their ongoing attempts to negotiate with the British: "We have petitioned; we have remonstrated; we...
Speech to the Virginia Convention
What does Patrick Henry warn the colonists about? What does he urge the colonists to do?
Patrick Henry was an anti-federalist and he gave a lot of speeches and wrote many papers that extolled the virtues of a confederation. In a confederation, the states have sovereignty. Those...
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