Eugenio 1

Alex Eugenio
Mr. Plinske
English II Honors
3 December 2016
Power in Persuasion
Great speakers throughout history use the concept of ethos, pathos, and logos to help convince
audiences and to persuade them into thinking what the speaker desires. The idea of ethos, pathos, and
logos addresses the credibility in the author, the emotions he/she tries to bring out from the reader, and the
logic behind the idea trying to be spread, respectively. In order to have a convincing and legitimate
argument, you must correctly display all three while also balancing them out. This technique has been
present since Shakespeares time as Mark Antonys speech in The Tragedy of Julius Caesar represents
each manner. The persuasive tactic is also seen in later years such as Lou Gehrigs speech on July 4th
1939. Both Antonys speech to try to sway the plebeians on his side and Gehrigs speech addressing all
the unwarranted pity due to his illness show proper use of ethos, pathos, and logos. Though both speeches
are well put together, Antonys objection to Caesars death utilizes ethos, pathos, and logos more than
Gehrigs as he builds up both his and Caesars credibility, emotionally connects to the commoners, and
gives evidence to back his support for Caesar.
To show credibility throughout a speech can positively impact the trustworthiness of the speaker
and/or subject. In Antony's case, he helps to give a more positive image of Julius Caesar after Brutus had
just destroyed it. Showing Caesars loving side instead of the tyron Brutus sought him out to be, Antony
describes how Caesar was his friend, faithful, and just to [him] (Shakespeare 3.2.94). He also clearly
emphasizes the point of how Brutus is the criminal showing How dearly Caesar loved him with
Brutus [being] Caesars angel (3.2.193). Showing the crowd how Brutus had wronged Caesars great
image accomplished both bringing credibility to Antony and giving it back to Caesar. Lou Gehrig also
attempts to shape his credibility to his audience. Trying to get rid of all the pity coming his way, Gehrig
builds the wonderful life he has had and will continue to be living but first shows the audience his

Eugenio 2
qualification stating he knows what it feels like to have a good life. Giving the examples of a wonderful
mother-in-law who takes sides with [him] in squabbles with her own daughter and a wife who has been
a tower of strength and shown more courage than [he] dreamed existed, Gehrig displays the wonderful
things in his life (Gehrig). Yet it is not as obvious as Antonys example, Gehrig builds credibility. The
rebuilding of Caesars image though is better executed by Antony opposed to Gehrigs build up on
himself. Antony is able to use the new idea in the audiences head of Caesar and incorporate in with
multiple accounts of both pathos and logos.
Evoking the inner emotion of an audience through passion shown in a speech helps to influence
the crowd, also known as Pathos. In Antonys case, his usage of emotion in his speech of Caesar sways
the plebeians against Brutus and the other conspirators. The emotion Antony tries to bring out of the
commoners is pity and guilt that they had forgotten the great man and ruler Caesar was as he treated the
people of Rome as his own family. Antony made aware when that the poor have cried, Caesar hath
wept, to the citizens (3.2.100). The people had completely forgotten about Caesars love and
compassion, immediately silencing with guilt. The pity for Antony comes when he expresses that his
heart is in the coffin there with Caesar (3.2.116). The commoners feel for Antony as one states that
theres not a nobler man in Rome than Antony, (3.2.128) contradicting to what Mark Antony had
sarcastically said about Brutus. Lou does the opposite of what Antony does and brings out the good
fortune of his audience, trying to avoid their pity for him. Throughout his speech he avoids talking about
the tragedy he faced and focuses on the good things in his life. Rather than loathing over his one
misfortune, he focuses on how lucky he has been for having an awful lot to live for, even though he had
one bad break (Gehrig). The public gets emotionally connected with this not by pity but with happiness.
Gehrigs whole speech tries to build this bond of happiness with his fans while Antony succeeds to release
the emotion inside the plebeians for Caesar. The emotion released along with the credibility and character
Antony had created is all connected together with logos, also known as the facts and logic.
Logic and reason in a speech helps build credibility and is binded by emotional appeal. This logic
and reason is known as logos and is portrayed in all successful and convincing speeches including both

Eugenio 3
Antonys and Gehrigs speech. Incorporating logos in a speech requires evidence and facts to prove the
point trying to be convinced. In Antonys speech, he uses different events of Caesars life to disprove
Brutuss point of Caesar being ambitious. Mark Antony gave the point of how Caesar hath brought many
captives home to Rome, and how those captives ransoms did the general coffers fill, trying to prove
the point of how Caesar was not self-centered (3.2.98-99). Using the money gotten from the prisoners of
war to help the general public showed no ambition at all from Caesar. Antony also gave the point in
which he thrice presented [Caesar] a kingly crown; Which he did thrice refuse, to also help in
disproving ambition (3.2.105-106). Having strong points to bring up helps Antonys case to the plebeians.
In Gehrigs situation, he isnt able to bring up such strong and effective examples but is able to give
reason for his life being better than it is sought out to be. He gives the fact that he had been in ballparks
for seventeen years and had never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans
(Gehrig). With little reason given and examples not at all as specific as Antonys, Gehrigs speech relies
on mostly emotion. Pathos shows up all throughout his speech, not giving enough logic. Without a
balance of the three, especially logos, a speech is not as credible as it could be thus not being as
convincing.
The rhetoric used in each speech alongside techniques such as repetition and dramatic pauses help
build a sturdy argument for both Mark Antony and Lou Gehrig. Some may look at these speeches and
conclude that Gehrig more effectively used ethos, pathos, and logos in his speech considering its length
but Antony by far is the best representation of the three forms of persuasion working in unison. While
Gehrig uses each component of the three in his speech, Mark Antony was able to blend ethos, pathos, and
logos together. He effectively bounced both pathos and logos off each other to effectively build ethos. By
being able to achieve such harmony in a speech makes it more and more satisfying and influential to the
listener(s).

Eugenio 4

Work Cited

Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Julius Caesar. Ed. David Henry Hwang. Prentice Hall Literature.
New Jersey: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2007.

Gehrig, Lou. The Luckiest Man. Farewell to Baseball Address, 4 July 1939, New York.

Eugenio 5