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Notes on Patrick Henry’s “Speech in the Virginia Convention”What is the Virginia Convention?A meeting of delegates who are going to decide whether Virginia should agree to go to war with Britain.What is significant about the date of this speech?It is BEFORE we declared independence.Who is “Mr. President?”Peyton Randolph, the president of the Virginia Convention—NOT the United States.Questions 1-3 were to make you slow down and realize that we don’t have a country yet.Who is Patrick Henry’s audience?Delegates who both agree and disagree with him, as well as some who are undecidedConsidering his audience, why does he begin with the sentence that he does?He’s flattering those who disagree with him in order to make himself appear reasonable, thereby strengthening his argument.? If he insults everyone who doesn’t agree with him, he has no chance of changing their minds, which is the whole purpose of the speech.Summarize lines 3-8.I’m going to speak plainly, which may offend some of you.? There isn’t time to sugar-coat it.What rhetorical device does Patrick Henry employ in line 9-10?Loaded language; he calls educated, powerful, land-owning, white men slaves, which insults their status and their manhoodIn lines 14-17, Patrick Henry states that, should he keep silent, he would be guilty of two major offenses.? What are they?Treason to his country and an offense against GOD (the majesty of heaven)How are lines 16-17 a slam on the king?Although Brits believe that the king is chosen by God, Henry flouts this tradition by saying that he respects God more than any earthly king.Using lines 18-26, identify and explain one example of a rhetorical device.Rhetorical question : Are you men or what?Literary allusion to the Odyssey (the Tories are being tricked by the king as Odyssus’ crew was tricked by Circe.? This insults the Tories.? Circe was able to turn the crew into pigs because it represented their true nature.? He’s calling the Tories animals-pigs.Biblical allusion to Ezekiel (the Tories refuse to see the obvious or listen to reason)Using lines 18-26, identify and explain one example of literary allusion.See note #20 and the answer aboveWhat effect does Patrick Henry intend his allusion to have on his audience? (i.e. How will they react?)See the answer for # 10Using lines 18-26, identify and explain the Biblical allusion Henry makes.See the answer for # 10How has Patrick Henry come to the conclusions that he has about King George?? (lines 27-33)experienceInfer what Henry means by “insidious smile” and explain line32-33.The king acts politely when the colonists ask him for things, but it’s a fake smile that will not be accompanied by real change.To whom is Britain being compared in line 34?JudasTo whom are the colonies being compared in line 34?JesusWhat has Britain done in lines 36-49 that gets Patrick Henry so riled up?They’ve sent their navy over- you don’t send armies and navies to make peace.? You send them to make war. Henry is warning the delegates that war is HERE.What loaded language does Patrick Henry use in lines 48-49?Bind rivet chains—slavery imagesWhat efforts have the colonies made to fix the situation with the king?? How effective does Patrick Henry feel these efforts have been?Debate—we’ve been trying that for 10 years to no effectBegging/diplomacy—we’ve asked as nicely as humanly possible to no effectOur petitions have been slighted-the king has taken no notice of our polite requestsOur remonstrances have produced additional violence and insult—when we object to his treatment, he gets worseWhat literary device does Patrick Henry use in lines 57-66?Parallel structureSummarize lines 67-72.If we don’t want to waste all the sacrifices we’ve already made, if we believe in our natural human dignity, then we MUST FIGHT.What is Patrick Henry’s argument in lines 74-81?The main argument against the colonists’ going to war is that we are weaker than England’s army.? BUT, Henry says that waiting to go to war will not make us stronger.? It can only make us weaker by allowing Britain time to send even more troops.Lines 79-81 contain some seriously loaded language.? See if you can figure out how Patrick Henry is insulting the men of the Convention.He’s calling them women.What advantages/strengths do the colonists have according to Patrick Henry in lines 82-88?Three million peopleA huge amount of land full of natural resourcesGod’s favor (his help and love)Friends who will come to our aid (France)What does Patrick Henry imply in line 88?? (Think politics.)What rhetorical device does Patrick Henry employ in lines 89-90?Parallel structureWhat loaded language does Henry use in lines 90-4?Slavery, chains, clankingWhat rhetorical device does Henry use in line 96?What current event (current to 1775) does Henry allude to in line 97?What rhetorical device does Henry employ in lines 99-101?Rhetorical questionsThe last line of this speech is arguably one of the most famous lines from the Revolution.? It is incredibly memorable and effective.? However, Henry’s Revolutionary Era detractors could justifiably have accused him of what logical fallacy/propaganda technique in this sentence?Either/or ................
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