When a president gives a speech, he often comes in with a lot of extrinsic ethos. Especially if that president is John F. Kennedy.
Being loved by the majority of the population, Kennedy had an enormous level of credibility as well as the authority and experience that comes with being the president of the United States. Kennedy utilizes this authority to hopefully gain his audience's support towards "the most hazardous and dangerous and greatest
adventure on which man has ever embarked."
Within his speech, Kennedy also does a great job of establishing intrinsic ethos. He speaks with an authoritative tone, and an educated diction enough to ensure that his audience acknowledges his credibility had they not known who he was. Kennedy, being one of the
best public speakers of his time, delivered his speech with passion and heart, moving his audience to not only respect his authority, but to embrace his words and ideas.
Another way Kennedy establishes intrinsic ethos within the speech is through his utilization of logos. By creating logical arguments and illustrating that he is knowledgeable of both the need for, and implications of, the space exploration missions, Kennedy further increases the credibility of himself and his words.
I agree with your post in that John F. Kennedy was a very influential public figure in his time, allowing for Ethos to be felt intensely throughout his Moon Speech. By appealing to the United States' sense of community, his aim was to elicit a sense of pride and confidence that would allow the country to propel further in the space race. However, I think in your post it would have been helpful to expand on your explanation of Kennedy's use of logos. When you say he created "logical arguments," I think giving an example or two would be beneficial for your audience.
ReplyDeleteI like how you differentiated between the extrinsic and intrinsic ethos in John F. Kennedy's speech. His credibility allowed his audience to listen to him because he speaks with such authority. Also, he already has an established trust with his audience. I agree that using logos helps establish the intrinsic ethos, but you should add an example to support the statement.
ReplyDeleteI agree that John F. Kennedy had great credibility. I recommend you provide a quote (such as "My fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.") to further strengthen your argument about Kennedy's intrinsic ethos. Kennedy captured the American public's attention and encouraged them to serve the country.
ReplyDelete