Ethos, Pathos, Logos

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In this paper, I will discuss examples of ethos, pathos and logos that were used in King’s letter entitled “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” The Letter from Birmingham Jail was in response to eight clergymen defending his actions. King’s masterpiece “Letter from Birmingham Jail” is widely known for its eloquent and powerful use of the different literary techniques such as ethos, pathos and logos. He was well versed with the sermons and speeches from the Bible, and this seems to have helped King create highly emotional writings to appeal to different audiences. King conveys his message by appealing to ethos, when he presents evidence that he is credible by writing, that he follows just laws, but breaks unjust laws. He then compares breaking unjust laws with what the early Christians did. King writes, "Of course, there is nothing new about this kind of civil disobedience. It was evidenced sublimely in the refusal of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to obey the laws of Nebuchadnezzar, on the ground that a higher moral law was at stake. It was practiced superbly by the early Christians who were willing to face hungry lions and the excruciating pain of chopping blocks rather than submit to certain unjust laws of the Roman Empire.” (King, 1963) King tries to explain that the early Christians broke laws that they felt were unjust. He then writes that, today, many people look at the early Christians' movement as just. After giving these examples, King asserts the fact that he is a "minister of the gospel" and knows much about the history of Christianity. This assertion makes King appeal to ethos because when he writes that he is a minister it does not need to be said that he knows a lot about religion; it is automatically assumed that he know a lot about religion. Thus, it makes him credible when he uses religious examples pertaining to his cause. In the paragraph below, King

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