Rhetorical Analysis of “Remarks on the Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr” Speech Essay Example

Martin Luther King Jr, the leader of the American civil rights movement and organizer of peaceful protests, was assassinated on April 4th, 1968. To many, it seemed as if their world would never be the same. Many thought segregation and racial injustice would continue on for the rest of their lives.  In “Remarks on the Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr”, Robert F. Kennedy uses lots of anaphora and ethos in order to guide those who were upset and distraught about King’s death to react with peace and understanding. 

Kennedy is talented in his speaking and very eloquent, but his use of anaphora is a bit repetitive. He hadn’t intended to give this speech very far in advance. He looked at the stack of papers in his hands only once and at the beginning of his speech. The frequent anaphora was most likely a result of being unprepared. The use of anaphora in every paragraph gets mundane for the audience and can lose attention. Kennedy spoke quickly in a few parts of his speech, perhaps trying to keep the audience engaged. At least he used different topics or ideas as the root of his anaphora, but repeating over and over can’t hold someone’s attention for long. Switching up or combining rhetorical devices is how speakers can hold attention. Kennedy addresses the crowd and says, “What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence or lawlessness” and follows in the next paragraph with the idea for “[them] tonight to return home, [and] to say a prayer for the family of Martin Luther King” (1,1). Using the same device many times cannot and will not always make a perfect, powerful speech remembered through history, but grit, power, and passion can and obviously can. It wasn’t the amount of times he used anaphora that stands out, it's the raw drive and power behind it. Kennedy has an empathetic tone that remains empowering. He achieved 

Using ethos isn’t always an easy feat, but Kennedy is very talented and knows how to use it well. The topic choice and delivery in his speech proves that he is well educated, as well as quoting his “favorite poet,” Aeschylus (1). Kennedy says, “He wrote: ‘In our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God’"(1). To many, including me, this quote’s meaning isn’t easily understandable. If Kennedy understands the meaning of this, he must be very well educated in literature. Knowledge is power and he understands complex poetry, a fact that demands respect. A person would be more likely to allow themselves to be influenced by a knowledgeable and respected person. In paragraph 5, Kennedy reminds the audience that he has experienced death before and is qualified to tell them how they must deal with it. His brother, John F. Kennedy, was assassinated in 1963. That’s five years before King’s assassination and this speech. He knew how to deal with death because of the loss of someone very close to him and that has power. Grief upbrings people’s respect and attention. Kennedy used his past as leverage to convince upset people that he has also been upset and “to replace that violence, that stain of bloodshed that has spread across our land, with an effort to understand with compassion and love” (1). By saying “We will have difficult times; we've had difficult times in the past; we will have difficult times in the future” in paragraph 9, Kennedy uses brief allusion to bring up America’s past not only to make himself seem knowledgeable but to inspire them to hold onto hope and not believe the world is ending. Understanding and remembering history isn’t something many normal people can do. Kennedy knows this and weilds it to his advantage, using ethos to make himself seem smart.

This speech had been scheduled for weeks, but Kennedy wasn’t even supposed to be there. He had been advised to stay home by friends and staff. Their actions were proof that he needed to redirect those ideas, not stay out of it because of fear. He went into Indianapolis without his security team to deliver this speech. He felt so compelled to calm the people and direct them in a way for peace instead of violence that he was willing to risk his own life and safety to deliver this speech. If Kennedy’s brilliant use of ethos and his excessive but effective use of anaphora didn’t convince the audience, maybe his drive and raw willpower would. Kennedy comforted and guided people’s broken hearts. America  might be very different now if he hadn’t.