Speech must have several mandatory elements to be full-fledged, and such fundamental elements are the speaker, speech, and audience, and without one of them, the situation will not be complete. These components correspond to the concepts of ethos, logos, and pathos, and their analysis is essential for speech preparation (Tinianow, 2017). This post examines these elements using the example of Hillary Clinton’s 1995 speech at the UN World Conference on Women.
Building a compelling argument depends on each element; for example, ethos is the speaker’s characteristics, credibility, and concern for the topic. Looking at the example of the Clinton speech, her address focuses on the rights of women and the need to protect them. Her reliability as a speaker and ethos is supported by the experience of Clinton (1995): “Over the past 25 years, I have worked persistently on issues relating to women, children, and families” (para. 8).
Moreover, as a woman and first lady, Clinton combined work and care for the family (“Hillary Rodham Clinton,” n.d.). Consequently, she has experience and knowledge on the topic, which gives reason to argue that she is an informed speaker.
Logos is the content and structure of speech, and having established her credibility in the topic, Clinton uses examples and information she learned as arguments. Her main claim was that women should fully enjoy their rights, and she cited examples of violations as proof that the problem required attention. For instance, she says about girls sold into slavery, domestic violence as the frequent cause of women’s deaths, and other issues (Clinton, 1995). Finally, pathos is an audience and its emotional response to the address presented. In the speech studied, Clinton focused on the participants of the international conference. She applies the concepts of human rights and freedom and draws attention to how participants can change something to solve the problem. Thus, Clinton’s speech is an example of the careful use of all three elements – ethos, logos, and pathos.
References
Clinton, H.R. (1995). Remarks to the U.N. 4th World Conference on Women Plenary Session. American Rhetoric. Web.
Hillary Rodham Clinton. (n.d.). The White House. Web.
Tinianow, D. (2017). New traditions in public speaking. Bridgepoint Education.