Example of Rhetorical Essay
Introduction, Body, & Conclusion
Introduction Paragraph
Hook
Context-Occasion from SOAPSTone
Thesis: Speaker/Text, Subject, Purpose, Rhetorical Devices
Henry Trumbull once called Tecumseh "the most extraordinary Indian that has appeared in history." Tecumseh, a leader among his Shawnee people, was unhappy with the treatment of Native Americans, especially the loss of land that was part of the Treaty of Fort Wayne. As a result, he attempted to organize a multi-tribe rebellion against the US government. In Tecumseh's "Speech to the Osages," he discusses the importance of unity among the tribes in order to convince his listeners to join his fight against the US government; he does this through his use of anaphora and allusions, as well as his hopeful tone and simple diction.
Body Paragraph
Tecumseh uses anaphora through his speech to better connect to his audience and enlist their help. He repeatedly refers to his audience as “Brothers” when starting new lines of thought. He is reminding his audience that they are in this fight together. This repeated use of brother helps Tecumseh appeal to his audience’s emotions by making it seem like they are family. A family sticks together through tough times and a family is willing to risk everything for their blood, which is what Tecumseh is trying to make his audience remember. Later, he repeats the phrase, “we must” when speaking. Here, he is reminding his audience that there is really no option when it comes to joining the fight. Tecumseh is appealing to his audience’s emotion by creating a sense of urgency and implying that if they do nothing they will anger the “Great Spirit.” This will make his audience more likely to join him because they do not want to anger the “Great Spirit,” and they do not want to see what happens if they do nothing. Tecumseh’s use of anaphora allows him to establish a link between him and the audience, which helps him achieve his goal of convincing them to join the fight.
Conclusion
In his rallying “Speech to the Osages” Tecumseh’s strives to achieve unity amongst the tribes in an effort to persuade his brothers to join his fight against the US government. Through his clever use of rhetorical devices he is able to establish a bond amongst the various tribes allowing them to set aside their differences so that they may rescue their people, culture, and history from a merciless white man.
