Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death!: Symbols, Motifs, and Rhetorical Devices

Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death!: Symbols, Motifs, and Rhetorical Devices

Freedom/Liberty vs. Slavery/Chains

Yeah, we know that the idea of a slave-owner like Patrick Henry talking about how bad slavery is really leaves a taste in our mouths that's nastier than blue cheese. The guy seemingly never saw the...

The Lamp

No matter how fancy your light fixtures are, in the 18th century, they're still powered by good old wax-and-flame candles just waiting to set your house on fire…unless it's magically fueled by ex...

The Storm

Is the wind picking up…or is King George III talking? Just kidding. Henry refers to the build-up to the coming war as a storm. It ain't original, but it definitely packs a punch.Sir, we have done...

The Throne

Henry never actually calls George III by name in this speech.Instead, he refers to "the throne," saying, We have petitioned; we have remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves...

Biblical Allusions

When you're shouting from the rooftops that God is on your side, it helps to back it up with some of God's word. Henry takes biblical references and flips them around so that they'll help him make...

Classical Allusions

If there's one thing 18th-century lawmakers know, it's their Greek and Roman classics. Dudes loved them some classical worldview. Henry compares the temptation to ignore an unpleasant truth to the...

Rhetorical Questions

If we had to pick one rhetorical device to describe this speech, it would be the rhetorical question. This happens when a speaker asks a question he's not expecting an answer to…kind of like when...