Gates1

LauraGates
VeenaRaman
CAS137H

9/29/14
MartinLutherKingJr.sNobelPeacePrizeAcceptanceSpeech

MartinLutherkingJr.wasoneofthemostinfluentialpeopleofthe21thcentury.Even
fiftyplusyearslater,hismessageisstillbelievedinandstudiedtoday.Insomeways,theideashe
broughtforthinhisspeechescanstillbeapplicabletosocialissuesthatarehappeninginthe
UnitedStatestoday.OneofthemosticonicmomentsinKingslifewaswhenheaddressedhis
movementfromhumanrightsontheworldsstageeducatingtheaudienceallthewhileaccepting
theNobelPeacePrize.Thespeechisstillrememberedtodayasoneofhismostinfluential
performancesandarguablytookhiscausetothenextlevelofsocialactivism.Notonlywasitvery
effectualandmeaningful,butithadacertainliteraryvalueinitsuseofrhetorictopersuadehis
verylargeaudiencetocareabouthiscause.
OnOctober14,1964,MartinLutherKingJr.stoodinfrontofanauditoriumfullof
importantpeoplefromalloverthewordtoreceivethe1964NobelPeacePrize.Ittookplaceatthe
UniversityofOsloinOslo,Norway.Hegottheawardforhispassionandhardworkinshapingan
innovativemovementintheUnitedStatesamovementthatfoughtforthehumanrightsofblack
americansandtheequalityofallpeople.Earlyoninhislife,hebegantobevocalabouthis
opinionsandplayedasignificantroleinmanyoftheimportantaspectsofthemovement,likethe
MontgomeryBusBoycottandthefoundingoftheSouthernChristianLeadershipConference
(SCLC),whichutilizedactsofnonviolentcivildisobediencetospreadthemessageofequality.

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Asalmosteveryoneknows,MartinLutherKingJr.gavemanyspeechesinhisdaynotjust
theNobelPeacePrizeacceptancespeech.Withouthispowerfulpublicspeakingabilities,his
messagewouldnthavereachedsomanypeopleandtouchedsomanylives.Someofhismore
famousspeechesincludeIhaveadreamandhisLetterfromBirminghamCityJailspeech.His
publicvoicehadevolvedfromhisearlycareerasapastorathischurchinMontgomery,Alabama,
wheremostofhisearlyworkswereinspiredbyhisChristianbeliefs.Healsowasapacifistto
someextent,andbuiltmanyofhisworksofftheideaofnonviolenceandusingloveand
forgivenesstosolveproblems.Infact,itwashisuseofnonviolencewhichearnedhimtheNobel
PeacePrizeinthefirstplace.TheNobelCommitteehadpraisedhimforbeingthefirstpersonin
theUnitedStatestoreallywageagreatstrugglewithouttheuseofviolence.
Kinghadmixedfeelingsaboutreceivingtheaward.Whenhegavehisacceptancespeech,
hespokeinagravetonethatsuggestedhewasnthappywiththeirdecisiontogivehimtheaward.
Hemadeitclearinhisargumentthathewassolelyacceptingitonbehalfofeveryoneelsewho
hadalsomadeaneffort,andtriedtoremovehimselffromthecenterofthesituation.Itsweirdto
thinkthatsomeonewouldbeupsetreceivingsuchagreathonor,buthegaveagreatargumentasto
whyheisntcelebrating.Inthespeech,Kingtalkedabouthowalthoughhehadmadealotofgreat
stridesinthewaragainstracialinjustice,thereisstillalottobedone.Hestressedthepointthatthe
fightisntoveritdoesntendjustbecausehegotanawardforit.Hehadjustmadeagreatstart.
Hewascorrecteventoday,somanyyearslater,westillstrugglewithinequalitiesinourcountrys
socialstructure.Ittakesmanyyearsofeffort,generationseven,tocompletelychangethemindset
ofawholecountry.

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Allinall,althoughitwasjustanacceptancespeech,Kingtookadvantageofhistimeon
theworldsstagetotalkaboutwhatreallymatters.Heusedmanydifferentliterarytechniquesand
persuasiveappealstostrengthenhisargumentanddrawinthelisteners.Forexample,heusesethos
inthespeechtoappealtodelegatesfromnationsoutsidetheUnitedStates.Sincesegregationand
racialprejudiceswerentnecessarilyasprevalentinothercountries,hegearedhisspeechtotalk
moresoaboutpeaceandequalityonamoregeneral,globalstandpoint.Thisway,peoplefrom
othercountriescanconnecttohisideasmore.Itwasalsoclearlyspokenandorganizedtopically
intosections.Withaspeechwritteninthismanner,ithelpedhimgainmorerespectandcredibility
fromothers.Inthisway,ethoswasusedtoindirectlyinfluencetheaudiencespointsofviewand
giveMartinLutherKingjrsproposedideologiesanincreasedsenseofrespectandpower.
PathosisalsoapersuasiveappealthatisoftenusedinMartinLutherKingsspeeches.In
particular,heevokesemotionintheaudiencefromthefirstline
that22millionNegropeopleare
fightingracialinjusticewhileheisacceptinganaward.Itsapowerfulfactthatcanreallyhithome
forquitealotofpeople.Kinginsertedalotofthesecoldfactsintothespeechbecausehefeltthat
theywereessentialinmakinganimpacthoweverunpleasanttohearabout.Healsodoesthis
usingliterarytechniqueslikepersonification,whereheapplieshumanisticdescriptionsto
nonhumannouns.Anexampleiswhenhesays:Ibelievethatwoundedjustice,lyingprostrateon
thebloodflowingstreetsofournations,canbeliftedfromthisdustofshametoreignsupreme
amongthechildrenofmen.Inthisexample,heisusingtheimageryofafallensoldierinwarto
describejustice.Thisway,ithitsclosertohomeaspeoplecanrelatetoitbetter.
Laterinthespeech,hebegantoshifthisfocusandtalkmoresoaboutourcivicdutyasa
planettoleadourselvesdownaroadtoglobalpeaceandunity.Thisisagreatexampleofhowhe

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begantoincorporatelogostobuildoffhisuseofpathos.Kingusedthiseffecttoalmostpressure
theaudiencefirstheinspiredthemtomakeadifferenceintheircommunity,andafter
fundamentallytoldthemthatallhumanitywillcrumbleinadownwardspiralifwedont.His
argumentationwashardtodisagreewith,andhiswordsmadepeoplelookatthingswithadifferent
perspectivechallengingthecommonideologiesofthatdayandage.Inthisway,King
implementedlogosaswellaspathostoalmostcomplementandbuildoffeachothertomakethe
speechaseffectiveaspossible.
ThewayinwhichKingperformedtheacceptancespeechalsoshowspathosandlogos.He
isusuallyknownforhisverypassionate,almostdramaticreadingsofhisworkswherethe
audiencegetsreallyintoit.Peoplewillbecomeoverwhelmedwithemotionandsometimesyellor
chantinagreementwithhiswords.TheNobelPeacePrizeacceptancespeechhadavery
contrasteddynamictoit,butnonethelessstillevokedemotionintheaudiencejustinadifferent
way.Hismonotonevoice,hardenedexpressions,andcalculatedwordsmadetheauditoriumfeel
veryuncomfortable,whichwasnecessaryingrabbingeverybodysattention.Thistensionand
uneasinessalsogaveKingasenseofjurisdictionovertheaudiencehewaseasythemostpowerful
manintheroom.Healsousedalotofanaphora,inwhichherepeatedlyusedIphraseslikeI
refuseandIbelieveatthebeginningofhisthoughtstoemphasizehispoints.Becauseofthese
effectsinhisspeaking,Kingwasabletoachievehisgoalsincaptivatingtheaudienceand
effectivelyspreadinghismessage.
ThereisnodoubtthatMartinLutherKingJr.isagiftedspeaker.Althoughacceptance
speechesareoftenjustmessagesofgratitudetowardstheawarder,hetookadvantageofhistime
onstagetoraiseawarenessforhiscauseandtoinspireotherstotakeaction.Althoughsomeofhis

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wordswereshocking,heputtheaudienceinawewithhiswordsleavingtheroomunableto
speak.Hewouldnthavebeenabletodothiswithouthisgreatrhetoricalskills,morespecifically
hismanipulationofethos,pathos,andlogos.Withinthose,heusedotherliterarytechniqueslike
personificationandanaphoratokeephisviewersinterestedandtomakepersonalconnectionsthat
wouldbememorableforgenerationstocome.

Bibliography
KingJr.,MartinLuther."MartinLutherKingJr.."
AcceptanceSpeech
.NobelMediaAB,n.d.Web.
<
http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1964/kingacceptance_en.html
>.