Forms of appeal

The predominant forms of appeal in Abraham Lincoln’s speech “A House Divided” are ethos and logos. Pathos is almost absent from the speech, and when it appears it is connected with the other two forms of appeal the speaker us…

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Logos

Most of Lincoln’s speech is an appeal to the audience’s reason. He uses logical arguments and facts to support his case that several politicians, including his political opponent, Senator Douglas, have plotted a conspiracy to promote slavery.

Throughout the speech, Lincoln mentions several facts that lead to this logical conclusion: The adoption of the Nebraska bill, followed by the Dred Scott case, and the politicians’ support f…

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Ethos

The speaker appeals to trust and authority in his speech to make his arguments more compelling and acceptable to the audience.

Through the biblical allusion “ ‘A house divided against itself cannot stand.’ ” (l. 11) Lincoln indirectly appeals to the authority of God to give more weight to his own prediction about the future of the US in the context of the division between free states and slave states: “I believe this government cannot endure, permanently, half slave and half free.” (ll. 11-13).

Furthermor…

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Pathos

Lincoln does not appeal directly to the audience’s emotions, but his speech suggests they should fear the outcome of the division over slavery in the US: “…or its advocates will push it forward till it shall become alike lawful in all the states, old as well as new, North as well as South.” (ll. 19-21).

Additionally, he is also trying to appeal to the audience’…