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A Rhetorical Analysis Of Hillary Rodham Clinton's Speech

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On September 5, 1995, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton spoke in front of delegates from 180 countries at the United Nations Fourth World Conference of Women. There, she was to deliver one of her greatest speeches on a topic that affects all of us; human rights, more notably, the rights of women and children. In her speech, Clinton persuaded those in attendance, utilizing ethos, pathos and logos, to understand the importance of women’s rights and to demand that they take steps to ensure that women receive the same liberties as men.
Aristotle, Greek philosopher and scientist, argued that there were three ingredients needed to effectively persuade those around you; ethos, pathos, and logos.
There are, then, these three means effecting persuasion. …show more content…

It is a violation of human rights when women and girls are sold into the slavery of prostitution for human greed — and the kinds of reasons that are used to justify this practice should no longer be tolerated. (Clinton, 1995)
Humans have rights. Women are humans. Women should have human rights. Hillary utilized this argument to persuade her audience with logos appeal as it is only logical that women’s rights should be equal to all human’s rights, because after all, women are humans.
We need to understand there is no one formula for how women should lead our lives. That is why we must respect the choices that each woman makes for herself and her family. Every woman deserves the chance to realize her own God-given potential. But we must recognize that women will never gain full dignity until their human rights are respected and protected. (Clinton, 1995)
Aristotle stated that “an argument should prove something or at least it should appear to prove something.” (European Rhetoric, 2007) Clinton’s speech makes a logical plea that proves that all people, regardless of gender, creed, or nationality should have their human rights

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