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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
An 8 pages analysis of Dr. King's famous speech, drawing on Kenneth Burke's Theory of Dramatism. Bibliography lists 4 sources.
Page Count:
8 pages (~225 words per page)
File: KL9_khkingdr.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
speech was so eloquent and persuasive, and Dr. Kings delivery was so passionate and heartfelt that it can be easily argued that this speech contributed greatly in convincing mainstream American
society that the Civil Rights Act, which was then proposed in Congress and achieved passage in 1964, was legislation that was long overdue and that the racial injustice that characterized
American society should no longer be tolerated. The following examination of Kings "I Have a Dream" speech uses the principles of rhetorical analysis developed by Kenneth Burkes Theory of
Dramatism. Therefore, before examining the speech, it is helpful to describe this theory and the principles it encompasses. Kenneth Burkes Dramatism Burkes Theory of Dramatism has become a valued
components of modern mainstream communication theory (Fournier). It was Burkes belief that "all of life and all of communication is a drama" (Fournier). Therefore, his primary focus was on a
speakers capacity to "identify with an audience," that is, to establish points of similarity between the speaker and the people listening to his speech (Fournier). In other words, if a
speaker succeeds in establishing these points of similarity with the audience, it greatly increases the likelihood that the audience will empathize with the speaker and conclude that the speaker is
presenting a sensible argument. Burke proposes that rhetoric should be analyzed according to five crucial factors, which he refers to as a "pentad" (Fournier). These elements are "act, agent,
agency, scene and purpose" (Cohrs). In his writing, Burke explains that: ... act is basically what took place. The agent is who or what did the act.
The scene is where the act took place, or the background of the act. The agency is what the person used to perform the act and finally the purpose
...