Foolishness for Freedom

Jean-Paul Marat was a radical journalist in France during the time of the Revolution. He was a friend to the people and was known for his fierce tone in his writing against the new leaders in France. His speech "Are We Undone?" focuses mostly on this fierce and passionate tone to ignite fury and change in the people.

Marat is trying to stir the people up to anger as he informs the people that the King and the monarchy are going behind their backs and forming alliances with other armies that, according to Marat, will come in and destroy the French people. He uses a sarcastic tone, mocking the King as he refers to him as the "good King." Rhetorically speaking, Marat is very away of who his audience is - all the people - and calls his speech an appeal to all citizens. Because he is speaking to the general audience, he has to find a way to make his speech personal to every single member of his audience so they all feel the need to take action in Marat's cause. He uses a lot of strong figurative language to hit his point home to the heart of every man. When talking about the enemies that will soon invade France due to the monarchy's betrayal, he writes: "They will murder you without compassion, they will rip open the bellies of your wives, and in order to choke within you the love of liberty, their bloody hands will explore the entrails of your children to find their hearts." This strong language causes every single man to consider the danger his own family could be in.

Marat is also very clever in his emotional appeal to the people. He uses his words and rhetoric to make the people feel foolish in letting the King get away with this tyranny. Marat has to walk a fine line, however. If he makes the people feel too foolish, they will not want to listen to his words. But he makes sure that the people realize that it is not he that has made them feel foolish, but it is the King's fault. By making the people feel that the King has mocked them, he ignites them more quickly to anger against the King. Asking rhetorical questions helps him in this very clever rhetorical trick: "Can you believe it?" he asks his audience. "Your General, who has neglected not a single means of corruption, has just organized an entire battery of artillery, against the will of all the districts, in order to destroy you."

By using these rhetorical means in his speech, Marat rallies the people together, not to be foolish, but to reclaim their freedoms.