During this time in September, many of us ache in the memory of what
took place in 2001. Through thought and
action, we pay respect to the servicemen and women who have been killed or
injured. Now as I write this brief
opening to my post, I am sharply aware of how difficult it can be to write in
tribute of heroes and heroines who have absolutely and perfectly exemplified the
spirit of duty, courage, and patriotism.
Pericles had the challenge of addressing an audience regarding the courageous spirit of Athens’s fallen soldiers and executes his oration—in
my opinion—exceptionally well. Though
Pericles did not necessarily subscribe to the idea of delivering a
commiserating eulogy, he was aware of his “duty to follow the tradition and do
[his] best to meet the wishes and the expectations of every one of [the
audience].” (page 73, line 6)
Pericles gains persuasive
appeal in employing both Pathos and Ethos together in his Epidictic speech. Pathos is channeled first by expressing pride
for the city of Athens and its developed success. In a reverent but matter-of-fact way, Pericles
buoys his audience up by touching on themes of freedom, democracy, and courage.
When the speech shifts to praise the dead,
Pathos is still present through empathy for the mourning families and loved ones
of the fallen.
Ethos is laced throughout the speech.
As a citizen of Athens as well as a father of a fallen war hero,
Pericles had the authority and reputation as a proper logographer for an
audience with distressingly emotional needs.
He had license to speak about the accomplishments of the city. He knew how to turn sorrow to comfort,
because he too was experiencing the very same tragedy of his audience.
Understanding what would be most
emotionally satisfying, Pericles left a sense of pride and glory in the minds
of the audience. Just as Gavin has mentioned, I feel a eulogy is for the mourners to reflect and find a source of hope and comfort. Whether it is the offering of a speech, the visiting
of a cemetery, or the building of a memorial museum, those of us who are still
alive want to honor our deceased heroes and their spirit of courage.
Kelly, the connection with the 2001 terrorist attack I think was very appropriate. While it's easy to focus on things he could have improved in his speech, I appreciate the way you try to place his potential feelings in a modern setting.
ReplyDeleteI really didn't think of that before. That's really an excellent way to bring that into a context that we can empathize with. Honestly, I think that a lot of the things that he says would totally be things that we would say about our heroes. My post was about the links between our culture and Athenian culture, and I think that this is another great example of it.
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