In Sophocles play 'Antigone, a lot oI good persuasive speeches were delivered by the

characters, amongst all oI the speeches, I chose Antigone`s speech on page 55 as the most
eIIective because oI the very strong Iigurative language, rhetoric, her use oI compare and
contrast, her writing style and choice oI words. Antigone`s speech called out to me because oI
how she got deIensive and personal, she was also willing to die Ior her actions because she was
100 sure that what she was doing was right.
Antigone had a strong use oI Iigurative language in this speech. Antigone starts oII the
speech with alliteration to portray the Ieeling oI ownership. I would say there`s also a part where
oxymoron is portrayed. For example Antigone says 'the eternal vigil oI the grave.I am
returning home as well. What this statement means is that she`s is saying that the grave is her
home and she belongs to the dead. I would say that is an oxymoron because the grave cannot be
home or else to the dead.
Another aspect oI the speech that was appealing to me was the use oI rhetoric. The
speech appealed to ethos, pathos and logos. Antigone appealed to ethos by stating what she
believes in. Ior example Antigone says 'but I was right to honor you.. Antigone explains that
she was right Ior what she did. She was honoring her brother and I think that that`s her ethics
because that`s what she believes in. I think the most eIIective rhetoric in this speech is pathos.
Antigone really appealed to pathos by giving out a lot oI emotion. For example Antigone shows
how she Ieels about her actions. Her emotions are portrayed by the structure oI the words. For
example, 'as I go, I nurse the hope in my heart that you, Iather and mother, will love me and be
with me. that sentence alone shows a great deal oI emotion. Antigone appealed to logos by
stating the logic. The logic is, 'is there any ally among the gods I can call to, iI any reverence has
made me impious? But iI this is the will oI the gods, we will learn we were wrong through
suIIering. I think what Antigone`s trying to say here is that the gods stated that everyone
should be buried but iI it`s the will oI the gods Ior her to die, she will and II it isn`t they will
learn their lesson through suIIering.
'Supposed I had been.I would not have.. This is an example oI compare and
contrast. Antigone compared herselI to a mother widow. She said she wouldn`t have done what
she did iI she had been a mother because there would have been someone to carry on her
Iamily`s name. Antigone argued that there`s no one to carry on her Iather`s name by comparing
herselI to a mother and a widow.
In conclusion, I think Antigone`s speech on page 55 was the most eIIective persuasive
speech because oI the Iigurative language, rhetoric, compare and contrast and also her structure
and style. Antigone argued to that what she did was right no matter what Kreon thinks. I am so
attracted to this speech because oI the way she laid it out. For example, this is a very powerIul
and emotional line Irom the speech relating to pathos 'and .living to the grave, and I never was
loved I never nursed a child, and with those I love gone, I go alone and desolate.