Give Me Liberty, or Give Me Death

Patrick Henry’s speech, “Give me Liberty, or Give me Death,” is an example of persuasive rhetoric. It is a call to action that utilizes a range of literary elements to evoke strong emotions in the listener and convince them of the necessity of war against Britain.

For example, Henry uses vivid images to create a sense of urgency and danger. In two separate places, Henry references a dark storm. Alluding to Britain’s military build-up, Henry remarks, “Ask yourselves how this gracious reception of our petition comports with these warlike preparations which cover our waters and darken our land” (83), comparing Britain’s actions to the shadow of storm clouds. His word choice implicitly urges listeners to prepare themselves for the oncoming storm. Henry later refers directly to a storm, saying, “Sir, we have done everything that could be done, to avert the storm which is now coming on” (84). As a metaphor for war with Britain, the image of the storm implies inevitability; conflict becomes a force of nature that the colonies can only prepare for, rather than seek to prevent. This aids Henry in Justifying Revolution, framing the colonies’ actions as defensive.

Henry also uses imagery to heighten the dichotomy of Freedom Versus Tyranny. He refers to chains three times while describing the colonists’ oppression—e.g., “This is no retreat, but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston!” (84). This visual and auditory image positions the colonists as enslaved to the British. Henry is here engaging in hyperbole, or exaggeration; the colonists were, of course, not literally enslaved, and many—including Henry himself—were in fact plantation owners and enslavers. However, the word choice amplifies the high stakes Henry argues are involved in their struggle for independence.

Henry’s use of repetition often has a similar emotional effect. For example, Henry argues that the colonies have exhausted peaceful avenues of reconciliation, saying, “Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances have produced additional violence and insult; our supplications have been disregarded; and we have been spurned, with contempt, from the foot of the throne” (84). The repetitive wording and structure invite listeners to respond with growing outrage; each clause enumerates another way in which Britain has “slighted” or “spurned” the colonies’ requests, contributing to the impression that rebellion is the only option left. Henry’s repeated use of the word “our” also encourages identification among the colonists and unites them in the shared goal of independence.

This emphasis on solidarity is among the strategies Henry uses to address his audience’s practical concerns. Because of Britain’s military strength, it was not enough for Henry to philosophically justify armed resistance; he also had to inspire confidence that the colonies could win. Another way in which Henry does this is by highlighting his own credibility as a speaker. For example, he repeatedly raises questions, only to answer them himself—a rhetorical device known as hypophora. He asks:

Has Great Britain any enemy, in this quarter of the world, to call for this accumulation of navies and armies? No, sir, she has none. [...] And what have we to oppose them? Shall we try argument? Sir, we have been trying that for the last ten years. Have we anything new to offer on the subject? (83-84).

This use of hypophora suggests that Henry has given the question of rebellion careful thought: He anticipates the questions of his audience as well as the answers, making him seem more reliable and authoritative. Henry also invokes Divine Providence to suggest that God is on the colonists’ side and will deliver them the victory. Doing so taps into several key strands of American thought—not just religiosity but also the belief that the colonies were settled according to a divine purpose, as well as the Enlightenment notion that humans derive certain basic rights from God. Through his scattered references to God, Henry therefore implies that doubting the colonies’ ability to defeat the British is equivalent to doubting God’s power or justice.