King's Speech

Matt Neice

Professor Andrew Behrmann

English 111

6th February 2017

The King’s Speech

To those that have not seen the film The King’s Speech I urge you to watch it, so you can know of the numerous reasoning’s preceding of King George VI’s articulation of his wartime broadcast. In September 1939, the king of the United Kingdom gave an address to the nation, telling them that they were again at war. Using argumentation, addressing his subject’s appropriately, and dealing with his speech defect effectively in articulation, King George VI called on the ethics, emotions, and logic of his subjects, efficiently presenting his arguments for going to war with Nazi Germany.

In calling upon the logic, emotions, and ethics, the King efficiently made a strong argumentation in his approval of going to war.  In making those arguments, he embraced the burden of calling upon his subject’s a sense of duty.  In his national speech, King George VI told his people that more diplomatic actions have failed against their new enemies.  To make this argument in approval of direct confrontation, he said, “over and over again we have tried to find a peaceful way out of the differences between ourselves and those who are now our enemies. But it has been in vain. We have been forced into a conflict.”  By speaking about the past engagements in a fact-based way, the King appealed to his people’s logic. If his subjects can see the reasoning behind his actions, they will be in favor to support the war effort and put him in their goodwill. On an important side note many people had doubts of the King in the beginning of his reign, so he needed this broadcast to work to win them in his favor.  He was able to do so by illustrating the sympathetic ruler during a dark time in trying to link with his audience.          Another argument the King makes exists in the statement of the enemies’ crimes they have done which induced the action he had chosen.  “It is the principle which permits a state, in the selfish pursuit of power, to disregard its treaties and its solemn pledges; which sanctions the use of force, or threat of force, against the sovereignty and independence of other states,” he said distinctly to make his point.  In a sentence, the King credited Germany’s enormous advance to power and carelessness concerning the Treaty of Versailles.  The king appealed to his subject’s logic by describing the innumerable immoralities done by the Nazi’s, declaring the need for action must be done immediately.  It also appealed to the ethics in moral citizens of the international community, making them feel obliged to help their fellow man.  Due to the fact that he could appeal to ethos, pathos, and logos in his all arguments for the supporting the war effort, the King significantly triumphs in enlarging support for the cause and himself.

From the beginning of the speech, the King recognizes the audience and his connection with them, constructing a feeling of conviction and mutual obligation. To convene on their ethos and pathos, the King also strives to demonstrate an empirical attachment for the attempt at unity for the imminent war effort to the whole of his subjects. He calls for all people to serve with their personal, corporeal, and psychological strength, showing his belief in the potential of his people.  The broadcast called on them to recall the last World War that they fought courageously in by saying “or the second time in the lives of most of us we are at war.”  This also recapitulates in the audience’s minds that King George VI fought in the world war one; this implores to their ethics in that it gave him the credibility needed to make important wartime decisions. The King goes on to appeal to their emotional mindset, by confirming the British people’s religious moral sense.  He appeals to them from a place of emotional-appeal because, as king, he is the head of the Church of England.  Towards the end of his speech, King George states, “But we can only do the right as we see the right, and reverently commit our cause to God. If one and all we keep resolutely faithful to it, ready for whatever service or sacrifice it may demand, then, with God’s help, we shall prevail.”  In stating their religious character, he appeals to the people’s belief and sense of civic and ethical responsibility to their fellow man. By distinguishing his subjects, the King conclusively appeals to their diverse characteristics of sentiment, trust, and reasoning.