Their Finest Hour

We feel its very effective because of quotes like

"I look forward confidently to the exploits of our fighter pilots--these splendid men, this brilliant youth--who will have the glory of saving their native land, their island home, and all they love, from the most deadly of all attacks."

Alliteration

ex. Allies experienced nothing but disaster and disappointment

Rhetorical Question

Question not meant to be answered by the audience.

This helps show the bad times already felt.

ex. In what way has our position worsened since the beginning of the war

This gets listeners thinking and helps them understand the situation.

Antithesis

Amplification

Is two opposites together

An expansion of detail to clarify a point

Anthropomorphism

ex. our sphere, our station, our occupation or our duties

giving non human things human characteristics

ex.

This helps create a sense of homeland.

Ex. The navy shall bite

Win or lose, sink or swim, better die than submit to tyranny.

Makes the navy seem strong.

This helps create a feeling of determination in the speech.

Pathos

With passages like this Churchill appeals to the people's sense of heroics:

Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this Island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and the life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fail, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science.

Logos

During the speech there were many different facts that he used to help persuade the audience.

One example of that is when he talked abut how about 350,000 out of 400,000 men--are safely back in england and how the only way this could happen is by a strong air force, the same one that could defend England.

Rethorical deivices

Anthropomorphism

Rhetorical Question

Amplification

Aliteration

Antithesis

Purpose of speech

The Winston Churchill speech is to explain to the people the situation and give them reasons why they can still win. He also wanted to convey the gravity of the situation they were in they losss.

Their Finest Hour

Tone and mood

The tone of the speech is mostly informative and with a patriotic flavor to it.

The mood is mostly hopefull.

The mood and tone changes at the end where the gravity of the situation is explained then changes to the idea of leaving a place in history for this generation.

Ethos

Churchill is the Prime Minster of England so he already has credibility within his nation.

Who is speaking and who is he or she speaking to?

Speaker: Winston Churchill

Speaking to: The House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom It was also broadcast to the whole UK by radio.

What makes the speech so remarkable and memorable?

What is the historical context of the speech?

Why is the Speech Still Venerated Today

This speech was given on 18 June, 1940, just over a month after he took office as the new Prime Minister of the UK.

It was the third of the speeches he gave around the time of the "Battle of France".

This speech is so memorable because he reported the successful evacuation of all troops from France after the battle of France had been lost.

He declared that forces from the Dominions were prepared to help the "mother-country" and that the fate of civilization rests on the Battle of Britain and even the United States would not be safe. He says that this will be looked at as Britain's "Finest Hour", at a time when many people started to believe this would be the end of England.

Its remember today because of the ending of the speech. It has such a heroic feeling to it and seeing how England eventually won it makes it just that more heroic.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schoolradio/subjects/history/ww2clips/speeches/churchill_finest_hour

How was the Speech Received by the Audience?

The people of England did not have a very postive opinion of the speech at the time since many people believed he was drunk at the time when he spoke his speech. They didn't believe he was really hopeful about the situation. Many of his wartime speeches and just made the people more depressed.

An example is of one reporter named George who said "F****** Bulll s**** any normal person can see that he is just pulling the wool over their eyes".

Their Finest Hour

By Winston Churchill

Tyler Kendall and Jonathon Meyer

Speech by Winston Churchill

Presented by Tyler Kendall and Jonathon Meyer