Topic > Comparing Pericles' Funeral Speech to Abraham Lincoln

In his Gettysburg Address, Abraham Lincoln does a great job expressing a lot of information about how to save the country. During his speech he also highlights what those who died were fighting for. Pericles is more about the kind of union the Athenians need to win the battle. Lincoln strives to resolve the problems between the two sides while Pericles wishes to win the war and not be stressed by problems related to the enemy. The two addresses have some similarities that make them significant to a current reader as discussed in this essay. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay During orations, both speakers show their intense pride in their political parties. Both tend to comment that there is no other political party superior to theirs. Pericles isolates Athens from the rest of Hellas in terms of the constitution and even the army. In the same note, President Lincoln mentions the “new nation,” indicating that it is very different from the rest of the world. During their speeches, they both contrast actions and words. Everyone agrees that the deeds of those who have already died cannot be remembered only with simple and meaningless words. An exaggeration of the deeds of those who had died is evident in the speeches of Lincoln and Pericles, where the type of description given to the dead is that of emphasis. Everyone praises the dead for dying during a mission to give a better life to individuals and even protect the nation (Holmes, 1901). The two speakers encourage the audience to struggle to largely contain individual pain and work hard on unfinished tasks. There is a sense of similarity in the pronouns the two use during their speeches. They use the first person plural instead of the singular to show that it is everyone's job to fight for the nation. The two speakers also use the founders as the basis of their legitimacy. For example, Pericles notes the founders of the city of Athens in the ancestors and the defenders of Persia in the fathers. On the other hand, President Lincoln begins his remark by mentioning the founding fathers who worked on the declaration (Pinsker, 2001). The respective speeches of Pericles and Lincoln are quite significant for a current reader as they contain life values ​​and skills that should be used by speakers in daily activities. By mentioning the founders as the basis of legitimacy, readers can understand how important it is to maintain the traditional virtue inherited from their ancestors. The two speakers appreciate the efforts of the ancestors in enabling the country to reach its current state. The speeches of the two speakers are very vital in creating a sense of respect for the dead among the readers who may not be aware of society's beliefs regarding the dead. They highly appreciate the efforts of the dead and are firm in condemning anyone who would criticize the work done by those who have died. The sensible use of literary elements of a speech by both Lincoln and Pericles is a motivation for current readers to improve their language skills in preparation for any public speech. Current readers will learn that the language skills learned in the classroom are applicable in the real world situation, such as in the case of speeches. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get Custom Essay In conclusion, the speeches of President Lincoln and Pericles are short, clear and dignified speeches that have common approaches on some of the issues of interest during the historical periods. The two directions are also significant in educating i