Patrick Henry Speech @ Virginia Convent: ALUSIONS

Question

Hey, i'm doing an essay for my English class.
I need LOTS of Biblical allusions/ Odyssey allusions & so on.
No, i'm not asking ANYONE to write my paper for me.
I'm not even telling you to do half my paper.

I have to do 15 other things analyzing it also, including figuratively, ethos/pathos, and rhetoric.
But... i ONLY need help with allusions.
I don't read the bible, and i have trouble with this subject anyway..

Anyway, any help, guys? (:

Oh, it's Patrick Henry's speech at the Virginia Convention. Where he's hyping everyone up to fight the British.

Thanks in advance.

Doctor D · Accepted Answer

I've looked up the speech online--I assume you are talking about his "Give me Liberty or Give Me Death" speech. And you want to know something about the allusions (mostly biblical) in it. Correct? I will quote from the speech (with the allusion underlined) and reply in bold.

"Mr. President, it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the number of those who, having eyes, see not, and, having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation?"

The "song of the siren" refers to the Odyssey. The Sirens would lure sailors to their deaths on the rocks by singing to them an enchanting song. Odysseus escapes this by stuffing the ears of his crew with wax but has himself bound to the mast so that he can hear the luring sound of the Sirens without risk. The "transform into beasts" refers to a separate adventure, where Circe, a sorceress, turned the crew of Odysseus into pigs (Odysseus, with help from the gods, later saves them).

Those who have eyes but see not, ears but hear not--this is a reference to the words of Jesus in the New Testament, about people who are blind to the truth (although their physical eyes work). See Mark 8:18 (Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not?). He himself was probably echoing Jeremiah 5:21 (Hear now this, O foolish people, and without understanding; which have eyes, and see not; which have ears, and hear not) or Psalm 115: They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not.

"Trust it not, sir; it will prove a snare to your feet. Suffer not yourselves to be betrayed with a kiss."
"a snare to your feet" could be a biblical allusion to the Psalms (a general reference, as "snares" set by enemies is a common idea). "Betrayed with a kiss" refers to Jesus being betrayed by Judas, who indicated who was to be arrested by planting a kiss upon him.

"The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave"
The biblical reference is to the Old Testament, Ecclesiastes 9:11
I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happens to them all.

"Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace but there is no peace."
The biblical reference is to the Old Testament, Jeremiah 8:11
For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, Peace, peace; when there is no peace.

These are the allusions that leap out to me. There may be others (and there are probably allusions to writings that were familiar at that time). I hope this helps sufficiently.

Anonymous · Answer

anonymousHey, i'm doing an essay for my English class.
I need LOTS of Biblical allusions/ Odyssey allusions & so on.
No, i'm not asking ANYONE to write my paper for me.
I'm not even telling you to do half my paper.
I have to do 15 other things analyzing it also, including figuratively, ethos/pathos, and rhetoric.
But... i ONLY need help with allusions.
I don't read the bible, and i have trouble with this subject anyway..
Anyway, any help, guys? (:
Oh, it's Patrick Henry's speech at the Virginia Convention. Where he's hyping everyone up to fight the British.
Thanks in advance.

Patrick Henry Speech @ Virginia Convent: ALUSIONS

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