The video I chose for my Youtube Video Analysis post is John Quincy Adams’ monologue in the movie “The Amistad” (1:18-2:00). If the movie is accurate since it is based on a true story, Adams’ does a good job of captivating the entire audience even though his direct target is the judge at the hearing of the case. Even though his back is turned to the intended audience, the tone in which he speaks in still grabs their attention and keys them into what he has to say. Adams also utilizes an effective strategy in contrasting what John C. Calhoun believes is the “natural state of mankind” vs what the founding fathers have written as to what the “natural state of mankind is”, and uses their ethos to trump that of the modern beliefs. Finally, he emphasizes freedom in an appeal to pathos by citing that freedom is the natural state of mankind because any man denied his freedom naturally wishes to do whatever in his power to win it back.
Historically, the speech must have been effective, because the slaves that were wrongly captured and were being represented in this case by Adams were freed after the trial. His delivery was effective and persuasive and captured the attention and the hearts of not only the audience but the judge as well.