Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote the “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” on April 16, 1963. The logical and well-composed letter was written in response to a newspaper statement written by some clergymen. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was writing the letter to defend his organization's nonviolent strategies. The three principles of rhetoric in Letter from Birmingham Jail – ethos, pathos and logos – are analyzed in this essay. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayExamples of ethics in Letter from Birmingham Jail are found in the first two paragraphs of the second page. We can see how Martin Luther King uses ethics in Letter from Birmingham Jail to claim how his organization uses nonviolent resistance. King has an automatic ethic because he is known as a well-educated and prominent African American figure. He was also known as a priest, and priests are generally known to be trustworthy. However, King continues to build ethics for himself. He begins by talking about events that he and the people he writes to share. Some events they shared was participating in the mayoral election. King says, "Then it occurred to us that the Birmingham mayoral election would be in March, and we quickly decided to postpone the action until after Election Day." He was using this to defend his organization's timing of action regarding the mayor's action, because the priests continued to argue that their timing was wrong. Furthermore, in the Letter from Birmingham Jail ethics is seen at the beginning of another topic: “Just as Socrates felt”. King is trying to demonstrate that he and his organization are not the only ones who “see the need for nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men emerge from the dark depths of prejudice.” This example of ethics helps convey his reasonableness on the matter and increases his credibility when speaking about his direct action issues. Overall, he is defending his organization's nonviolent ways. You may also be interestedCheck out 15,000 word essays for free with Plagiarism CheckerKing uses pathos, on page five, to support the pacifist approaches of his affiliation. It does this by showing what the South would be like if they resorted to violent actions, and also how African Americans would fare if they were completely compliant with segregation laws. King says, after discussing that they are nonviolent, "If this philosophy [of nonviolence] had not emerged, by now, I am convinced, many a Southern street would be covered in blood." He is trying to convince readers, through a vivid and emotional image, that nonviolence is the best way to handle the situation. He says the "marches" and "pilgrimages to City Hall" are the best, pacifist way for his affiliate and all other African Americans to let out their "pent-up resentments and latent frustrations." Furthermore, King states that African Americans who have “adapted to segregation” are “so lacking in self-respect.” Once again, King is emphasizing that nonviolent direct action is the best way forward and is defending his organization's nonviolent direct action strategies. He doesn't want them to become complacent or violent, and thinks that being a pacifist in the situation is the best way to go. Another way King uses pathos in the letter is in the way he talks about the way people are affected by segregation. “When you suddenly find yourself with your tongue.