Forms of appeal

The main forms of appeal used in Joe Biden’s Inaugural Address are ethos and pathos. The dominant form of appeal is pathos.

Pathos

Biden uses pathos to appeal to people’s emotions and highlight the message that unity is what America needs the most. Biden aims to convince his audience to have faith in him as president: “And I pledge this to you: I will be a President for all Americans. I will fight as hard for those who did not support me as for those who did”. For example, he reminds people of all the threats the United States is currently facing in order to remind people he wants to address their worries:

Few periods in our nation’s history have been more challenging or difficult than the one we’re in now. A once-in-a-century virus silently stalks the country. It’s t...