Speech to the Troops at Tilbury

Pathos is a literary device by which the speaker or writer chooses words or phrases to stir the audience’s emotion. Elizabeth employs pathos in several ways in her speech at Tilbury. Besides repeatedly stating her affection and love for her subjects, she chooses visceral words to move her listeners. “Foul,” “scorn,” and “treachery” all hint at the dangers she places herself in by appearing physically at the battle site. When referring to her subjects, she consistently refers to them as “her loving” people, who are “faithful,” “noble,” have “valour,” and are “worthy.” These are all evocative words that may stir a sense of something greater than themselves in the audience; they also establish Elizabeth’s concern for her people, underscoring that they are not simply faceless masses who might die for her. Finally, Elizabeth invokes God several times to help legitimize her campaign and remind subjects of her divine authority. In a relatively short speech, she mentions “God” three times: at the beginning, middle, and end of the address. Her closing words, “God, my kingdom, and my people!” (Paragraph 5), are the three main ideas she wants to leave with the audience.