Steve Jobs begins his 2005 speech at Stanford University with a rather emotional but short greeting. The main thesis of this speech was that one could achieve the dream at any moment, and it is important to never stop. Jobs presented this idea through three stories that merged into one at the end of his speech, like those connecting dots that he spoke about (Stanford, 2005). Jobs, at that time, was already a famous person and began his speech with understandable and straightforward words, thereby establishing the ethos, or in other words, conquering the public. In addition, it is highly indicative that Jobs began his graduation with a story about how he left him. It can be said that Jobs established the ethos with his authority even before he began to speak. Nevertheless, he concretized his merits, constantly, but not boastfully, recalling precisely what heights the speaker reached and why this is important in the context of the story he tells.
This combination of ethos and pathos, from the very beginning of the speech, captured the audience. The speaker skillfully kept the story’s pace, maintaining the intonation for a more significant effect of humor, which he sought, judging by the smiles and laughter (Stanford, 2005). The style and tone of the narration remain flat, without shouting or unique gestures. Nevertheless, fleeting glances, smiles, and the play of the speaker’s intonations create a unique pathos in the speech that is successful among the audience.
His stories have the same structure: an example from the past, a reflection on the present, and morality. Thus, with the help of metaphors, the logos that Jobs uses in his speech are manifested. Maintaining this structure carries with it the style of logos characteristic of Jobs’ speech: repetition of the essential phrases reflecting morality, preceded by simple, unadorned life stories. Drawing a logical conclusion from such life’s little things, Jobs shows how he achieved success and wishes the same to graduates, adding an emotional component in the form of a restrained smile. An important part of Steve Jobs’ conclusion included the idea of trust. This speech is great, as it meets all the requirements of ethos, pathos, and logos; it charges emotionally and carries an unusually deep meaning through the prism of three stories from the life of Jobs.
References
Stanford. (2005). Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford Commencement Address. [Video file]. YouTube. Web.