Essay Sample on The Funeral Oration of Pericles

Pericles, the Athenian leader at the time, spoke to his fellow citizens and those around. The Pelopponesian war, a war between Athens and the Delian League, had recently taken place. He spoke with passion on many subjects that pertain to his citizens, and intended to do the best he could for the people he loved most. As someone that the citizens admire, he is obligated to keep them at peace. The big question is if he is demonstrating truthfulness or lying to appease their emotions, and mostly, Pericles is appeasing emotion. As a political leader, he struggles to speak on certain topics because of the variety of opinions; however, he uses the military policy, shares his opinion (which is not justful facts), and has laws he is required to follow by democracy. In order to appease the emotionally vulnerable citizens of Athens, Pericles presents a skewed view of Athens to them.

First, he presents military policy as one of his unjust ideas. Pericles tends to like boasting about his well adored city-state by saying that they are the most powerful and fearless: “And yet with habits not of labor but of ease, and courage not of art but of nature, we are still willing to encounter danger, we have double the advantage of escaping the experience of hardships in anticipation and of facing them in the hour of need as fearlessly as those who are never free from them” (Pericles, 2).  His military policy has a great deal of meaning to him, and by gloating about how strong they are, it not only comforts himself, but of the people of Athens. Pericles refers to the citizens as “we”.  He implies this because he desires demonstrating that they are more robust than they prove themselves to be. To conclude, Pericles lies to bestow the longing for attention, and appeasement of their emotions for comfort through the bragging rights of his military.

Second, Pericles introduces his bold opinions throughout his entire speech. When one conveys an opinion upon another, it causes them to ponder his/her original thoughts. As Pericles utilizes this, he distinguishes two powerful sides to every argument. By giving an opinion, it is not righteous facts to use in an argument; especially, when he brags: “In short, I say that as a city we are the school of Hellas, while I doubt if the world can produce a man who, where he has only himself to depend on, is equal to so many emergencies, and graced by so happy a versatility, as the Athenian” (Pericles 2). His opinion might matter to some, but in the main picture, it is not an ethical way to present facts or truth as an Athenian leader. To sum up, using an opinion as a political leader should not be presented in an argument or speech; however, Pericles intends his opinions and utilizes them as another way to distort the truth.

Third, Pericles demonstrates the need for satisfying the law through democracy. Democracy is defined as a form of government where the people have control over who is established to rule over them. Pericles utilizes this in ways that can be categorized as lying. Pericles blatantly states he is there to satisfy their needs and appease their emotions: “... it becomes my duty to obey the law and to try to satisfy your several wishes and opinions as best I may” (Pericles, 1).  This is not a truthful way to offer what they want to hear and counts as lying. All things considered, Pericles strategically uses the way the government operates to stretch the truth of the matter.

In conclusion, Pericles demonstrates the distortion of facts through his citizens' vulnerable state of being. He does this in order to comfort their needs and invoke their emotions. He examines military policy, the law through democracy, and reveals his bold opinions. All combined together proves that Pericles is lying just to persuade his citizens to take his particular side and what he believes as a powerful, Athenian, political figure.