SOAPST

S- the Queen’s support for her troops ; she spoke with words, such as “we”, in order to encourage and motivate them and let them know that they are united as one.

O-before going to war with the Spanish Armada; battle of 1588

A- soldiers of England and anybody else hearing her speech

P-to motivate, encourage, and ease the soldiers of their pre-war stress

S- Queen Elizabeth I  

T- emotional, powerful, honest, united, encouraging, motivational, reassuring

Without SOAPST, a piece of literature would not make sense or be complete. If one of the 6 letters making up the acronym were left blank above, this speech would not make sense either. SOAPST helps the readers understand the purpose and reasoning of this piece of literature and its effectiveness to the audience.

This speech is effective due to the greatness of the pathos appeal used. Queen Elizabeth starts the speech off using “we” instead of “you”, meaning they are united as one when it comes to this war. She also mentions how she is a feeble, weak woman, but her physical appearance will not stop her from leading her men into war. Her speech is emotional due to her heartwarming words that she uses as encouragement for the soldiers. She boosts up their confidence and reassures them of a victory in order to take some of the weight off their shoulders. She concludes her speech using the words “of my people”, making it clear that although they are united at this time of war,  she is still their leader.