The Rhetorical Analysis of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s Inaugural Speech as the First Africa’s Female President

This study intended to analyze Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s presidential inaugural speech as the first female president in African to see how she persuaded and convinced the people of Liberia on political, social and economic policies in an effort to make them believe in her content to consolidate power. Specifically, this study focused on rhetorical and persuasive strategies she applied in her speech. To achieve the intended goals, rhetorical discourse analysis methodology was used, and Ellen’s textual inaugural presidential speech was quantitatively analyzed by both Neo-Aristotelian and feminist methods of rhetorical analysis to discover, identify and describe how Ellen used rhetorical devices, rhetorical appeals and other rhetorical tactics. Results indicate that various rhetorical tactics were found in her speech, and were well applied which helped her to effectively accomplish her intended objectives as an orator.