What effect does the repetition of the word “repent” – “I can never repent” (paragraph 1) and “I do not repent” (paragraph 2) – have on the development of Booth’s argument?

"Last Diary Entry of John Wilkes Booth" by John Wilkes Booth, written in 1865 after he assassinated the then President of the United States of America, is an original narration by himself before he was found and the entire place was set on fire by soldiers.

Explanation:

John Booth was fighting for the South. He believed that the South were mistreated and justice was denied to them from the Union, which was under Lincoln, for obvious reasons of him being the President.

Booth believed that Lincoln's ideology did not help America and Americans live a respectful life. He perceived the country's condition as pathetic with the new reforms and Union coming into place as soon as Lincoln became the President. Booth congregated few conspirators along with him and tried to kidnap Lincoln many times, but in vain.

In his last diary entry, after he managed to get into the theater where Lincoln was attending a play and assassinated him, he mentions that he is not feeling bad/regrets what he has done tonight. He mentions how his flesh came out and his bone was hanging, when he jumped down the stage after he shot Lincoln on his head.

'I can never repent' is for the act that he has committed tonight when he feels that Lincoln was the sole reason for the troubles Americans and especially, people from South have been facing.

'I do not repent' explains how he hated to kill but he feels that was the only choice he and his conspirators could make. He wanted this blow to be struck on American government and the Union formed.

Both these statements by him explain to us that his idea of assassination is right according to him and that he will never regret doing it rather, has to be feeling relieved about accomplishing a task for his country's good.

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