The Hamiltonsoundtrack wasn't even released two months ago and it's probably safe to say that is has not stopped playing at least somewhere. Whether you are intensely passionate about history, hip hop, musical theatre, or lots of feels, there is something to be said for how widely the show has reached out to audiences. It is sheer brilliance, and has taken the country by storm with its historic debut on Billboard 200 at number twelve. The complexities in the story and characters are subtly apparent, and leave listeners and viewers with many “ah-ha!” moments. Lin Manuel-Miranda, you’ve blown us all away.
What is most admirable about this show is how complete, and completely relatable the characters are. They are alive. They are given a modern voice and portray our diverse, modern world. Of course, everyone in the show was a real person—but what did we ever learn about any of them in school? Yes, Alexander Hamilton established the American National Banking System and was killed in a duel with Aaron Burr. No teacher ever goes much further than that. And neither do the textbooks.
They were brought up in passing, simply names that appear less than five times in a history textbook. A textbook that never gave any more information than names, pictures, accomplishments and tragedies, condensed into one sentence for the sole purpose of memorization for the next exam.
In Hamilton, we receive a full-blown image of Alexander Hamilton and the major players in both his life and in the foundations of the United States. We see his triumph in devoting his life to rising to something greater, something above being an orphaned immigrant; we also discover his Achilles’ heel in being too bold, too proud. His initial youth and starry-eyed goals are relatable to someone like me, who is twenty years old and also trying to become more worldly.
Young love, forbidden love and missed opportunity are all too familiar, especially in songs like “Helpless”, “Satisfied” and “Burn.” Then there’s forgiveness, the stake in the heart of Hamilton as it becomes quite significant towards the end. We are there for the highs and the lows of a life that once may have seemed so far removed from today’s world when, truly, issues prominent in the contemporary world were evident in the revolutionary eighteenth century as well.
The show provides a deeper understanding of the “villain” in American history, as Burr observes of himself. We quickly discover Aaron Burr’s fatal flaw of passivity in making decisions—directly butting heads with Hamilton, who is all too eager to express his opinions—but by the end, can’t help but sympathize for him, too. It’s similar to Les Miserables in that sense, where each character suffers in one way or another and the audience can’t help but tear up for everyone, including Javert.
Before the notorious duel, Burr says, “This man will not make an orphan of my daughter.” He, too, is a man with a family, career, and a tragic flaw. He, too, expresses his regret at having killed Hamilton. He, too, deserves the voice that he is given in the show.
As does Eliza Hamilton, Alexander’s strong-willed wife who does everything to hold her family together while maintaining her independence and drive to create her own legacy. In a sense, she is the underdog: her voice is quiet for a while, then she appears in full throttle in the second act and takes hold. Eliza carries power, and leaves me in tears long after “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story” has finished.
What the music has given the world is more than just a chance to break out its inner funk; rather, we can be moved by its humanity. Names between standard textbook paragraphs and take it at face value. Now, they are people rapping it out in cabinet battles, working tirelessly to build something far larger than themselves, and relishing in the joys of marriage and parenthood. They, like us, stumble, rise, fall, love, and live.
