Alexander Hamilton Play Analysis

History, musical theatre, and rap sounds like a horrible combination. A combination that a history teacher might use to make their students more enthusiastic about their class. This is what came to mind when I heard of Hamilton for the first time. After hearing the music and later watching the show, however, it became apparent that Hamilton was successful in blending these elements into the wildy popular musical that it is now. It started when Lin-Manuel Miranda decided to read Ron Chernow’s biography Alexander Hamilton on a vacation and almost immediately began envisioning it as a musical. Today, Hamilton performs to sold-out crowds nearly every night and hundreds of people line up for a chance to win front row tickets at the lottery it holds …show more content…
Hamilton does just that, giving depth to the characters and excitement to the story. One can not help rooting for the talented and ambitious Hamilton as he pursues his dreams in America or the smart and sassy Angelica as she searches for a man who will satisfy her intellectual needs. It is hard not feel sorry for Hamilton’s wife, Eliza, as she goes through betrayal and tragedy. Aaron Burr, the man that is almost solely remembered as the man who shot and killed Alexander Hamilton, is given a story and personality as well as being the main narrator in of the musical, letting the audience view a more personal account of what led up to the duel that Burr is infamous for. The stories of revolutionaries John Laurens, Hercules Mulligan, and Marquis de Lafayette are also partially chronicled. While Hamilton is the protagonist of the story, his imperfections are also shown. His affair with Maria Reynolds is a fairly large part of act II and his rashness and tendency to easily get into fights is shown throughout. The way that the show presents and gives depth to the characters is a large part of what makes the story exciting to watch. The viewer becomes interested almost immediately when learning the story of how Hamilton used his writing about a hurricane he experienced when he was seventeen to get to America. Act I is then packed with excitement as he joins the revolution and Continental Army and works his way up to become George Washington’s right hand man. The disastrous Battle of Monmouth and the victorious Battle of Yorktown are shown as well. Sprinkled throughout the story of revolution and war is the love story of Hamilton and Eliza, adding a touch of romance to the war focused first act. After intermission, it is all politics, which is just as engaging. Hamilton’s political triumphs and downfalls are shown, as well as drama between presidential