*BUM BU-BU-BU-BUM BUM BUM WAH WAH WAHHHHH WAH.* (Exposition toss incoming:) If you wanna learn more about the research (there was A LOT) and making of (it was VERY HARD) this vid - and all our other videos - check out the Make Stuff Patreon! Plus there's a million other dope things on there and your support helps me make even more dope things :D www.patreon.com/makestuffstudios
I don't think you can say "the Founding Fathers sucked", when you take the time they lived in into account. For the time they lived in, they were all fairly liberal. But your point is incredibly true: They were not saints, they were men. They were incredible thinkers, flawed and somewhat hypocritical in many ways. However, most of them knew it. Washington in real life did wrestle with the idea of slavery (at least, as I was taught and have read), as did several of the Founding Fathers. Quite a few of them (even members of the Southern planter class / aristocracy) thought we should abolish the practice. Even Abraham Lincoln wrestled with the idea of emancipation in the 1850s and 1860s; it is one of our gravest national sins. One thing I will say in their favor (and something everyone probably should say): They gave us a Constitution that we can change, update, and improve upon as the current and future world requires. They laid a groundwork for a society that allows for dissent, and a free exchange of ideas, and for the people to somewhat govern themselves. At the time, that was looked at by most of the world as utter lunacy: only Radicals could possibly think that would work. History has proven them right, and as time marches on, and elements of our society that perpetually resist change rise and fall like the tides, we move more toward the dream of a free society. We just have to be willing to work AND wait for it.
I just wanna point out how at the very end of "My Shot", when they all sing "Not throwing away my shot!", it's set to the EXACT SAME rhythm (and octave notes from the orchestra) as BUM BU-BU-BU-BUM BUM BUM. This shows how we already getting a sense of Hamilton's motivational drive to do so much before he even has to spell it out in "My Shot". Therefore, every time an exposition is played after BUM BU-BU-BU-BUM BUM BUM, it's subconsciously reminding the audience of Hamilton's mental drive of "Not showing away (his) shot" which keeps him going with his political rise and influences. Also, notice how in the soundtrack that the last time we here the BUM BU-BU-BU-BUM BUM BUM is with The Adams Administration(the moment where Hamilton cusses out John Adams on paper!), and how soon afterwards he ends up destroying his political career and reputation with the Reynolds Pamphlet. It never comes back after "Adams", hinting that his motivation to "not throw away his shot" is starting to slowly slip away and disappear with the lost of trust from Angelica and Eliza, the death of his son, and the backstabbing to Burr in the Election, till he ultimately DOES throws away his shot during the duel. This is pretty much highlighting how his pride and desire for a legacy of greatness have been bound to clash with his sense of humility(or lack thereof) and love for his family and friends. He's always been going off to do so much and pretty much needed to hit a wall (in his mind, no less) that he couldn't push through to get him to stop, which even then took to realizing the rigid codes of honor in dueling that took his son's life to effectively shut his resolve down for good, at the cost of living too sadly. :( And yet, it's that same resolve that probably inspired Eliza(even as she expressed it more carefully than, yet as resourcefully as, Alex would) to do so much for both her husband's legacy, and those of the other people in his life and beyond. Hinting that even if you have no control over who tells your story, you'd be bless for it to be that one person who knows you the best they could out of everyone, and that they in turn continue to spread both of your collective influence on the world.
I don’t think the “WAIT-“ In the world was wide enough hit me quite as hard until you pointed out the motif in its association to wait for it. Like god damn
I watched a musical analysis of Hamilton before listening to the musical so I got that WAIT- (Burr doesn't even wait for the phrase to end, he doesn't have time to say "for it", it leaves the motif uncompleted and it's all the more powerful for it), but they didn't prepare me for the "paid for it", because the melody was the exact same one, and he said the consequences of not waiting for it, it just reinforces the regret meaning, he paid for not waiting in the end just like he did for waiting before. It's an amazing musical.
@@autihrts Satisfied is such a wonderful motif too, like it's the one where Angelica and Alexander like each other but later Angelica throws it in his face when he writes the pamphlet (You will never be satisfied, God I hope you're satisfied!) because the "never being satisfied" was their thing, Angelica understands that, but their approaches are different, she stands back and plays her role because she loves her family, Alexander keeps pushing and pushing until he breaks his own family and like damn Lin good job with those feels
Another great motif is the actress who plays the bullet, Ariana DeBose, is the first person we see die and from then on she’s sort of an omen of death. she hands Hamilton the quill he uses in your obedient servant, Philip flirts with her in blow us all away (literally flirting with death), and she’s the last person seen with Laurence.
I see her as part of the “shot” and “death” motifs, but instead of using the words, L.M. uses her very presence, proximity and sometimes glances between her and characters who will later get shot. There is one scene where she passes a phantom bullet slowly over Alexander’s bowed head just before he looks up from his desk. I can’t recall the exact context - whether he was writing a check to Reynolds or writing one of his letters to Burr. In any case, she is signaling that what he is penning could be the death of him while also suggesting that he may be able to dodge it. Interestingly, she is not identified in the film credits as death or the bullet - simply as “ensemble.” She is however named by herself, apart from the rest of the ensemble. I wonder how it appears in the theater playbill. Funny how we are so used to death being a grim shrouded male figure, but L.M. is like nah, let’s make death a beautiful young woman.
@@Fluvienne I just went on a search of this girl, Ariana DeBose, and she is so interesting! When I saw the show on Disney+ with a friend when it came out, during the hamilton/burr duel I pointed out the bullet girl. I asked "isn't that the same girl that held the bullet during Philip's duel?" I'm not sure if it was, but either way, I remembered her. Turns out it goes a lot deeper than that! I love the motif of her showing up as an omen of death. Every day I learn more and more about the genius that is this musical.
@@Fluvienne another part where she does the same is before Hamilton is sent home by George Washigton for participating in the duel with Charles Lee, Burr, and Laurens. This follows the death motif for many reasons. First, Hamilton is in war, so he is always dodging a bullet by just surviving, this is why a red coat fires the phantom bullet. Second, this is also a foreshadow for Charles Lee being shot. And Third, him literally "dodging this bullet" is important because Washington sends him home so he can see his son and not die. Pretty cool scene.
Oh wow, thats is so crazy cool. I keep seeing her and wondering what is up with that dancer she is a focal piece, kinda important to the plot but very subtle but I'm not sure what for?! So THANK YOU!!!
she dies between you’ll be back and right hand man, as the first death. she flies a bullet that narrowly misses hamilton in the beginning of stay alive. laurens shakes her hand. laurens is the next death. she tells philip where to find eacker. eacker shoots philip. she hands burr the quill to write one of multiple letters which lead to the duel in which hamilton dies.
This video was amazing. You should also check out this video:ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-MploZ2urlwo.html It's in Spanish but there are captions in English.
Then you realize that the cover of the album is literally showing Hamilton pointing at the sky (as if he was aiming his gun for the sky), therefore foreshadowing his death.
mostly everyone's voice is tbh - I was completely blown away by Renée Elise Goldsberry's performance in Satisfied in the film, and don't even get me started on the amazingness that is Chris Jackson in One Last Time :O absolutely stunning
Everyone was amazing, mostly. I’ve spent the last couple weeks trying to rationalize going forward when people like Leslie odom jr exist... It’s absurd how talented that guy is.
I know right, for broadway shows I think many people don’t have as much auto tune added because it’s all done as live shows while being filmed, even with modern technology when they can add in the other songs recorded in the background of a different song the way the do in “Satisfied”. They still stick to their real voices and those voices are just so amazing that they never even need to add anything extra, it’s just so raw and beautiful the way they are naturally.
Well when you think of it Broadway actors have to nail it Everytime, so they gotta be at top shape to not only sing well but do it while moving, dancing, and acting. And mind you he had to do all that jumping and was even sitting at one point. Imagine how long someone would have to practice to master their craft like that.
I just love the evolution of how when Lin first sang it, the audience laughed (whether that's what he intended or not) and when he sang it again in 2016, the audience applauded.
I mean the general knowledge just had Alexander Hamilton as a relatively obscure historical figure; and the idea of making a huge play and hype song for him was indeed a little ridiculous. But just like with almost every person, living or dead, if you sit down and listen to their story they will probably surprise you.
Of course they laughed; in 2009, the idea of making a Tupac-style hip hop Broadway musical about a founding father was funny. Honestly. It was. Hamilton shouldn't work, it's Lin's ability to make connections and write witty, human stuff that makes it work. But it really is an absurd idea. Just look at the the HBO John Adams series the year before Lin sang at the White House. Stuffy guys in wigs yelling about tax codes at each other. Connecting that with freestyle rap is, at first glance, too jarring to be anything but funny. It still kind of is - it could still make a good Funny or Die sketch, for instance, if you take the idea at face value and no further. Lin just did it so completely well; he's human and empathetic and as witty as Hamilton could be, and he understands how both rap and the Founding Fathers were scrappy, pissy, daring little motherfuckers, and he writes about them in such a way that he makes you fall in love with them for that. That's hard to do.
I think most people are misinterpreting this. I believe they laughed because they did not expect/realize that Lin was portraying two different characters in the song. It was shocking to see him turn around and answer his own question of "what's your name man?" I'd wager that he and his group were invited to the white house because the president and others knew that the show was special. The majority of the audience expected the show to be great and were not laughing at Miranda or Hamilton.
@@nancyderek7129 I disagree. Back in 2009 there was no show, and in that version of the song it was sung only by Burr. If you notice in the clip, he says, "...his name is Alexander Hamilton," not, "...my name is Alexander Hamilton." Lin was performing at the White House Poetry Jam, and had just explained to the Obamas (and everyone else, I guess 😉) that he was working on a "concept album about the life of someone I think embodies hip hop, Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton." That line drew laughs as well. The concept that this guy was performing a piece about Hamilton was what was funny. When he mentioned the name in the song, it was a reprise to the previous laugh line, and a reminder that, yes, they were actually listening to a hip hop song about Hamilton - arguably the most obscure person who appears on our money. Even when they aren't laughing, the crowd shots show everyone grinning at the silliness of the whole thing. You can see the introduction and performance at watch?v=WNFf7nMIGnE.
It’s cool how Hamilton also says “Just YOU wait” all the time too. It shows the difference between the two characters. Hamilton: Just you wait. Burr: Wait for it.
Burr is happy to sit on the side and watch what happens, before acting. Hamilton is always acting first, with little to no actual thought, and refusing to stop and think.
I guess the main difference with those is that Alexander says "Just you wait" to other people: he tells them to shut up and see how great he is. Aaron says "Wait for it" to himself: he holds himself back.
Yeah, I agree. Hamilton's saying, 'I expect you to wait and watch what I do.' Burr's saying, 'I can't act yet so I expect you to first.' They could have been great partners, it's sad how Burr allowed himself to be corrupted with the idea of gaining power and Hamilton corrupted with the idea of keeping it.
another motif is alexander "imagines death so much it feels like a memory" which is why he writes "like hes running out of time" its almost like hes been having an existential crisis since he was a teenager. he feels like he shouldve died with his mother and so death constantly feels like its on his heels because he cheated death so he feels the need to work and secure his legacy before it finally catches up to him and the irony is that his first step in the pursuit of his great legacy is to introduce himself to the man who ultimately kills him.
Favorite mini motif is when Burr and Hamilton say "I'll see you on the other side of the war" during The Story of Tonight (Reprise), and then end up on opposite sides during their duel, with Hamilton finally crossing to the "other side" at the end.
@@danieldavid3766 and then the next time Lafayette's name makes an appearance is when Jefferson mentions him upon coming home to America, and knowing that Jefferson is opposed by Hamilton, you could say that Ham did indeed see him on the other side the next time they met
Oh my God i just realized when Eliza is teaching Phillip to count shes teaching him to count to 9 (as you would in a duel, like in the ten duel commandments). So when he dies and says 'im sorry for forgetting what you taught me', he means counting, because the man who shot him shot on 8 and he thought he had miscounted!
Arshia Mazumder I do believe Eliza is showed as a saint in the musical. But not always. In my shot, she decides to convince Hamilton to stay with her instead of doing a great job he wants, she also decide to go against everything Hamilton believed in in burn, by destroying documents ( even if it’s just his letter ) when Hamilton’s only wish was to leave a trace. She knows how to act mean even if it’s justified.
@@charliebenevolo7652 ...yeah, that's right i didn't really like it when she wanted him to stay by her side but she just wished for her husband and the father of her son to stay together with her and form a beautiful family, you can't call this splendid selfishness as mean, it's also just her worrying over what might happen to the love of her life if he goes to war, your family too would be really sad and worried over you going to war, isn't it something obvious and totally normal ? Well this is at least what i think, and it's HER letters so she can do what she wants with it, even if it's the reason why i liked your comment in the first place, since if we take Alex's perspective on this matter, he really just want to let a trace of his existence, yet again when you just learned that the person you love most in the world cheated on you, you don't really think of politics and of how "History has its eyes on you"~ lol Hah, anyway, no one is black, nor white, just shades of grey and stuff haha, have a nice life !
Something else to note about Philip singing the 10 count from 10 Duel Commandments is that, from 1-6, he and Eliza are singing in unison. But on 7, 8, and 9 Philip splits off into a harmony. So he deviates from what Eliza taught him on the 7. Then, during Blow Us All Away, Ecker doesn’t wait for the 10 count to finish to shoot Philip. He shoots him at the 7th count.
Another cool thing: Phillip deviates from the major key to minor. Eliza kept insisting on going back, but Phillip is stubborn. Like his dad, he wants to go his own way. Pave his or path. And because of how caring and loving Eliza is, she ends up duetting with him anyway, because she's always there to help. To support her family.
R.f Draws “she’s always there to help her family” I just had a moment now watching the title song when Alexander takes off his coat and gives it to burr (!) and ELIZA puts another coat on him (!!!!!!!!!!!) AS A SIGN OF CARING AND PROTECTING ALEXANDER!!! I’m having a moment hahaha my mind literally just 🤯
I have to say that Lin Manuel-Miranda singing Hamilton and getting laughed at is one of the most inspirational things to me. Seeing where Hamilton started and where it got to.
I didn't see it the same way though. The audience laughing... I think it's because it was unexpected. People laugh at the unexpected too, not necessarily trying to mock. But the difference is still amazing because people went from surprise to being like, "YASSS! Right on!!!" haha
Seconding that the audience was laughing with LMM, there. He presented it as the nerdy, out-of-left-field project it was at the time ... and in that light, those bars building up to the name "Alexander Hamilton" is, deliberately, a really funny twist.
it never occurred to me that the second burr realizes hamilton throws away his shot... he yells *wait.* i realized that and my jaw hit the fucking floor. i wanted to clap at the end of this it was a roller coaster and i loved every second of it
It hadn't affected me when he said "wait" until now when I saw the actual on stage video And I have been hit by an emotional train that ran on the rails of realization
Damn I never thought about that. The whole Musical Burr is just waiting for what he wants, but the ONE time he just acts on his thoughts, it ruins his life. Poor guy.
I think the primary difference is that when Hamilton "acts," it's almost always with not only his own glory but something bigger than himself in mind. Burr acted only for himself and it ruined him. When Hamilton acted just for himself, he was ruined too (Reynolds Pamphlet).
My other favorite motif in Hurricane is the “history has its eyes on you” one since it literally talks about something that is known to be one of his a greatest failures.
It's funny... Hamilton IS THE hurricane. When the hurricane devasted his home place, it's like it passed through him, and left in him a built-in hurricane energy. And so, wherever Hamilton went, he brought that energy with him. I mean, if you look at the musical and see his history, that's really what happens. He quickly grow in success and fame. He "writes non-stop", and the things he writes have a huge devastating effect (good or bad) (federalist papers, reynolds panphlet, endorsement for Jefferson, etc.) The guy helped to found a contry, was able to get married to a girl from a rich family, fought in the war, went to work in politics, worked his brain off to the point of cheating, exposed everything to protect his political legacy, experienced the death of his son and pissed off his friend to the point of being killed by him. If there's one word I's use to describe him: intense. Just like a hurricane.
Oh my god I just realised. "The Room Where it Happens" is the turning point for Burr's character, the point where he stops waiting and effectively chooses the path that leads to Hamilton and him becoming enemies (Schuyler Defeated is right after) and ultimately Hamilton's doom in the duel. During The Room Where it Happens, Hamilton's death becomes inevitable. That's why the song ends in the sound of a gunshot...
@@thelaw4203 isn't that most people? I didn't watch the play, because I have no way of watching it. I know there are pirate versions circulating, but that's also not something everyone does. I personally don't like to watch handcam versions of theater, and that's not even touching the ethics and legality of it. and it's sort of what it made for. not just for that, and I'm not saying the theater production and the visuals are not amazing; but I think LMM actually stated that it was important to him to write a musical that is completely comprehensible from just the soundtrack, for this exact reason, that people who cannot afford to see it don't miss as much. when he was a kid, they rarely could afford to actually go to the theater.
That 'Look Around, Look Around, at how lucky we are to be alive right now' motif is constantly repeated by Eliza. At some point Hamilton says that same phrase and uses it against her to justify him leaving her. And it stung even me tbh.
It stung but her response was just as harsh as his. I’d say she won that argument. Eliza: Alexander- Ham: I gotta go Eliza: Alexander- Ham: they’re asking me to lead. Eliza: helpless (motif with a different meaning! I’ve always loved this one. It feels like she’s saying two things: 1. She was trying so hard for years and she was helpless; 2. He was stubborn and so helpless) Ham: look around look around at how lucky we are to be alive right now. Eliza: Isn’t THIS enough? Ouch.
Eliza's use of it to mean "look at the life we've carved out for ourselves, our home life, our marriage, our family, friends, our little universe together." Vs Hamilton's use of it to mean "look at every opportunity the world has available to us! Look at everything to do, to learn, everyone to talk to, fight for, debate, engage, places to travel, how much of the world is available to us!"
I just gotta say the line that hit me the most was Hamilton’s last line of “Raise a glass to freedom” considering that was Lauren’s first line in Story Of Tonight.
It brings you right back to the beginning of the musical when they were young and had so much potential before them, and reminds you why you've been rooting for Hamilton despite the flaws that plague him in Act II.
@@godiraonasetlhabi7992 Exactly. Because you don't get to see your legacy, you just have to trust that what you do matters. ALSO crazy: Hamilton was obsessed with creating a legacy, and the Reynolds Pamphlet was written to secure that legacy. However, its publication led to George Eker's comments about Hamilton's reputation, which led to the duel with Philip... Hamilton destroyed his *real* legacy, his child, by trying to protect it. On the other hand, Burr was so focused on protecting the legacy his parents left for him that he made nothing of himself, and so destroyed what they tried to create. All of this is framed within the founding of the United States, which in itself is a legacy. The play revolves around this theme that what we do now directly affects those we leave behind when we're gone. Will they tell our story? Will they reap our rewards? Will they use that power to surpass us, "blow us all away," or will they let the flame go out? "If we win our independence, is that a guarantee of freedom for our descendants? Or will the blood we shed begin an endless cycle of vengeance and death with no defendants?"
He puts his hand up to “raise a glass” then the song goes “he aims his pistol at the sky” it’s a perfect transition to raise his arm like he’s giving a toast then to him raising his glass to throw away his shot
When he slowly sings “smile more”... When he slowly smiles. When he sings “Dear Theodosia” and poor Lin Manuel has to try and pair his voice up to those melodic tones.
interesting thing I noticed during the bullet scene is how hamilton unloads 10 different motifs and gives us all of the emotions associated with them, while Burr only says one word and gives us the same emotional flood that the rap before did. Kinda speaks to how much hamilton has to say during the entire show vs. how Burr says very little, but they are arguably equal in their intentions and humanity.
When I first clicked on this video I didn't expect much, but I was just looking at every Hamilton video I could find. I expected a lesson on what a motif is and how it can apply to Hamilton. By the end, though, I had chills by the intensity and amazing message this sent. This was so amazing and every part of this video was just a masterpiece.
did anybody else just realise that the wind blowing during Hamilton’s soliloquy in The World Was Wide Enough was symbolism for being in the eye of the same hurricane that destroyed his home?
Yes! And every time a “hurricane” comes along, it turns his world upside down, which triggers him to write- except where that chain of events in his youth led to his rise (getting fame, coming to the US, being Washington’s right hand man), in his older years it leads to his demise (the Reynolds Papers)
Daveed's words about how he respects and dislikes Jefferson and the rappers he listens to remind me of this excerpt from Drew Hayes's Super Powereds. "...I know this is hard to understand right now, but we humans are multi-faceted beings. For example, I can bake an excellent soufflé, but I am utterly incapable of writing poetry worth reading. See the conflict?" . "Actually no, not really." . "Good, because there isn't any. Baking has nothing to do with writing, just as me being a criminal doesn't mean I don't love and worry about my son. It is possible to be a bad citizen and a good father."
I love this "It is possible to be a bad citizen and a good father." the opposite could also be true like how in legend of Kora it was confirmed Aang was one of the greatest Avatar's to live but he was a horrible father.
Can we just talk about how Lin decided to use helpless in Say no to this ? I mean, we are used to associate this word with Eliza's love towards Alexander... We can hear it in helpless (which is perfectly named) Satisfied, (at this point, the word becomes kind of bittersweet), Non-stop (in which the word becomes even more bittersweet) but all of this time, it is still tied up to how Eliza love Alexander more than anything... And then, when he is literally cheating on her, we hear this word again. It reminds to us how much Eliza love him and how much this is wrong. We want to scream to him to stop what he is doing and think of his wife. But he doesn't. And he left us here, with the anger and the love and the sadness that we associate with this word By sleeping with Maria, by using the word that describe Eliza and Alexander's love, he didn't only cheated on her... He cheated on us. On our feelings... And for that, Lin is a flipping genius
lou lunatique FANTASTIC observation! I think what’s just as impressive is the fact that Lin can so thoroughly break my heart like that, and then Eliza turns around and takes Alexander back AND I ACTUALLY TOTALLY BUY IT AND AM OKAY WITH IT?? SOMEHOW??? (Also the fact that this musical is puppeteering my heartstrings so hard that just reading your comment about it put a big ol’ lump in my throat >___
I literally think about this every fucking day. I was so angry at Alexander for "Say no to this" and a lot of my anger stemmed from when he used Eliza's "Helpless" in a song with his mistress and just shit man. I literally just sit and think about this at least once a day and it hurts me😭😭😭
How did I never notice that Burr's yells "WAIT" as he takes his shot?! AND that Hamilton /literally/ throws away his shot at that moment?! Loving this deep dive!
I thought the contrast between between the first time he sang Hamilton and the time in 2016 was awesome and totally proved his point about my motifs change over time.
Y’know, something that is REALLY cool is that in Yorktown, the line is “I am not throwing away my shot until the world turns upside down” is really foreshadowy. As Hamilton says, Burr is his first friend, and his enemy. So especially with the paradoxical nature of the motif “Wait for it” Hamilton really did throw away his shot when the world turned upside down. Which is really cool.
Plus Hamilton and Burr kinda swapped ideologies, Burr stops waiting for it and acts, Hamilton stops acting and waits, which would add to the world “turning upside down”
"and the worlds gonna know your name, what's your name man?" "Alexander Hamilton" I got GOOSEBUMPS EVERYWHERE. Hamilton will always be THE BEST MUSICAL.
My mother was super into theater, and so I grew up listening to all kinds of Broadway cast recordings: West Side Story, Guys and Dolls, South Pacific, Fiddler, etc, and later shows like Cats and Phantom as they came out. I have always loved musicals. Hamilton blows them all away.
@kirby Techniqually theres 47 songs coz of Lauren's interlude but that's not included on the soundtrack or cast recording. Yes the musical is about 2 hours 35 minutes because of small moments and pauses between songs, and the interval is after Non-Stop halfway through the musical
yall notice that the first verse of wait for it has the burn melody as part of the piano part burn is the song that shows how hamilton should have waited for it
I noticed that too. I've seen a lot of Hamilton videos (Howard Ho mostly), and there has never been anyone talking about that fact. I hope someone maybe talks about that one day.
lin: there are NO saints eliza: *learns to forgive her husband for cheating on her, speaks out against slavery, defends her husband's works even AFTER he died, raises funds for the washington monument, and establishes the very first private orphanage* yeah i agree
You don’t get to be a saint by honoring the sinners. As for speaking out against slavery- hah! She was raised in a family of slave owners. Are we to suppose her father didn’t pass any slaves on to his daughters? Was it even remotely likely that she paid servants to lace her into corsets, tend to her hair and wardrobe, personal hygiene, housekeeping and manual labor needed for all the times her husband was absent? Who would do that when they owned slaves? Just how late into her long life did she speak out against slavery? Come on, people.
Rumia for real. Did they expect her, a woman w/o the right to vote, to single-handedly end slavery? The men couldn’t even do it w/o starting a war... and they had half the country on their side lmao
Something that was pointed out to me once was that "helpless" is basically Eliza's motif and she is the only one who uses it throughout the show except when it is used during "I can't say no to this". After it is used by Maria and Hamilton in relation to the affair, Eliza never uses it again
Irene the only time i can think of is when he’s talking about how eliza feels and i don’t even think he really says it there (i think ppl finish the line for him), but still he’s not referring to how he feels
Amanda Noe ok, he doesn’t say it, but in the sentence: I’ve never felt so helpless He is talking about his feelings, but is the company who says helpless, you could say instead, that is only used to describe Eliza, or her relationship with alex, till say no to this
And after word of the affair came out, the "that would be enough" motif carried them through to forgiveness, (I know I don't deserve you Eliza, but hear me out, hat would be enough) the rest of their marriage (come back to bed, that would be enough), and even the mission Eliza makes for herself to keep Hamilton's legacy alive after he's gone (I live another 50 years, it's not enough)
Another motif that was in Hamilton's dying speech was "I wrote some notes for a song someone will sing for me..." It could be related to the line "Alexander Hamilton, when America sings for you..." Maybe not a motif, but they are definitely related in some way.
The creator of this did an amazing job. So F-ing well done, the analysis, insight, comentary, graphics, musical integration, humor. Everything! You did NOT throw away your shot and should be absolutely satisfied with yourself! Fufu good on you absolutely right he took contradictory motifs there and juxtaposed them with such ironic foreshadowing, as the audience knows from history books going in that in the end he will wait, he will hesitate Burr will not and their applicable motifs flip as this creator pointed out in the poignant plot twist we all know is coming at the end. I agree with Ari and Mari (lol those rhyme right?) Yes Mari's example was indeed covered in this vid.
My dad says that he doesn't want to see a musical that "puts a man like Hamilton on a pedestal", except... it doesn't. It paints him as a worse man than I thought about before.
the musical doesn't put him on a pedestal nor make him worse, it paints him as a rounded person with mistakes, regrets, and achievments just like everyone else
It definitely puts Hamilton on a bit of a pedestal lol. Having flaws doesn't change that. It omits his large involvement in the slave trade (even going so far as to throw in little bits where he proclaims that he wants to end slavery) and his relationships with child rapists
My sister lost her mind when she realized there were 10 motifs counting up to the shot in the World Was Wide Enough. She listens to the soundtrack all the time but never noticed until this video.
How does one not notice unless it's mindless listening not looking or paying attention to give secind thought to the lyrics- I would have never been able to explain these motifs even a teeny tiny bit as well as this video does but... idk I def got the motifs
@@kittenmimi5326 See there are three stages of Hamilton. Stage one is you're hearing for the first time or just listening with your brain off. You don't really pick up on all the leitmotifs, probably just the more obvious ones. Stage two is you're repeat listening, and you start to pick up on the little nuances. Here's where you'll really catch the stuff like all the Wait for Its. And then Stage three is repeat repeat listening. You've listened to the soundtrack a hundred times, or you're studying it, or you're listening to someone else make a video on it, and you realize all of the different miniscule nuances. In between stages two and three is where you get this disconnect, this leap you have to make. For example, you'll have noticed that Philip sings the ten duel commandments, but you won't have realized that he and Eliza start singing different parts in their French practices at the exact same point that the gunshot cuts of their duel. Or, in the World Was Wide Enough, you'll have recognized all the individual leitmotifs but you won't have made the connection of there being ten of them and then all of a sudden you snap into stage three and there's this moment of clarity.
@@kittenmimi5326 , This musical is a work that is so beautifully layered, that one discovers something with MULTIPLE viewings. One can view , listen, and think about it and realize with the next viewing how much one missed in the last 25 viewings!
@@crocuslament9680 , When one adds viewing to listening, one really gets how much there is to pick up, notice, turn around, absorb, understand again or anew... An actor is taught that acting is REacting to everything going on even when one has no lines. It is being fully present in the moment, 8 shows a week. Whenever I watch and listen I discover characters in places and REacting to what is going on in ways and places I had completely missed the time before. You can see their minds working. They are truly listening to one another. When actors cease to be present once their lips stop moving, it is often distracting and may pull attention from the story being told. Often some of the most important moments in a piece are those witnessing the moment, feeling that moment, and being able to show the audience (Without pulling focus) those feelings and actions through one's thoughts, which change one's body language and facial expression even if only for a blink of an eye.
Eliza wanted Hamilton to be happy with what they had. She said “And we could be enough.” At the end of the play she says “I live another 50 years. It’s not enough!”
Where should I start on how much I'm grateful for this video? Man, I can't tell you how much these thoughts have been clattering around inside my own head for the past 2 years, and I've never been able to completely synthesize them. This video is SPOT-BLOODY-ON - can't thank you enough for finally articating the brilliant complexity of this show.
"He wasn't always a good man but he was always a great man" It's like when your mom tells you "you always have to love your siblings even if you dont like them"
@@officialmichaelcarrasco I have seen in interviews where he talks about seeing his mother cry as they listened to that cast album and what an impact that made on him. I think that is his intentional nod in appreciation of all that brought him to where he is today.
I didnt realize the foreshawdoing in Hurricane. My mind is blown. My weave is snatched. My boots are quaking. I love this video so much and i found it so late. EDIT: I just watched the whole thing and I REALLY APPRECIATE this video you have know idea. The editing and voiceover are amazing! Plus all the thought and knowlege that went into this. WOW.
Another observation, burr really acts and tries to become president, literally taking Hamilton’s advice, but when he loses because of HAMILTON himself. He doesn’t even become Vice President. The first time he acts, chooses to be like Hamilton he fails.
Burr was Jefferson’s VP for his first term. The show doesn’t make that very clear, but there’s a nod to it from Hamilton when they’re writing letters back and forth and he calls him “Vice President”. He had one term as VP.
he was VP till he shot Hamilton, well he finished his term, but yes, Hamilton did get killed by the Vice President of the US also Hamilton was not the only person to try and ruin him, Jefferson himself did enough as well, as well as Burr's succesor George Clinton (no direct relation, since Bill was not born a Clinton)
Thats how I few it too they became reversed with burr taking a stand and being outspoken late into his life in contrast to hamilton's quieter and docile nature in later life (reynolds pamphlet fucced up his rep)
This is also a Fugees reference. "Me without a mic is like a beat without a snare" - Lauryn Hill's verse of How Many Mics. There's also a lot of old school rap references throughout the show, and LMM was definitely influenced by Hill and other rappers of the time.
There's another motif that i noticed, constantly they tells us about TIME. even in the diyng scene, Alexander tells Eliza to take her TIME. In "Who lives, who dies, who tells your story", the one thing who got deep in my heart was Eliza singing what Hamilton could have done if he had more TIME. And he ends with "It's just a matter of... TIME". I'm crying just for writting this Jez kkkkkk...
I'm over a year late, but this video is phenomenal. I laughed, I cried, I was blown away. I've listened to the soundtrack hundreds of times, seen the show 3 times, and even took a college course dedicated to Hamilton, but you still brought up incredible points that I've never caught before. (I had to pause to absorb the weight of "I couldn't seem to die" --> "wait for it") This is amazing. The content itself is amazing, but everything from the animation to the narration is flawless too. Thank you creating something so great and sharing it with the world.
Fell back into a Hamilton hole in anticipation of the Disney+ release and oh my god, this video was incredible. I got teary halfway through and then was full on crying by the end. I can't believe how much of this flew over my heard. Or rather, how much of it I understood emotionally but never put into words or tried to think about critically. Seriously, thank you so much for making this!!
I like the entire motif of "time". "You Never learned to take your time", even "Wait for it", "Why do you write like you're running out of time?" and the entirety of "Who Lives, Who died, Who tells your story?"
I feel like the entire play also works on that theme, what with the fact that they had to cut and adjust so much of historical fact due to the time restraints of the medium 👀🤔
omg dude... I dont have words to explain how thankfrull I am with this video. It makes me emotional, and this is amazing. You portrait everything i love of this incredible musical. I will show this to everyone i know! thank you so much for this amazing video.
I’ve seen the Disney plus version 12 times, and Burr’s “WAIT” near the end of the video made me tear up, I never realized how much that word holds in the show. It’s insane 😭 Lin is so smart
You’ll probably never read this, but I have to write something. This was amazing. You made me fall in love with Hamilton all over again. I had goosebumps at the end, because once again Lin Manuel Miranda and his incredible talent... I got so happy that he is getting the recognition he deserves. So thank you for that. An now excuse me, I’ll be binge-ing (?) your videos.
Anna K true, I fell in love with hamilton a few years and have realised recently that i’m losing all the lyrics from my brain. I’ve tried to relearn them all and i watched this. I’m bawling. Lin is a genius i love him and all his works. I cannot believe I missed all this and i’m so thankful for this amazing video i mean this obviously took hours and hours and I want to also say thank you!!
This honestly is one of the best Hamilton videos I’ve ever seen, the production quality is so good, everything about the editing is so good, the last bit with the first time lin performed Alexander Hamilton compared to the one at the emmys gives me chills every time. You did such a fantastic job showcasing how powerful and just well written the music in Hamilton is
Objection: "teal burgundy and brown" is a motif, as it's reused later in the video in a different context (moral complexity rather than emotional complexity". The 'Alexander' thing is just a running gag. Running gags can look superficially similar to, but are usually distinct from motifs! Unless you have a motif that's also a running gag... hm....
21:30 So..Hamilton and Burr switched their morals which resulted in Hamilton's death. They changed their-selves at the worst possible time. They "realized" that they "should've" done it that way the whole time, but they switch and actually act on that realization at the wrong time. Just a mini rant I had that I want to share.
Another thing with "Satisfied": It takes Angelica's regret in the first time you hear and turns it into Angelica's wish regret UPON Alexander through the anger in the second one, like a twisted reflection.
@@samundef3500 She then went on the tell her husband's story in other ways and do other remarkable things (establish the first private orphanage in NYC, speak out against slavery). Though I'll agree she wasn't a saint irl
I also just noticed that they used the "America sing for me" type of concept in both The first and second to the last songs Alexander Hamilton -"Will America sing for you" The world was wide enough- "America you great unfinished symphony you sang for me" And also the fact that these lines literally come out from a musical about him just... Edit: Also it gives that bittersweet feeling that this is ending and it subconsciously gives you a flashback to the start of the musical brings in a whole new field of emotions Idk if this is still a motif but it still gives falshbacks
You can’t blame Burr for his actions. From his perspective, Hamilton did ruin his life. When Burr finally decided to go after everything he ever wanted, Hamilton stood in his way at every turn. Burr wanted to be Washington’s right hand man, the position goes to Hamilton. Burr switches party to finally join the government, and Hamilton asks him what hes doing. Burr runs for president, Hamilton backs Jefferson. Burr did exactly as he was told to do by Hamilton and is punished for it at every turn.
Except that even after Hamilton died, Burr's life didn't get any better. It just kept getting worse. Burr should have accepted his dreams weren't going to come true, killing Hamilton wasn't the answer.
I love this analysis, I totally agree with you, I'm only 11 minutes in so stop me if you mention this, but the way I see Burr and Ham's relationship is very interesting. See Hamilton's attitude towards life, "I'm just going to go for it and see what happens" gets him far, but remember that's a risk, and Washington did a good job at balancing Ham out and I'd argue kept him from doing something stupid like, oh I don't know, write a letter to John Adams that will ruin his career and make a pamphlet called The Reynolds Pamphlet, that ends up ruining his relationship. My point is Hamilton has taken these risks and in the end they did come back to bite him in the arse. Meanwhile Burr is climbing high now, he's almost at the top, nearly in that room where it happens, and of course he starts having some success by taking Hamilton's advice just when he starts to fall. Burr has basically become Hamilton when he was younger. We all know, what happens then with Hamilton, his risks ultimately lead to the death of his first son and the end of his political career. He eventually gets back on his feet and now Burr is running for President, things almost go perfectly for Burr, but then Ham had to back Jefferson during that election. Instead of letting it slide, Burr reacts exactly as Hamilton would and challenges him to a duel. Much like Hamilton he took the risks and it ended with his life falling apart and of course the death of the only person he had left. He's then seen as the villain, even though in the play you sympathise with him, again harkening back to Wait For It. That's when you realise this play isn't Hamilton, it's Burr, or more accurately is the Hamy and Burr show or something because their stories are one in the same. I know, you said his Wait For It attitude wasn't getting him anywhere? Irconiclly if he had stuck to that, he wouldn't have become the bad guy. I'm bad at wording things but I hope you see my points
Written by Elizabeth which is funny cuz burr's second wife name is Elizabeth and then he tried to create his own country somewhere around Texas and yea that didn't end well for him eithe.
ALSO I'm freaking out about when you counted the motifs in Hamilton's pre-death monologue, and there was exactly ten. As in the Ten Duel Commandments. *OHHHHHH*
Mythinu Not sure if "Eliza" qualifies as a motif, though, since it‘s just his wife‘s name. I mean he also mentions Laurens, Washington and Burr. And I don‘t see those listed as a motif.
Theodorè Baratheon The reason Eliza is listed as one of the motifs is because it’s a *musical motif*, not just the name. Her name, opposed to those other people you listed, had it’s own distinct, three-note musical signature that’s repeated throughout the musical.
I would argue that the line: 'It's planting seeds in a garden you never get to see' is also a motif, be it a throwback to Jefferson (In Virginia we plant seeds in the ground, we create) or to Washington (Everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree).
Honestly, I would of thought it would be the word “Wait” in general because something that always stick out to me is like the way in the first song “Alexander Hamilton” Hamilton himself says “Just you wait” telling the watcher to wait for his greatness but then The Ensemble bear the end of the song “Non-Stop” as Hamilton is like “I’m not gonna throw away my shot” they respond with “Just you wait” and it goes back and forth a couple of times. It’s funny, he says he’s not going to throw away his shot and the “just you wait” foreshadows that he actually threw away his shot against Burr
I have wasted hours, days, weeks, probably months of my life watching RU-vid videos. Many were great, an overwhelming majority were mediocre, and some were just flat out bad, but this might be the greatest RU-vid video I have ever seen. You took the clusterfuck of thoughts and feelings I had about Hamilton and laid them out EXACTLY as I had attempted to do in my own head. I truly feel at peace with this musical now. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Can we take a second to appriciate the editing in this video?? Not only the helpful graphics, but how each song that is being introduced plays in the backround as his voice fades out right when it needs to... I don't know why this stuck out to me, but I felt like I needed to say something about it.
This is such a great video! I love the way you break things down-- and the editing is so hilarious and spot on! I'm learning so many things I missed. Awesome video! Subscribed!
Lin during the world was wide enough breaks my heart 😭 he’s realizing that having burr’s blood on his hands wouldn’t be worth it if he had to return to his wife and children
I´ve got a lot of the motifs after so many listens, but I totally missed the "Wait for it" said by Burr after the line "I´ve couldn´t seem to die" in Hurricane. That one blowed my mind!
Yes!!! I literally took a semester-long class solely about Hamilton where it seemed like we dissected every last word, note, and theme, but I had to pause the video after hearing that to let it sink in. Incredible.
i think my favorite part about the ten duel commandments motif is that in philips actual duel it gets cut off halfway, representing philips life was cut drastically short
dfaj In real life Peggy was quite diffrent than how she was portrayed in Hamilton. She was left behind a lot but she was brave and badass. Eliza was the only saint of the Hamilton Schuyler Church family. She was considered a very famous saint and still is to think day
You wanna know something cool? The guy who plays Alexander Hamilton in Netflix's show TURN:Washington's spies - is actually a DESCENDANT of Aaron Burr. And he found out how ironic it was. That as a bloodline of Burr, he plays the guy he killed. Shook af man.
This video was a whole other level of incredible. This was not only a demonstration of everything amazing about Hamilton, but also a testimony to your skill as a writer. You used the comparison of emotions as colours like a motif, and you set up and paid off so many ideas in a satisfying way. This is the best video essay I’ve seen on RU-vid, better then nerdwriter or every frame a painting or anyone else. This is what an analysis should be. Thank you.
