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Summary
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Hamilton, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Collaboration, Disagreement, and Democracy
Stories vs. History
Ambition and Mortality
Immigration and Diversity of Influence
Honor
Summary
Analysis
Aaron Burr (with an assist from the rest of the company) marvels at how Alexander Hamilton, a “bastard, orphan, son of a whore,” grew to be “the ten-dollar founding father.”
By allowing Aaron Burr to tell his lifelong nemesis Hamilton’s story, Miranda immediately raises the dramatic stakes—and asks audiences to think about who gets to narrate history. Hamilton is, to this day, the face on 10-dollar American bills.
Themes
Hamilton was born in the Caribbean at the height of the slave trade. His father split when he was 10 years old, and two years later, his mother died. When a hurricane ravaged the island, Hamilton began to plan his escape, getting a job at a trading charter and reading everything in sight. Eventually, with support from the community around him, Hamilton was able to raise enough money to get to New York.
Hamilton’s backstory here is important for three reasons. First, he is an immigrant from the Caribbean. Over and over again, the musical makes the point that immigrants always have been—and always should be—essential to American strength. Second, Hamilton learns early on that reading and writing can prove key to success. And third, Hamilton’s ambition comes out of his own sense of fear and helplessness, and particularly out of his mother’s traumatizing death.
Themes
Hamilton introduces himself, explaining that “there’s a million things I haven’t done, but just you wait.” Burr sings about how Hamilton’s enemies (himself included) “destroyed his rep,” while the other major characters reflect on their own relationships to Hamilton: some fought with (or against) him, some loved him, and one even died for him. As the rest of the cast cheers Hamilton on, Burr ends the song admitting that “I’m the damn fool that shot him.”
In this introductory moment, Hamilton defines himself by his aspirations. But more importantly, the song ends with a flash-forward of sorts, in which Burr admits to shooting and killing Hamilton. So, fascinatingly, the first time audiences hear the word “shot”—a crucial motif in the show—is in reference to Hamilton’s eventual death.
Themes
