Last week, I listened to the full Hamilton soundtrack while rowing at the gym. I have seen Hamilton twice, once on Disney+ and once live in Melbourne, but not in a while. In re-experiencing this musical, three themes stuck out to me that I had missed on my first few watchings: Angelica’s emotional dilemma, Aaron Burr’s transition into a notable figure, and Hamilton’s dramatic but fitting decline from politics.

1. Angelica’s Dilemma

I never fully appreciated how subtle and well done A Winter’s Ball/Helpless and Satisfied are in parallel with each other. While they all recount the identical scene of Hamilton’s initial meeting with the Schuyler sisters, the song Satisfied reveals Angelica’s deep affection for Hamilton despite ultimately letting him marry her sister Eliza. Its lyrics begin an unresolved thread throughout the musical: just what exactly was Hamilton’s relationship with his sister-in-law?

“But when I fantasise at night, it’s Alexander’s eyes
As I romanticise what might have been if I hadn’t sized
Him up so quickly
At least my dear Eliza’s his wife
At least I keep his eyes in my life”

2. Skin In The Game (Burr’s Transition)

The Room Where It Happens is the song that marked the transition of Burr’s character from cautious and passive to one like Hamilton’s forthright, daring nature. This was highlighted by the change in lyrics across the song regarding “the room”, which foreshadowed future events of his ascendency into politics, ironically by following Hamilton’s path.

“No one else was in the room when it happened” (start), to:
“I wanna be in the room when it happens” (middle), to:
“I gotta be in the room when it happens” (end).

Finally, my favourite lyrics in the whole musical are from the following sequence:

Burr: Or did you know even then it doesn’t matter where you put the U.S. capital?
Hamilton: Cause we’ll have the banks, we’re in the same spot
Burr: You got more than you gave
Hamilton: And I wanted what I got
When you got skin in the game, you stay in the game
But you don’t get a win unless you play in the game
Oh, you get love for it
You get hate for it
But you get nothing if you (Wait for it, wait for it, wait)
God help and forgive me
I wanna build something that’s gonna outlive me
What do you want Burr? (What do you want Burr?)
What do you want Burr? (What do you want Burr?)
If you stand for nothing then what’ll you fall for? (What do you want Burr?)

3. Hurricane (Hamilton’s Fitting Downfall)

A few songs after The Room Where It Happens comes Hurricane, the song that showcases Hamilton’s thoughts moments before his affair with Maria Reynolds explodes into public eye. What is unique about this is that his downfall in the Reynolds Pamphlet is driven by the same ambition that led him to his present successes: his obsessions with writing and defending his honour. We see from the following lyrics that in this precarious moment, he reflects on the times writing served him well.

“I wrote my way out of hell
I wrote my way to revolution
I was louder than the crack in the bell
I wrote Eliza love letters until she fell
I wrote about The Constitution and defended it well
And in the face of ignorance and resistance
I wrote financial systems into existence
And when my prayers to God were met with indifference
I picked up a pen, I wrote my own deliverance“

It is thus tragic that Hamilton’s attempt to address rumours of speculation about him is by writing the Reynolds Pamphlet, which contributed to the end of his political career. In defending his honour with his writing, he guarantees a life marked by controversy.

Notably, his obsession with defending his honour is a factor in his eventual duel with Aaron Burr given Hamilton’s inability to reconcile for political differences. Had Hamilton put his honour aside, the two may have settled their differences and we may have a different ending to his story. But a far less interesting one.

Overall, Hamilton is a brilliant musical. What makes an art great is its ability to uncover deeper meanings every time you experience it. I think Hamilton is no exception.