I mean, the actual reason King George doesn't dance is that his Act 1 costume was so cumbersome and heavy that Jonathan Groff couldn't do much more than walk in it. But the idea that "The King doesn't do anything" as a literal character trait is brilliant, too!
I actually thought the show was pretty meta in discussing its own inaccuracies. Eliza "erasing [her]self from the narrative" is a blunt way of saying that we have no idea how she reacted. She even has a line like "historians won't get to know the conversation we had" or something. Burr obviously sings about how "No one else was in the room where it happened," and explicitly describes the motive assigned to Hamilton giving up the capitol for the banks as speculation. Even when Burr kills Hamilton, he looks at the audience and goes something like "I'll be punished, because now I'm the villain in your narrative." I took that as directly reminding us that this is an interpretation of Burr intended to dramatize his relationship with Hamilton, and not really looking at him outside of that (turns out he might've actually been one of the most progressive of the founding fathers with some incredible ideas). The show's obsession with legacy and how we'll be remembered is all pretty meta, since this play is literally the legacy of Hamilton now, and we are currently remembering the events through its lens. Anyway, I really appreciated those nods.
I’ve always appreciated the show’s focus on legacy and how you are remembered, being that the show is probably the biggest fuel to Hamilton’s legacy and most people remember him or actually pay attention when they’re learning about him in history class because of the show
Just to clarify, when I say that Hamilton being a white man helped him climb socially as much as his skill with a pen, I am not saying that he wasn't a good writer at all and just coasted by on being privileged. I am being snarkily hyperbolic a bit, but I'm ultimately saying that yes, he was skilled, but it wasn't solely his skill that got him as far as he was able to go as the musical implies. It feels so weird to have to write this, but women and people of color at that time in history did not have the same rights or opportunities as white men. Obviously. I don't know why me saying that was a controversial take haha
Hamilton was an illegitimate child which socially meant he was viewed as lesser and on par with slaves and slave work in society which gravely affected his life in the Caribbean (though he was free so he did have the ability to climb from that position but my point is that during some eras it wasn't about being white or male it was about being the purest and blessed in every way society at the time deems it (which did favour white males but wasn't exclusive to or outright given depending on other societal factors). Many in his position wouldn't have been able to get funding to get an education, let alone travel to New York as an illegitimate child, overcoming that label as well as later becoming an orphan in his late childhood/early teens with no money it only socially added to him being an outcast. Although this did become less an issue after the war allowed him to reinvent himself and yes he could reinvent himself in ways that others could not and there is merit to notice this, I think the way it's explained through your portrayal of it is a very messy and also kind of historically lazy way of making an argument that doesn't really draw from proper reading material and just feels rather thrown together to make some other point using something popular rather than formulating the opinion around the work organically. Also, Hamilton ship to New York caught fire because of course it did, he's Hamilton.
Dr Matt Phillips Well, as you state in your own argument, being white allowed him to reinvent himself, being a woman or person of color isn’t something you can reinvent away. Yes, we should keep in mind that class and birth was a huge and sometimes impossible obstacle during historical times whichever skin color of the culture, but being a minority or woman in your society is always a bigger obstacle often even when born into privilege and if you don’t acknowledge that you’re missing the bigger picture and are certainly historically lazy.
The fact he was a white male in the 18th century was pretty much the only reason he would have been litterate at all. Women and Slaves wernt taught how to read or write cause they didnt need those skills for their "assigned rolls".
I also thought in Burn it was notable that Eliza attacks Hamilton's words and sentence structure. Not only does she ruin his narrative by burning the letters, she insults his ability to even form the beautiful narratives he used to write her. If Hamilton is going to define his legacy with the Reynold's pamphlet, Eliza is going to Make Sure that's how he's remembered
Looking at Hamilton as an adaption of ‘Alexander Hamilton’ by Ron Chernow is super interesting. Whenever I was reading the changes that the musical made always seemed so organic. Yes they’re deviating from history but you can see why Miranda and all the writers chose to make that decision. Even more impressive was the 100 pages dedicated to Hamilton’s banking system succinctly compressed into Cabinet Battle #1 (and thank god for that). If you think of it as being adapted from a book, not as an attempt on historical accuracy, that’s a whole other lens to look at it through.
16:45 the looks on Jefferson's and Burr's faces get me every time. Burr is so sure he'll win since Hamilton hates Jefferson, and Jefferson seems nervous and unsure for once. When Alex says "Jefferson," Thomas is shocked and delighted, jumping back and looking to Madison to celebrate. Burr is also shocked. his smile falters and he walks away disappointed and mad. In my opinion, it's both hilarious and the perfect setup for the next song, when Burr challenges Hamilton to a duel.
See it always makes me feel sad for Burr because this is built up as the first time he's really gone after something he's wanted and Hamilton taking it away from him while saying it's because he doesn't fight for what he believes and the hopeful look on his face before he is crushed just gets me every time
Maybe if he'd just taken a stand at ANY point in their relationship, we'd have a different 3rd president. At least Hamilton knew where Jefferson stood. Burr always held his cards too close.
“I don’t know if that effects your opinion at all...” It does, Scott. But, only in a positive way. Wish I had that level of confidence! Keep up the great work!
Thanks for indulging me with this very simple video this time. It also occurs to me that I didn't talk about *THE GASP* at the end, but I figured I would just leave that up to everyone's interpretation since that's how it's meant to be left. I have my interpretation, but I'd love to know yours! Check out even better videos by my friends: 👉 The Wishful Idealism of Hamilton: ua-cam.com/video/vLQx3eelh2o/v-deo.html 👉 Does Hamilton Live Up to the Hype? A (Personal) Post-Show Exploration: ua-cam.com/video/RVkDcvcUeU0/v-deo.html And again, follow me on twitter @ScottNiswander NOT @NerdSync. I'll be retweeting people who share this video! Thanks!
I was thinking she was grieving, like we see her went forward in time learning about her own accomplishments and then we go back to the moment with her when she lost her husband. We see her cry, but we know after that, she’s gonna get to work.
Daveed Diggs was having himself some fun playing Jefferson like a giddy villain. Watch him act like a human airdancer during The Reynolds Pamphlet sequence, and try not to smile or smirk.
I'm a history grad student and I would love to point out that the line between fiction and history is mostly nonexistent. Don't get me wrong, historians don't just make things up, they do have sources, but every single work of history you have ever read, seen, listened to, or anything else is just as much the historian's interpretation of what the historical record says. This is absolutely not a condemnation, it is an unavoidable necessity of creating a history (a "history" being the book, movie, play, anything else, not the past). Even simply creating an archived set of the historical records cannot be objective, the one creating the archive must decide which works are worth including (only things written by or to Hamilton? Things written about Hamilton in his own time? Things written by historians of Hamilton? Should things be curated or should everything be included? This list of questions could go on for literally days but I'll assume any readers are smart and get my point). The choice of evidence alone makes objectivity impossible. Objective history is a noble goal but functionally impossible. This isn't even really a flaw, just an acknowledgement. We all have a perspective and it will influence us. Historians are not neutral observers anyway, why would a disinterested person even want to spend nearly a decade (bare minimum) to do the research and gain the respected position of a historian in the first place? More importantly, works of history WILL be used for political purposes anyway. Historians see this all the time and often for purposes they definitely did not intend including literal genocide. Apolitical history is particularly impossible, history, as a field, was largely invented to both create and further nationalism and the nation-state. What matters is not the presence or lack of bias, it's there whether you (nebulous you in this case) can see it or not, but the justification for the bias. Does the historical record support the story that is being told? And is that story worth telling in the first place? All this is very abstract, hamilton the musical is obviously not historical in the way a history book written to be historical would be, but I wanted to get that off my head. History isn't objective and it isn't wholly different from fiction either. There are outright lies that are definitively wrong but no one is capable of telling the truth and not every lie is equal if that helps people understand what I'm trying to convey.
In my history MA I took a whole course about film in history. Not just about the history of film but how film, even historical inaccurate films, can be used to teach us both about the age they were made in but as a way to tell us something unique about the age that can’t be explored through text. Also I wrote a whole paper in historiography about the use of fictionalization/narrative by historians. And you know problematizing the narrative is a phrase historians use all the time. Point is, I totally agree. And pointing about historical accuracies is the most boring way to think about the musical. I was in grad school when the musical came out and had read a ton about the American revolution. I could see all the influences of Lin’s research/exposure to historians in the lyrics and it made it more interesting to me.
yeah definitely. people forget not every single conversation and aspect of peoples lives are written down so theres a lot of filling in done, just sometimes more than others
Scott: Do you hear that bird? It's really loud! Might try to scare it... "Go AWAY"... You guys won't believe me, but that worked! Also Scott: **resumes making video about the power of words**
I am British I dont know much of anything about Americas founding fathers and from what I've seen this might not be the best source to learn about them from, (I only really know about Mad King George's well madness) but I really enjoyed the musical on Disney, and this video its picked up on alot of things that I really didn't notice before and will put a new more enhanced perspective in rewatching it. I would love to see it live tho, cos then you get to see the whole thing not just what the camera wants you to see.
i love the (sometimes) accidental comedy that comes with it being a play. actors playing multiple characters, everything involving 9 year old Philip, the body language and expressions of everyone, everything about king george. the only thing that made me laugh and immediately get sad more then watching the play, was watching the ad read of this video.
In the Room where it happens is probably my favorite and best written song in Hamilton showcasing Burrs ever growing frustrations with being left out of history in the making and his frustration with Hamilton himself.
there is something deeply amusing to me abt you calling him "Alex" throughout the video, as if hes a friend of yours and not a long dead historical figure involved in the founding of the United Sates
NerdSync covering all sorts of nerds. Thank You. To me Hamilton is about struggle, the casting is like 1% accurate to history. But although the actors are better suited at performing the music, it also shows all of us struggle, to make a name for ourselves. As a Scottish decent American , I can see parts of myself in Lin-Miranda's Hamilton, and opens that world to others. BTW I love his version of Gizmoduck.
maybe it's just me, but as someone who's not american it comes very natural to me to view this musical as a complete work of fiction. I never looked at this and went "wow that rly happened?", because I rly don't give a single dingle about the assholes who made america or w/e. I care about the personal drama between these singing old-timey guys. like rather than revision history, I would like revision this musical as having nothing to do with history
This was great! I have spent a lot of time listening Hamilton, and I've never noticed a lot of what you shared (how Jefferson is the first person to stand up to him so that's why they rap battle, how Hamilton uses other character's words against them). Originally I subbed for comic content, but I am here for this! You're a really talented creator, man! Hope you keep making videos about topics you're passionate for!
I think we should all pretend the Hamilton musical is about my cat named Alexander Ainley Hamilton. He can open doors, turn on/off lights, and loves to headbutt you to show that you're cool. He's a bastard but at least he didn't own any slaves.
I'm here for this analysis!! I've listened to the musical in full over 40 times, (ADHD brain, it's a curse) and I was blown away by all the details this video pointed out!! I've never thought of the musical like this, but you're absolutely right. The real Hamilton WAS the friends we made along the way.
What people get wrong about Hamilton (the musical); it IS NOT about America 1776. Its about America TODAY. It's cast doesn't reflect the very white, generally rich, often slaveowning men of the american revolution. It reflects the diverse, "young, scrapy, and hungry" childen of today, who are taking part in a modern day revolution to create a new (better) nation. The topics it focuses on are the topics of today: inequality, race, womens rights, imigration, gun violence. They spend very little time on the historical reason for the american revolution (trade and taxation) because those are not the conserns of todays youth.
4:04 also, even though you can discuss it elsewhere, apparently the Hamilton fandom had these discussions and there was a scandal involving sock puppet accounts and cannibalistic mermaids. Basically, they are beyond and we can’t catch up.
@@alarcon99 I know, but I think you find the whole story on Fanlore. This stuff is wild, they outdid the Harry Potter fandom and misscribe (which feels so innocent now)
I liked a lot the idea of you recommending other channels. You telled me about The Imaginary Axis and I follow it to this day. Your recomendations are top notch.
you know what... I'm really happy with this video. ever since i watched this on Disney plus I honestly didn't 'get' what happened for all of the play. (honestly, act one can be hard to follow with all the rap and fast paced dialogue) It's nice to have someone just go over the entire thing and just lay it out. plot, structure, surface level themes. without making it a deep think piece. I would honestly point people to your video FIRST before diving into all the opinions, deconstructions, and criticisms of it. congrats! your hard work was appreciated.
I think that some changes in stories like this are always necessary especially in the format of a musical where time is limited and making a theme can therefore become difficult but it is a tradition of the genre (Annie Get Your Gun, Sound of Music, and Chicago are all based on real people and true stories)
I've been wondering about the Jefferson-Hamilton feud, especially the "if the shoe fits, wear it," which Hamilton turns around (using Jefferson's words against him, as you say) with "bend over, I'll show you where my shoe fits." There is a huge West Wing influence on the show, and in the episode "Celestial Navigation", the HHS Secretary is criticized for the cliché of "if the shoe fits". To me, even though Jefferson claims victory in the first rap battle, Hamilton has refuted his arguments completely, and also wins in the end, with the consolidation of debt, and Hamilton clearly wins over Washington in the second. I think the line from the cut song "Congratulations" rings true - "You're the only enemy you ever seem to lose to". Hubris, certainly, but Hamilton is his own antagonist as much as Burr is.
Also I miss the brighter colored less theatrically lit setting and more frequent uploads. But your commemtatary and content is more on point now than it was.
I'm glad that you felt comfortable making a shorter video about a topic that you wanted to share some thoughts on. Your recent longer videos are amazing, and I applaud you for all of the time and effort that you put in to them, but we like these shorter ones too! You're doing great
The Reynolds Pamphlet is kinda like when a youtuber makes a 10-minute non-apology video admitting to rumors about them & they still get canceled for it
I’ve listened to the soundtrack at least a million times (my wife works for a theater company) and we’ve seen the show twice on Disney plus now. This analysis was so in depth and introduced new ideas into my perception of this show. Great job.
This video is probably the reason that i finally watched hamilton on disney plus, more than a year after i wanted to initially. Also bonus points for this video coming out on my sisters birthday.
Yeah i hate the Quentin review video for saying "guess what its fiction" in such a condescending way. Like dude most fans know its just fiction loosely based on reality
Actually they got almost everything historically accurate, obviously the time line is a little wonky because it's a 3 hour musical so things need to be condensed, and they sychler sisters actually had brothers. Most of the stuff they got wrong was very minimal, and the idea that Alexander Hamilton wasn't an abolitionist is open for interpretation because technically Lincoln wasn't either, in order for him to pass his financial system he would need southern support so all though he want truly an aborisionist he did speak out against it. And the cast was very multicultural instead of being almost entirely white, which I am personally fine with, we already have 1776 play about John Adams which had a mostly white casting, We let people cherry pick small inaccuracies, and say "well it's historically inaccurate" which is stupid almost all historical movies and shows are inaccurate to a degree, Gettysburg had some inaccuracies, Apollo 13 had some inaccuracies, Waterloo had some inaccuracies. The only reason why people are so nit-picky about the smallest of mistakes is because it became a pop culture phenomenon. So instead of promoting it to what it is they tear it down so that people who don't fully understand what it is try to say will either never watch/ listen to the musical and complain that the casting did not make sense.
I don't know why it's so hard for people to get that this is historical fiction. Based off of history not trying to 100% accurately recount history. It's telling a story with rap and music, not giving a history lesson with rap and music.
19:41 I like what you said about it not being Hamilton's words that told his legacy but the people who knew him. It reminds me of a quote from Maya Angelou: "I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." Hamilton's words had power, for better and for worse, but ultimately what's important is what he DID with that power, for better and for worse. I know a lot of artists/writers who will spend HOURS AND HOURS working on the same few lines in a script over and over try to find the perfect combination of words, when in actuality, what matters more than the words we say, is the meaning behind them, and how they impact other people. One the other big themes in Hamilton is how it plays with the concept of time. Legacy is important. But legacy doesn't just mean how society will remember you 200+ years in the future--Legacy can be how people today will remember you. Legacy isn't a future concept, legacy and reputation exist in the present. And Hamilton (the musical, of course /lh) does a wonderful job exploring this idea! Wonderful Video, Scott, as always :))
Awesome video. I came here after seeing this mentioned on the SuperCarlinBrothers video, and, Hamiltrash that I am, loved every second of it. Though I kind of hate myself for laughing as hard as I did at hearing the words ‘bullet point’ over footage of Philip getting shot.
As much as I want to get into Hamilton, I used to date someone who was obsessed with it and used a song from it (Helpless) to demonstrate how she felt about our relationship. I'm not exactly proud of who I was back then and I've come a long way since, but the song, and by extension, the entire musical, are kind of permanently tainted for me.
😅🤣 I had to check the video on my phone to make sure my TV wasn't going on the fritz with all the scattered bright pixels. Great video though. Loved the play and you've done it real justice.
Friendly reminder that IRL Hamilton looked like Tommy Lee Jones Ever since Make Stuff’s video “Hamilton and Creating Emotional Paradoxes” I can’t unsee it
This video actually helped me understand some of why this musical hit me the way it did. I'd noticed things like the clever wordplay and recurring song themes and how it addresses both personal and universal feelings and struggles...but I knew there was something else. And it was this. And I thought right past it *bc* I also am big on words. I could probably write an essay in this comment if I let myself. >_> I'm, like, 100% the sort of person who would write the Reynolds Pamphlet if I hadn't learned by now that sometime MOAR WORDS don't actually fix things.
I always appreciate you putting out videos. Thank you for constantly putting out good content! And yes, you definitely earned doing something simple every once in a while
I wanna point out that my comment, much like the video is far, far too late for the topic, but also much like the video, might provide some value or at the very least provoke a thought or two. Your analysis is spot-on Scott . On the topic of words and their power, you're correct and I don't have anything to say to argue against your points, but rather to support them. Did you checkout the Hamilton Mixtapes and the deleted song from the musical 'congratulations', which was supposed to be performed by Angelica after the Reynolds Pamplets, when she talks to Alexander? "You've invented a new kind of stupid, dammit you can't undo kind of stupid, an open all the doors at the zoo kind of stupid. Truly, you didn't think this through, kind of stupid" "You're the only enemy you ever seem to lose to. Do you know why Jefferson can do what he wants? He doesn't dignify schoolyard taunts with a response." Which, I think encapsulates her and Alexanders relationship, how she's the only one, sans Jefferson, who challenges him. The song also dives into Alexanders letters to Angelica and how they're her highlight in her day. And, for my second point, that's something that actually is put into the musical and I think overlookked time and time again in every analysis made about Hamilton. In the duel, Burr breaks down his own fear. Burr justifies himself needing to duel Alexander, his anger, fear and regret. "This is a soldier with a marksman ability. " He mentions how Alexander methodologically fiddles with the trigger. It's pretty clear that Burr thinks he will lose the duel, as in the next line his voice cracks and you can hear the worry in his voice. "They won't tell you this in your classes. But look it up, Hamilton was wearing his glasses. Why? If not to take deadly aim?! It's him or me, the world will never be the same!" - I think this is the line where Burr decides to not raise his gun into the sky, but rather shoot Hamilton. In the show, this is where Hamilton's fate is sealed. Why was Alexander wearing said glasses? Best of wives, best of women is the answer. Alexander wore his glasses to write his final letter to Eliza. And I think that action both doomed him, and saved him, as it gave Eliza final justification for his actions previously and perhaps gave her true forgiveness, and made her carry on his legacy for her next 50 years of living. It's an incredible show and story.
I mean, the actual reason King George doesn't dance is that his Act 1 costume was so cumbersome and heavy that Jonathan Groff couldn't do much more than walk in it.
But the idea that "The King doesn't do anything" as a literal character trait is brilliant, too!
After all these years, I never caught that he's Jonathan Groff. I didn't watch the show, but still!
The crown itself is 6 pounds. And the costume is built in such a way that it forces regal movement.
I’ve heard his mic pack was in the crown and I thought that was cool
I actually thought the show was pretty meta in discussing its own inaccuracies.
Eliza "erasing [her]self from the narrative" is a blunt way of saying that we have no idea how she reacted. She even has a line like "historians won't get to know the conversation we had" or something.
Burr obviously sings about how "No one else was in the room where it happened," and explicitly describes the motive assigned to Hamilton giving up the capitol for the banks as speculation.
Even when Burr kills Hamilton, he looks at the audience and goes something like "I'll be punished, because now I'm the villain in your narrative." I took that as directly reminding us that this is an interpretation of Burr intended to dramatize his relationship with Hamilton, and not really looking at him outside of that (turns out he might've actually been one of the most progressive of the founding fathers with some incredible ideas).
The show's obsession with legacy and how we'll be remembered is all pretty meta, since this play is literally the legacy of Hamilton now, and we are currently remembering the events through its lens. Anyway, I really appreciated those nods.
"Let future historians wonder how Eliza reacted"
+
Let’s add the rumor of Eliza gasping in the last scene that she is able to “see” the audience and realize Hamilton’s legacy is secure.
I’ve always appreciated the show’s focus on legacy and how you are remembered, being that the show is probably the biggest fuel to Hamilton’s legacy and most people remember him or actually pay attention when they’re learning about him in history class because of the show
Burr was involved in a treasonous conspiracy on behalf of foreign powers. And calling him "progressive" is a huge stretch.
“He meets Aaron Burr”
Gonna have to dock you 6 points for not finishing that with “sir.”
heck, throw away the entire test
LMTO YES
F- didn’t say sir
I just realised how funny it is that this video is about a musical on the treasury secretary and the sponsor is a wallet
Dude, you skipped over "It's quiet uptown"? The song where he gives up his words and embraces the quiet? Unacceptable!
@paula Blasphemy!
paula Forgettable?! Blasphemy! Heresy! Dishonor!
That song is pretty heartbreaking and beautiful
@paula it's one of the best ones if you think of the way Lin decided to write it
I love this musical. It's historically inaccurate, sure, but it's a great story that told with no dialog, just song. It's an art piece
It's good art!
"You'll have your wallet longer than Hamilton had his son" you're the worst sir, but also, you're the best and I adore you
I had to pause the video I am hysterics right now because of it
My new favorite conspiracy theory
You are ze worst, Burr
That's so mean lol
Don't put your wallet in the air, problem solved lol
Just to clarify, when I say that Hamilton being a white man helped him climb socially as much as his skill with a pen, I am not saying that he wasn't a good writer at all and just coasted by on being privileged. I am being snarkily hyperbolic a bit, but I'm ultimately saying that yes, he was skilled, but it wasn't solely his skill that got him as far as he was able to go as the musical implies. It feels so weird to have to write this, but women and people of color at that time in history did not have the same rights or opportunities as white men. Obviously. I don't know why me saying that was a controversial take haha
Wait this is kind of ironic. I said your community post looked like you singing Hamilton and then you posted this.....hmmm
Hamilton was an illegitimate child which socially meant he was viewed as lesser and on par with slaves and slave work in society which gravely affected his life in the Caribbean (though he was free so he did have the ability to climb from that position but my point is that during some eras it wasn't about being white or male it was about being the purest and blessed in every way society at the time deems it (which did favour white males but wasn't exclusive to or outright given depending on other societal factors). Many in his position wouldn't have been able to get funding to get an education, let alone travel to New York as an illegitimate child, overcoming that label as well as later becoming an orphan in his late childhood/early teens with no money it only socially added to him being an outcast. Although this did become less an issue after the war allowed him to reinvent himself and yes he could reinvent himself in ways that others could not and there is merit to notice this, I think the way it's explained through your portrayal of it is a very messy and also kind of historically lazy way of making an argument that doesn't really draw from proper reading material and just feels rather thrown together to make some other point using something popular rather than formulating the opinion around the work organically.
Also, Hamilton ship to New York caught fire because of course it did, he's Hamilton.
@@DrMattPhillips Can't doubt it'd be harder if he were black
Dr Matt Phillips Well, as you state in your own argument, being white allowed him to reinvent himself, being a woman or person of color isn’t something you can reinvent away. Yes, we should keep in mind that class and birth was a huge and sometimes impossible obstacle during historical times whichever skin color of the culture, but being a minority or woman in your society is always a bigger obstacle often even when born into privilege and if you don’t acknowledge that you’re missing the bigger picture and are certainly historically lazy.
The fact he was a white male in the 18th century was pretty much the only reason he would have been litterate at all. Women and Slaves wernt taught how to read or write cause they didnt need those skills for their "assigned rolls".
I also thought in Burn it was notable that Eliza attacks Hamilton's words and sentence structure. Not only does she ruin his narrative by burning the letters, she insults his ability to even form the beautiful narratives he used to write her. If Hamilton is going to define his legacy with the Reynold's pamphlet, Eliza is going to Make Sure that's how he's remembered
Looking at Hamilton as an adaption of ‘Alexander Hamilton’ by Ron Chernow is super interesting. Whenever I was reading the changes that the musical made always seemed so organic. Yes they’re deviating from history but you can see why Miranda and all the writers chose to make that decision. Even more impressive was the 100 pages dedicated to Hamilton’s banking system succinctly compressed into Cabinet Battle #1 (and thank god for that).
If you think of it as being adapted from a book, not as an attempt on historical accuracy, that’s a whole other lens to look at it through.
Yeah, it's of course not a full-on 100% history lesson, but it certainly isn't 100% inaccurate either.
Agreed.
16:45 the looks on Jefferson's and Burr's faces get me every time. Burr is so sure he'll win since Hamilton hates Jefferson, and Jefferson seems nervous and unsure for once. When Alex says "Jefferson," Thomas is shocked and delighted, jumping back and looking to Madison to celebrate. Burr is also shocked. his smile falters and he walks away disappointed and mad. In my opinion, it's both hilarious and the perfect setup for the next song, when Burr challenges Hamilton to a duel.
See it always makes me feel sad for Burr because this is built up as the first time he's really gone after something he's wanted and Hamilton taking it away from him while saying it's because he doesn't fight for what he believes and the hopeful look on his face before he is crushed just gets me every time
Maybe if he'd just taken a stand at ANY point in their relationship, we'd have a different 3rd president. At least Hamilton knew where Jefferson stood. Burr always held his cards too close.
“I don’t know if that effects your opinion at all...”
It does, Scott. But, only in a positive way.
Wish I had that level of confidence! Keep up the great work!
Short shorts are the best shorts!
NerdSync I disagree, long shorts are better, and no you wearing shirt shorts don't affect my opinion of you. I think it somehow fits your character
I own one pair of shorts. They are short shorts.
@@NerdSyncProductions ...I thought that said short stories...dyslexia
Peggy was mad that she didn't get much screen time, so she put on a red dress to ruin Hamilton's life
I think peggy died at a young age in real life, and that's why she wasn't really in the later parts of the story.
Travtastic she was 45 I thinking. So yeah, she did young. Dang.
And Eliza totally had an affair with Laurens, because did you see how Philip looked exactly like him and not Alex?!
Nah, she was grounded for going downtown for the rest of the musical!
Waterflame it was because the actors were the same because I believe the show did not have a big cast
Thanks for indulging me with this very simple video this time. It also occurs to me that I didn't talk about *THE GASP* at the end, but I figured I would just leave that up to everyone's interpretation since that's how it's meant to be left. I have my interpretation, but I'd love to know yours! Check out even better videos by my friends:
👉 The Wishful Idealism of Hamilton: ua-cam.com/video/vLQx3eelh2o/v-deo.html
👉 Does Hamilton Live Up to the Hype? A (Personal) Post-Show Exploration: ua-cam.com/video/RVkDcvcUeU0/v-deo.html
And again, follow me on twitter @ScottNiswander NOT @NerdSync. I'll be retweeting people who share this video! Thanks!
Hiii!!!
I was thinking she was grieving, like we see her went forward in time learning about her own accomplishments and then we go back to the moment with her when she lost her husband. We see her cry, but we know after that, she’s gonna get to work.
Daveed Diggs was having himself some fun playing Jefferson like a giddy villain. Watch him act like a human airdancer during The Reynolds Pamphlet sequence, and try not to smile or smirk.
Daveed Diggs stole every scene he was in. Dude is smooth af.
I'm a history grad student and I would love to point out that the line between fiction and history is mostly nonexistent. Don't get me wrong, historians don't just make things up, they do have sources, but every single work of history you have ever read, seen, listened to, or anything else is just as much the historian's interpretation of what the historical record says. This is absolutely not a condemnation, it is an unavoidable necessity of creating a history (a "history" being the book, movie, play, anything else, not the past). Even simply creating an archived set of the historical records cannot be objective, the one creating the archive must decide which works are worth including (only things written by or to Hamilton? Things written about Hamilton in his own time? Things written by historians of Hamilton? Should things be curated or should everything be included? This list of questions could go on for literally days but I'll assume any readers are smart and get my point). The choice of evidence alone makes objectivity impossible. Objective history is a noble goal but functionally impossible.
This isn't even really a flaw, just an acknowledgement. We all have a perspective and it will influence us. Historians are not neutral observers anyway, why would a disinterested person even want to spend nearly a decade (bare minimum) to do the research and gain the respected position of a historian in the first place? More importantly, works of history WILL be used for political purposes anyway. Historians see this all the time and often for purposes they definitely did not intend including literal genocide. Apolitical history is particularly impossible, history, as a field, was largely invented to both create and further nationalism and the nation-state. What matters is not the presence or lack of bias, it's there whether you (nebulous you in this case) can see it or not, but the justification for the bias. Does the historical record support the story that is being told? And is that story worth telling in the first place?
All this is very abstract, hamilton the musical is obviously not historical in the way a history book written to be historical would be, but I wanted to get that off my head. History isn't objective and it isn't wholly different from fiction either. There are outright lies that are definitively wrong but no one is capable of telling the truth and not every lie is equal if that helps people understand what I'm trying to convey.
In my history MA I took a whole course about film in history. Not just about the history of film but how film, even historical inaccurate films, can be used to teach us both about the age they were made in but as a way to tell us something unique about the age that can’t be explored through text.
Also I wrote a whole paper in historiography about the use of fictionalization/narrative by historians. And you know problematizing the narrative is a phrase historians use all the time.
Point is, I totally agree. And pointing about historical accuracies is the most boring way to think about the musical. I was in grad school when the musical came out and had read a ton about the American revolution. I could see all the influences of Lin’s research/exposure to historians in the lyrics and it made it more interesting to me.
I agree.
yeah definitely. people forget not every single conversation and aspect of peoples lives are written down so theres a lot of filling in done, just sometimes more than others
14:21 oh god, I loved how she verbally eviscerated him. She was not having none of it.
Scott: Do you hear that bird? It's really loud! Might try to scare it... "Go AWAY"... You guys won't believe me, but that worked!
Also Scott: **resumes making video about the power of words**
"The real Hamilton are the friends we made along the way." Amazing, Scott. You're Amazing.
I knew it was only a matter of time after Disney+ released Hamilton that we would get a NerdSync video. Scott did not dissapoint!
Hey thanks!
Gettin’ my watch on before the copyright claims take it. Literally taking my lunch break early just to make sure I don’t miss this. Thanks!
hope you enjoyed it!
15:44 Yes, we will never know the real life Elizabeth Hamilton (wait, was that her full name), but the character Eliza? Love, love her.
Like Peggy is called Margarita
I am British I dont know much of anything about Americas founding fathers and from what I've seen this might not be the best source to learn about them from, (I only really know about Mad King George's well madness) but I really enjoyed the musical on Disney, and this video its picked up on alot of things that I really didn't notice before and will put a new more enhanced perspective in rewatching it.
I would love to see it live tho, cos then you get to see the whole thing not just what the camera wants you to see.
i love the (sometimes) accidental comedy that comes with it being a play. actors playing multiple characters, everything involving 9 year old Philip, the body language and expressions of everyone, everything about king george. the only thing that made me laugh and immediately get sad more then watching the play, was watching the ad read of this video.
In the Room where it happens is probably my favorite and best written song in Hamilton showcasing Burrs ever growing frustrations with being left out of history in the making and his frustration with Hamilton himself.
I'd argue...
Protagonist of Hamiliton:
Alexander Hamiliton
Antagonist of Hamiliton:
Alexander Hamilton
fun thing to do when watching hamilton: watch their feet shuffle as they try to stay facing the audience while the floor spins
there is something deeply amusing to me abt you calling him "Alex" throughout the video, as if hes a friend of yours and not a long dead historical figure involved in the founding of the United Sates
It’s amazing
NerdSync covering all sorts of nerds. Thank You. To me Hamilton is about struggle, the casting is like 1% accurate to history. But although the actors are better suited at performing the music, it also shows all of us struggle, to make a name for ourselves. As a Scottish decent American , I can see parts of myself in Lin-Miranda's Hamilton, and opens that world to others. BTW I love his version of Gizmoduck.
maybe it's just me, but as someone who's not american it comes very natural to me to view this musical as a complete work of fiction. I never looked at this and went "wow that rly happened?", because I rly don't give a single dingle about the assholes who made america or w/e.
I care about the personal drama between these singing old-timey guys. like rather than revision history, I would like revision this musical as having nothing to do with history
“Spoilers btw” he says after talking about Hamiltons dead son
I genuinely didn't think anyone watched the ads.
I mean everyone involved is dead it's not much of a spoiler
This was great! I have spent a lot of time listening Hamilton, and I've never noticed a lot of what you shared (how Jefferson is the first person to stand up to him so that's why they rap battle, how Hamilton uses other character's words against them). Originally I subbed for comic content, but I am here for this! You're a really talented creator, man! Hope you keep making videos about topics you're passionate for!
+
I think we should all pretend the Hamilton musical is about my cat named Alexander Ainley Hamilton. He can open doors, turn on/off lights, and loves to headbutt you to show that you're cool. He's a bastard but at least he didn't own any slaves.
I never actually realized so many themes and symbolism throughout the musical so thank you for this video!
I have barely scratched the surface! There's a lot here!
Did you get that quill from the bird you “scared” off?
14:18 "Yeah TAKE THAT ya pompous word-smith!!" Love it XD
I would have found this video boring, but since you are wearing short shorts, I found it fun
Hamilton: the musical that makes midwestern boomers say "that was pretty good - why can't all raps be like that instead of like the two pack?"
"Yeah, why cain't they sound like this instead of that M&M's feller"
Two-ply Couture
I literally spit out my drink just now!!
I'm here for this analysis!! I've listened to the musical in full over 40 times, (ADHD brain, it's a curse) and I was blown away by all the details this video pointed out!! I've never thought of the musical like this, but you're absolutely right. The real Hamilton WAS the friends we made along the way.
What people get wrong about Hamilton (the musical); it IS NOT about America 1776. Its about America TODAY.
It's cast doesn't reflect the very white, generally rich, often slaveowning men of the american revolution. It reflects the diverse, "young, scrapy, and hungry" childen of today, who are taking part in a modern day revolution to create a new (better) nation. The topics it focuses on are the topics of today: inequality, race, womens rights, imigration, gun violence. They spend very little time on the historical reason for the american revolution (trade and taxation) because those are not the conserns of todays youth.
4:04 also, even though you can discuss it elsewhere, apparently the Hamilton fandom had these discussions and there was a scandal involving sock puppet accounts and cannibalistic mermaids. Basically, they are beyond and we can’t catch up.
Aww 😢 I missed the cannibalistic mermaids 😞
@@alarcon99 I know, but I think you find the whole story on Fanlore. This stuff is wild, they outdid the Harry Potter fandom and misscribe (which feels so innocent now)
Well, now I'm actually interested in seeing the show
I liked a lot the idea of you recommending other channels. You telled me about The Imaginary Axis and I follow it to this day. Your recomendations are top notch.
Well finally. After hearing you talk about it for 5 years now I’m glad you’re finally doing a video about it.
I've been excitedly waiting for this video ever since Quinton said you were making it. This is great!
Same
you know what... I'm really happy with this video. ever since i watched this on Disney plus I honestly didn't 'get' what happened for all of the play. (honestly, act one can be hard to follow with all the rap and fast paced dialogue) It's nice to have someone just go over the entire thing and just lay it out. plot, structure, surface level themes. without making it a deep think piece. I would honestly point people to your video FIRST before diving into all the opinions, deconstructions, and criticisms of it. congrats! your hard work was appreciated.
I think that some changes in stories like this are always necessary especially in the format of a musical where time is limited and making a theme can therefore become difficult but it is a tradition of the genre (Annie Get Your Gun, Sound of Music, and Chicago are all based on real people and true stories)
Scott: This time, only content no context
Also Scott: proposes the main video question 3 minutes in
I've been wondering about the Jefferson-Hamilton feud, especially the "if the shoe fits, wear it," which Hamilton turns around (using Jefferson's words against him, as you say) with "bend over, I'll show you where my shoe fits." There is a huge West Wing influence on the show, and in the episode "Celestial Navigation", the HHS Secretary is criticized for the cliché of "if the shoe fits". To me, even though Jefferson claims victory in the first rap battle, Hamilton has refuted his arguments completely, and also wins in the end, with the consolidation of debt, and Hamilton clearly wins over Washington in the second.
I think the line from the cut song "Congratulations" rings true - "You're the only enemy you ever seem to lose to". Hubris, certainly, but Hamilton is his own antagonist as much as Burr is.
"His story was not kept alive by his writings" (eyes copy of the Federalist papers on bookshelf)......Sure Scott......sure he wasn't
"Content, not context"
Also I miss the brighter colored less theatrically lit setting and more frequent uploads. But your commemtatary and content is more on point now than it was.
Can make a case it is Eliza Hamilton's story as much as Alexander's. It is called "Hamilton" not "Alexander Hamilton" after all.
I'm glad that you felt comfortable making a shorter video about a topic that you wanted to share some thoughts on. Your recent longer videos are amazing, and I applaud you for all of the time and effort that you put in to them, but we like these shorter ones too! You're doing great
the biggest star in this musical is that sweet-ass green jacket. I WANT IT
This was really good analysis!
The Reynolds Pamphlet is kinda like when a youtuber makes a 10-minute non-apology video admitting to rumors about them & they still get canceled for it
This video is amazing. YOU are amazing! I love getting to look at any of my favorite things at analytical perspectives 💖 thank you 😊
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for saying such kind words, Megan!
Thank you for acknowledging the Hamilton is propaganda. I honest and sincerely appreciate it.
After all these years full of Hamilton references. Scott, you finally made a Hamilton video
I’ve listened to the soundtrack at least a million times (my wife works for a theater company) and we’ve seen the show twice on Disney plus now. This analysis was so in depth and introduced new ideas into my perception of this show. Great job.
Now let’s hope the all knowing algorithm grabs this and sends it out to the masses.
I came here from the SCB trivia night livestream and I loved the video!
yo that real friends joke justified the whole video
This video is probably the reason that i finally watched hamilton on disney plus, more than a year after i wanted to initially.
Also bonus points for this video coming out on my sisters birthday.
I love this musical. I know it’s historically inaccurate, but I just want to enjoy it.
Yeah i hate the Quentin review video for saying "guess what its fiction" in such a condescending way. Like dude most fans know its just fiction loosely based on reality
@@hadinasrallah8928 you didn't even watch his video then.
Actually they got almost everything historically accurate, obviously the time line is a little wonky because it's a 3 hour musical so things need to be condensed, and they sychler sisters actually had brothers. Most of the stuff they got wrong was very minimal, and the idea that Alexander Hamilton wasn't an abolitionist is open for interpretation because technically Lincoln wasn't either, in order for him to pass his financial system he would need southern support so all though he want truly an aborisionist he did speak out against it. And the cast was very multicultural instead of being almost entirely white, which I am personally fine with, we already have 1776 play about John Adams which had a mostly white casting, We let people cherry pick small inaccuracies, and say "well it's historically inaccurate" which is stupid almost all historical movies and shows are inaccurate to a degree, Gettysburg had some inaccuracies, Apollo 13 had some inaccuracies, Waterloo had some inaccuracies. The only reason why people are so nit-picky about the smallest of mistakes is because it became a pop culture phenomenon. So instead of promoting it to what it is they tear it down so that people who don't fully understand what it is try to say will either never watch/ listen to the musical and complain that the casting did not make sense.
Good to see work from you again good chap! Excellent editing @ 15:50 🤣🤣🤣
I have not even watched the video yet, and I am already loving that you made this video! Thank you Sir, for all you do!
19:36 Ooooh how satisfying that aligning Hamilton saying his name is. Thank you.
I don't know why it's so hard for people to get that this is historical fiction. Based off of history not trying to 100% accurately recount history. It's telling a story with rap and music, not giving a history lesson with rap and music.
When he said you'll have your wallet longer than Hamilton had his son... I felt that.
Ah same
Nobody:
Not a soul:
Not even Hamilton:
His son: dies
Eliza: AUAUAUAUGHGHGH
You waited 5 years to tell us "the real Hamilton was the friends we made along the way"? You should feel ashamed
19:41
I like what you said about it not being Hamilton's words that told his legacy but the people who knew him.
It reminds me of a quote from Maya Angelou:
"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel."
Hamilton's words had power, for better and for worse, but ultimately what's important is what he DID with that power, for better and for worse. I know a lot of artists/writers who will spend HOURS AND HOURS working on the same few lines in a script over and over try to find the perfect combination of words, when in actuality, what matters more than the words we say, is the meaning behind them, and how they impact other people.
One the other big themes in Hamilton is how it plays with the concept of time.
Legacy is important. But legacy doesn't just mean how society will remember you 200+ years in the future--Legacy can be how people today will remember you. Legacy isn't a future concept, legacy and reputation exist in the present. And Hamilton (the musical, of course /lh) does a wonderful job exploring this idea! Wonderful Video, Scott, as always :))
Love your channel bro, smashing it♥️
Alexander Hamilton...
My name is Alexander Hamilton.
And there’s a million things I haven’t done...
But just you wait... just you wait...
When he was ten his father split,
full of it, debt ridden
Two years you see Alex and is mother bed-ridden
Half dead, sitting in his own sick, the scent thick
Alex got better, but his mother went quick
I’m not American so I never learned about Alex Hamilton, so happily I can just enjoy this musical without being aware to the inaccuracies 🙏🏻
Most Americans haven't learned enough history to notice the inaccuracies either, to be honest.
I'm American and I learned so much about Hamilton in school, like "He created the bank!" and that's it.
I see Nerdsync, I click. Glad to have more content Scott!!
Loved this video!
Awesome video.
I came here after seeing this mentioned on the SuperCarlinBrothers video, and, Hamiltrash that I am, loved every second of it.
Though I kind of hate myself for laughing as hard as I did at hearing the words ‘bullet point’ over footage of Philip getting shot.
"Hamilton Is rap music for people who hate rap music." - Alex Schmidt
I loved him on Cracked's UA-cam channel! I wonder what he's up to now... imdb... He's a multi-Jeopardy winner??!? v=__BHE2wicjc
@@robspiess I mean he was running the podcast till about a month ago when cracked laid him off to cancel the podcast
As much as I want to get into Hamilton, I used to date someone who was obsessed with it and used a song from it (Helpless) to demonstrate how she felt about our relationship. I'm not exactly proud of who I was back then and I've come a long way since, but the song, and by extension, the entire musical, are kind of permanently tainted for me.
I was two hours deep into the Disney+ recording of the show when I got your notification.
Hope you're doing well , jay
Same. I started watching this video and then it got to the part of the story I was at so I finished the musical and came back.
Same here, it is soooooo good
I love the direction this channel is going and I can't wait to see what comes next!
This is a damn good video essay and I seriously enjoyed it
Dude: **is wearing short shorts**
Me: **instant subscriber**
Thank you for making this video, you saved me a a lot of time.
A timely video release?! I'm so proud of you, Scott!
Wow this was amazing especially the part about Eliza throwing Alexander's words back at him.
😅🤣 I had to check the video on my phone to make sure my TV wasn't going on the fritz with all the scattered bright pixels.
Great video though. Loved the play and you've done it real justice.
Who else was seeing if NerdSync uploaded this video every day since Quinton reviews said it was coming?
Hopefully it wasn't just me.
"Longer than Hamilton had his son" HOW DARE THEE, SCOTT?!
I know Alexander’s final monologue by heart despite still knowing almost every word to each song
Good to see nerd sync thrive
Friendly reminder that IRL Hamilton looked like Tommy Lee Jones
Ever since Make Stuff’s video “Hamilton and Creating Emotional Paradoxes” I can’t unsee it
My favorite character is Lafayette and King George
"In the before times" lol
This video actually helped me understand some of why this musical hit me the way it did. I'd noticed things like the clever wordplay and recurring song themes and how it addresses both personal and universal feelings and struggles...but I knew there was something else. And it was this. And I thought right past it *bc* I also am big on words. I could probably write an essay in this comment if I let myself. >_>
I'm, like, 100% the sort of person who would write the Reynolds Pamphlet if I hadn't learned by now that sometime MOAR WORDS don't actually fix things.
I always appreciate you putting out videos. Thank you for constantly putting out good content! And yes, you definitely earned doing something simple every once in a while
Awesome job Scott. Great work
there's a four part series called "A Historical Review of Hamilton" by Dealing With Nihilism that also deserves more attention
I wanna point out that my comment, much like the video is far, far too late for the topic, but also much like the video, might provide some value or at the very least provoke a thought or two. Your analysis is spot-on Scott . On the topic of words and their power, you're correct and I don't have anything to say to argue against your points, but rather to support them. Did you checkout the Hamilton Mixtapes and the deleted song from the musical 'congratulations', which was supposed to be performed by Angelica after the Reynolds Pamplets, when she talks to Alexander?
"You've invented a new kind of stupid, dammit you can't undo kind of stupid, an open all the doors at the zoo kind of stupid. Truly, you didn't think this through, kind of stupid"
"You're the only enemy you ever seem to lose to. Do you know why Jefferson can do what he wants? He doesn't dignify schoolyard taunts with a response."
Which, I think encapsulates her and Alexanders relationship, how she's the only one, sans Jefferson, who challenges him. The song also dives into Alexanders letters to Angelica and how they're her highlight in her day.
And, for my second point, that's something that actually is put into the musical and I think overlookked time and time again in every analysis made about Hamilton.
In the duel, Burr breaks down his own fear. Burr justifies himself needing to duel Alexander, his anger, fear and regret.
"This is a soldier with a marksman ability. " He mentions how Alexander methodologically fiddles with the trigger. It's pretty clear that Burr thinks he will lose the duel, as in the next line his voice cracks and you can hear the worry in his voice.
"They won't tell you this in your classes. But look it up, Hamilton was wearing his glasses. Why? If not to take deadly aim?! It's him or me, the world will never be the same!" - I think this is the line where Burr decides to not raise his gun into the sky, but rather shoot Hamilton. In the show, this is where Hamilton's fate is sealed. Why was Alexander wearing said glasses?
Best of wives, best of women is the answer. Alexander wore his glasses to write his final letter to Eliza. And I think that action both doomed him, and saved him, as it gave Eliza final justification for his actions previously and perhaps gave her true forgiveness, and made her carry on his legacy for her next 50 years of living.
It's an incredible show and story.
My take away is that Hamilton is about a man getting bullied so much that he shoots his bully. That's right! Burr is the main character, fight me...