Hamilton: Aaron Burr, "the villain in your history"
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- Опубликовано: 18 сен 2024
- I explore what I think makes Aaron Burr such a relatable and complex 'villain' in Hamilton: An American Musical.
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"Lin-Manuel Miranda and Thomas Kail on Hamilton and Burr"(Charlie Rose / PBS, 2015):
• Lin-Manuel Miranda and...
"Hamilton and Motifs: Creating Emotional Paradoxes" (Johnathon Oscar / MakeStuff, 2017)
• Hamilton and Motifs: C...
My Twitter:
/ oscarhuglin
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Thanks for watching!
The fact that duels were socially acceptable astounds me. It is hard to imagine that Hamilton lived through a duel that injured a general and then lived through a second duel which extinguished the life of his beloved son and yet he agreed to participate in a duel himself. The man can create a treasury system for an entire nation but not figure out a different way to resolve disputes.
I know this is three years old, but I just wanted to mention this he actually did many, many duels beforehand, and he was actually pretty good at them too. Meanwhile with Burr, he only did one other duel, where he dueled against Angelica's husband because of rumors he made without proof. He accused Burr of taking a bribe, and during the duel they both shot and missed, then John(Angelica's husband) realized he shouldn't have accused him of something without proof, so he apologized and they shook hands, ending the duel.
Anyways-
History doesn’t care why you did it.
It only matters that you did it
Amen
facts
That’s so simple but impactful
This point gets further proven when you learn that sometime after Burr shot Hamilton, Burr got into some kind of conspiracy and was arrested and tried for treason… after that, Burr really was seen as the villain… And then there’s that bit when Burr moved away from the USA, came back to the USA, married a woman (I can’t recall her name at the moment) who divorced him and the divorce lawyer was one of Philip Hamilton’s siblings, Alexander Hamilton Jr…. Sometimes fact is weirder than fiction.
Once Hamilton gets a cinematic opus like in the heights, then the line "Now I'm the villain in your history." will one day become those top famous movie quotes.
YES! This needs to happen 🙏
It happened
I also think that we should put ourselves in Burr's position, like he said "i had only one thoughout before the slaighter, this man will not make an orphan of my daughter. Just like Hamilton, Burr had someone he had to live for.
ISABEL MELENDEZ Absolutely! Its so easy to empathise with Burr’s situation. Same with Hamilton. They were both flawed and they most made mistakes. Those are the best kinds of characters, and they make for the best kind of story
His daughter was a grown woman at the time of the duel. Hamilton still had minor children at home (one severely mentally disabled after the death of her beloved older brother) AND a wife.
@@keljones4665 YES EXACTLY
@@keljones4665 he had a wife. Burr did not. Sure, Hamilton had a new born baby, but that doesn't justify the things he did for that duel to start- what the musical didn't mention, was he also talked sh-t about Burr's DEAD wife for no reason.
Not to mention, they've had so much stuff happen throughout their whole relationship that drifted them further apart. Like Hamilton attacked Burr(verbally, I'd assume) for suggesting that women are intellectually equal to men, Burr went against Hamiltons anti-immigrant thing, etc.
Plus, Burr really was one of the best out of all of them, including John Laurens. Burr was anti-slavery, though he still had slaves. He taught his daughter to be more than just a housewife, she learned how to shoot from horseback- he believed that everyone should be equal, no matter their background. He tried to pass a bill that allowed women education.
Hell, he even felt bad about killing Hamilton later on in his life-
But I think that's enough for my "Burr is superior" rant 😭😭
“History obliterates and every picture it paints, it paints me and all my mistakes”
This song is just genius and has the best lines in the show
Agreed! Gets better and better with every listen
It was also said as Burr's self defense, Hamilton was good at aim in the war or something, and it was also said he had his glasses on in the duel, and Burr knew he was too good, so he probably thought like "Oh dang, he's actually trying to shoot and kill me. I can't let this happen" but that wasn't what Hamilton was trying to do. He misunderstood, that shows how easy it is to misunderstand something.
correct me if I'm wrong
He didn't misunderstand per se. In real life Hamilton didn't point his gun up at the sky, he actually pointed it at Burr and pulled the trigger. What Burr didn't know was that Hamilton's plan was to shoot over his head. In a fight to the death with only a half second to react, Burr was entirely in the right to shoot to kill on that scenario.
This is so good!!! Since the moment Burr said "Talk less... smile more" I though this was such an intelligent character I was immediatly interested in him. I'm glad someone else out there loves his story.
Luxiosfantasy Producciones YES I love his character so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it :)
Thank you! I finally watched Hamilton for the first time and was super confused why everyone else thought Aaron Burr was the villain. Maybe it's because I am a Theater and Literature teacher, but to me the obvious Villain in act 2 is Jefferson. This of course is controversial and not as supported as I would like, but I see him as the one who brought Burr into the room, but in exchange Burr became the person who took the shot in the end (Sort of a Faustian Bargain).
Yes! Jefferson (at least in the show) was the one who brought down Hamilton's political career. Then, he ousted Burr once he (TJ) was president, placing Burr in the position to want a reckoning.
In Washington On Your Side, Jefferson even says 'I'll pull the trigger on him, someone load the gun and cock it'. Metaphorically, he did pull the trigger in many ways.
Jefferson was a third party no?
Thats my favorite line in the whole show too.
Ghost Emblem It’s so good isn’t it!
‘And that’s how they’re remembered forever’ I find these kind of takes fascinating. Historians change their opinions all the time and they do care about why people did things. They care enough that you could argue it is the central question in history-making
Mimi They definitely do, but there’s a difference between historical opinion and public perception!
I studied history at uni and know that the historiography is pretty divided when it comes to Burr. Lin Manuel will have fully engaged with that when he wrote the part. The fact is that Burr‘s reputation in popular culture (unlike historiographical opinion of him) is set - it is built around his killing of a fellow founding father. Hence “the villain in your history”.
Cultural reputation doesn’t equal historiographical opinion, which I think is what Lin Manuel was getting at when he made that comment.
Interesting point!
TellMeMore ahaha I’m a public history postgrad so I know all about the difference between historiography and public understandings of the past lol ‘public perception’ of the past definitely changes and it isn’t even the same for everyone at any one time! King George III is a good example because in America people remember him as oppressive and malicious, but in England he is more remembered for going mad. ‘Public perceptions’ are absolutely not set in stone and they can change just like historians’ (even if it might happen a bit slower). Also technically Miranda is engaging with historiophoty not historiography, because he is using a completely different (and novel) form of visual and auditory history-writing. While it’s clear he looked at the primary archival material in detail, I’m not sure how much he considered secondary literature because historical debates do not shine through in the same way factual detail does, hence the musical says ‘I’m the villain in your story’ yet it doesn’t consider other stories where he is the hero - but that could just be down the musical’s unique form of history writing that has to prioritise themes over standard history practices!
@@Mimi-xi1bm George III is a weird example. Yes, he has different regional reputations, but the public perception of him as oppressive and malicious in the US has been set for 300 years, and so has the public perception of him as having gone mad in the UK. So you've almost discredited your own argument.
There are few that would disagree with me when I say that Burr's overriding public perception in the US is of a man who murdered one of his fellow founding fathers. It's almost always the most simple and memorable feat of somebody's life that defines them.
The fact is that the majority of the public will never pick up a book about Burr or engage with the historical debate - prior to Hamilton, most will simply have known him through pub quizzes and the odd conversation, maybe even a book about US history or a RUclips video. And through those mediums, it will always be his most simple and memorable action that is discussed and conferred.
He's seen as a villain in US history. That's why I agree with Lin's portrayal and lyrics.
The whole thing with burr is that he changes his mind on his choice with how to behave. Genius.
The range of vocals of Leslie Odom Jr. (Aaron Burr) throughout Hamilton has blown me away. I'm crying when he sings, I'm the villain in your history, his voice acts as well, sound/act like he ready to cry, even when singing it's him or me he won't make an orphan of my daughter genius range of vocals...I'm so down the rabbit hole.
I love how connected Hamilton’s and Burr’s charecters. In the first song, each pointed out some advice that in the end ended there careers. Hamilton endorses Jefferson because Burr doesn’t talk enough and say what he stands and falls for.
Probably my favorite character in storytelling. The show’s portrayal of Burr was powerful and this vid did it justice. Great work!
Thank you - glad you enjoyed it!
I like the moment at the beginning of The Room Where It Happens when Burr and Hamilton have an actual friendly talk.
my favorite line in the whole show is wait for it
I’ll be honest, even though the play is called Hamilton, I don’t think Hamilton himself is the main character. Think about it, Hamilton doesn’t learn anything really throughout the play. The key way to tell who is the main character is the learning of a lesson, Burr learns that history doesn’t give a damn how you felt or why you did what you did. All that matters is that you did it.
Interesting take! Hamilton is a brilliant character and definitely sees some progression over the course of the story, but you’re right - it’s Burr who learns the clearest lesson. I think my response to you would be: Who says there needs to be one single “main character”? You could very convincingly argue that, in Hamilton, there are two!
Lin said that it could just as easily been called Burr, and he wasn’t sure which role to play.
It also seemed a lot like the story of Eliza who went though so much pain and struggle and had to tell the stories not to mention ends the play as the last one standing and being responsible for her family’s legacy and helping other orphans
I think it is Eliza...
Gaming Tart I’m not too sure. The only think Eliza seems to learn is that her husband is a flawed person and kind of a dick. It seems like But is the only one who really learns anything.
Yes! I really like Burr eventho he's not my favorite, my favorite song from Hamilton is actually Burr's song (The room where it happened), Burr is a very complex character that we can't outright hate, every character in this musical is very in depth that we feel sympathy for them
I came here after watching the motif video...
I guess I got hit with my own meta motif punch.
TheAnonymousWaffle haha, nothing better than a meta motif punch!
TellMeMore OMG YOU RESPONDED
Hi! Great video!
TheAnonymousWaffle Hi! Thank you very much 😂
@@TellMeMoreYT I’m so glad you loved the other video, I thought that both were genius
I got a heart! Thank you!
0 dislikes
Finally a number of dislikes I understand and support.
Aron Burr is actually one of my favorite characters in the whole musical so I was really moved by the way you described him. I really enjoyed your passion throughout the video. Seriously thank you for this
no-users-user Aw what a lovely comment! Glad you liked it, and thank you so much for the kind words 🙌
Thank you for this! Burr is my favorite as well
Angela Mejia So glad you enjoyed it!
Such a great video essay about one of my favorite characters! I love Aaron Burr, is because he’s just so complex and paradoxical! I’ve seen comments sections getting into heated debates over how much he really regretted shooting Alexander to this day! The truth of the matter is we’ll never know. None of us know exactly the thoughts that went through Burr or Hamilton’s heads before that history changing moment or after it.
Lps Ivy Exactly! One of the things I love most about Hamilton is that it’s brought their incredible relationship back into popular culture and got people talking about it. No one will ever know for sure but we can all enjoy debating it! Thanks very much for your comment :)
Lin: “no character should be wholly good”
Eliza: am I a joke to you?
Eliza spends the entire play trying to force Hamilton into her relaxed lifestyle, even trying to force him on a summer vacation while his job is on the line.
She had wholesome intentions but she did nothing to support her husband in his dreams constantly trying to make him abandon them.
Yes she isn't the worst, but she's not without flaws.
@@aeashenemby But Hamilton's ambition in his career hurts Eliza. If Eliza had succeeded in slowing Hamilton down, he might have lived a longer life and he could have done more. I don't think it's wrong to counter your partner if your partner is exhibiting self-destructive behavior like Hamilton was.
@@aeashenemby Eliza actually supported him when he went to fight for the war. Hamilton's ambition was never-ending while Eliza's nature is to be contented with whatever she has so long as her loved ones are alive with her to experience those. Eliza understood that Alex needed to do something for their country and to prove himself so she supported him with that dream. But even when they won the war, he still wanted to do so many more things to further his legacy while not realizing that he was taking what he had at the moment for granted. He was so hard at work that he forgot to spend some time with his family and to take care of himself. Eliza saw that his actions were becoming self-destructive and therefore begged him to take a much needed break. She supported Alex when he needed her but also took it upon herself to remind him that money and legacy weren't everything. But alas, he couldn't ever be satisfied which lead to his son's death and his eventual downfall.
@@elizaelise5192 Except within the bounds of the play she actively wanted him to NOT be in the war cause she was afraid of him dying. Thats why she begged Washington to have him come home. While her reasoning is justifiable, she still constantly acted in opposition to Hamiltons aspirations up until the end where he finally understood that he was striving too hard and letting his pride ruin him.
Why ya’ll typing like.. essays-
this is one of the best video essays I've ever watched. literally made me cry because it was so well put together and made me see burr in a different light
bellaelizabeth Thank you so much, I’m glad you enjoyed it!
That’s one of my favourite lines as well! It’s beautifully written and fits so perfectly. However, nothing beats “don’t modulate the key, then not debate with me”!
Haha, a close second!! Glad you enjoyed the video 😊
Aaron Burr was always shadowed by Hamilton, Burr was always patient always waiting for his moment, always hoping to rise up, Hamilton was doing just that. Burr starts to go reckless grew impatient, so he started acting out, then during the election, where he was finally going to get his glory, Hamilton ruins it for him.
All these years of Hamilton out shining him, and ultimately ruining his life goal finally made Burr snap. He and Hamilton initiated a duel, and during the set ups Hamilton put his glasses on, something Burr knew helped him with his aim, so in Burrs mind Hamilton was gonna shoot. Hamilton who always knew Burr as a gentle logical person, assumed burr wasn’t going to shoot. Hamilton doesn’t actually shoot up in the sky, but right above Burrs head, which is why he needed the glasses. Burr assumed Hamilton was gonna shoot him, and in fight or flight response he killed him.
I think another thing that's notable is how old they are when they decide to be reckless, Alex was young, in the middle of a war, had no commitments to anything, and had literally nothing to lose, so he uses is ambitions to rise above others, burr decided to stay calm, never showing what he wants or showing the world what he can do, all while in an extremely similar position to Hamilton. And when they switch, Hamilton has grown, he has a wife and kids and a nation to protect, he has responsibilities and he cannot afford to lose it. Yet burr decides that once he has a reputation and kid and nation to protect, he's willing to risk it all for pettiness. Its like burr does the opposite of mature, choosing the worse options at the worst times
This is all my interpretation so it's not fact but I wanna talk about stuff I interpreted about burr. My favourite song in the show is the room where it happened because it expertly reveals burrs true nature as up to that point he is shown as smart, calm, rational and humble and is always being questioned what he truly wants, even during wait for it he seems to know something is in store for him but still seems like his intentions are pure but the room where it happened shows how the goal he wants to reach had been corrupted and he had developed a lust for power seeing how Hamilton a man with nothing had managed to reach such heights he envied Hamilton and that's what led him to take the spot as senator and try to rise up the ranks to become president, the song shows him become more and more mad and desperate which revealed his nature as a jealous and power Hungry man while he isn't a villain in my opinion. I like how he is shown to be the opposite of how he is first displayed in the show. what a brilliantly written show
The end of The Room Where It Happens might just be my favourite moment in the whole show. So well written and performed. Gives me goosebumps every time!
@@TellMeMoreYT me too! I love how when he says click boom he does the opposite of Hamilton's iconic pose as he is pointing down instead
@@melancholymelon5316 I’d never noticed that!
@@TellMeMoreYT yeah there are so Many subtle details Lin put in this show
@@melancholymelon5316 I was about to write the same comment. A clever touch in the choreography indeed.
When i learned about Hamilton in my school, Burr wasn’t really the villain. History has seemingly painted Hamilton as an arrogant asshole and that’s something the musical still makes no secret of. Hamilton is basically seen as an important but unlikeable figure
I LOVE HAMILTON!!
I’m I the only one who cried watching this... no ok
This is absolutely brilliant. Your video essay captivates everything I love about this musical!
Essa Art Thank you so much! I absolutely loved making this :)
Awesome video. Burr is one of the best characters in the show. I wish people would appreciate him more.
Trish Tresha Thank you! I 100% agree, such a brilliant character
This was the best RUclips video that I have seen yet about the musical, “Hamilton.“ I love the fact that you interspersed an interview of Miranda and segments of the musical itself with your cogent analysis. I’m not sure if this video was prepared pre- or post- pandemic, but I do hope that you got to see Hamilton in London.
Thank you so much - I'm glad you enjoyed it! This was long before the pandemic and I did get to see it in London (and have watched it countless times on Disney Plus since!)
Book thank you for the commentary on on Aaron Burr what struck me the most about this man was his love for this woman they're a dosha Theodosia the love that he had for her is just amazing and the fact that he couldn't marry again for a long long time was it it just showed me his humanity that he did have a good heart I don't know if he would have been in office that everything would have fell apart who knows what would have happened it could have been any worse than what we have today and we definitely had many worst Presidents since birth it was too bad it was too bad that there was a fight a constant battle between him and Hamilton it it definitely doesn't make me I don't look at him as the villain anymore I don't look at him as evil because a true evil person could not have loved that woman so much and I'm thankful that we have his grandchildren his great-great-grandchildren here today and I hope that they are proud of Hamilton because I think a lot of us see him as a as a very unique person despite the fact that he tried to cause try to be try to be treasonous he attempted treason but you know he didn't succeed and there's no doubt that he was a brilliant man
Mate, this was outstanding. This is genuinely one of the best RUclips videos I have ever watched!
Thank you so much! That means a lot :)
Aaron Burr is probably one of the most complex villains ever
Brilliant absolutely brilliant
Glad you enjoyed it!
“...fools who run their mouths off wind up dead”
My favourite line is wait for it too
This was amazing, you got a sub! :D
Asriel Ayres Glad you enjoyed it! :)
this is amazing aaa
Blue JuWil Thank you! :)
History has its eyes on you.
Imagine if hamilton had lived, 25 more volumes!
AMAZING 👏👏
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it 👍
thank you about this it was the highlight of my day
that is such a good video, thank you
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it 😊
Loved this!
He wasn't a villan he's a broken hero 💔
Burr is a great guy he is not evil. Poor Burr, he was so jealous of Hamilton and mad at him for reasons that are so understandable. For example, when something good happened to him, Hamilton would get mad and try to take it away from him. He thought that Hamilton was going to make an orphan of his daughter. Hamilton is a stupid hot head who doesn't care about anyone, even Eliza. When he died, he did her a huge favor by dying. Eliza was set free from being a shadow, following him around, and living with a lier. She was able to so many amazing and impacting things in her life that she totally could have not done with Hamilton as her husband. When he had an affair with Maria Reynolds he dumped her so bad and rude, she said she was sorry so many times but he doesn't forgive. Whereas Eliza, she is so amazing and forgiving. Philip's death was so horrible, he died standing up to his father saying that he was a great man. He shouldn't have. Hamilton was terrible and everything his peers said about Hamilton was so completely true. BTW I'm sorry for writing all of this, I am crying sooooooo much after watching that video, I just needed to write out what I think of Burr and Hamilton. The video was so amazing it brought me to tears. Thanks.
Clare Gonda I love how varying people’s opinions are on Hamilton and Burr. It just goes to show how brilliantly complex both characters (and people!) are.
Thank you so much, I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Theodosia was married and 22 at the time and Eliza needed Hamilton she was pregnant and had 6 not fully grown children
her mother died
Then Peggy
Then Philip
Then Hamilton!
After this Angelica was helping her
Angelica dies
Hamilton was never gonna shoot and burr is not a villain that’s true he’s been through a lot but they are both equally smart it’s not fair for you to call one stupid and the other smart when they both have been through a lot
I’m glad Lin Manuel Miranda didn’t include the part in history burr made fun of Hamilton in hospital but when he died that’s when burr realized his mistake
Hamilton forgave him on his death bed and said that he understood why burr had killed him even
Noe Eliza is all alone raising 7 children all by herself
You need to see from both sides you know be more opened minded because burr and Hamilton both made equal mistakes
Eliza wasn’t following Hamilton’s shadow she did what she wanted she wasn’t gonna let anybody disrespect her
I find the Burr - Hamilton relationship arc very similar to the Judas - Jesus arc in Jesus Christ Superstar:
- They're good friends.
- They want the same things, but they wanna achieve it in a different manner.
- Judas kills Jesus, and regrets it afterwards.
- Judas is narrator and villain in the story.
I even have a hard time finding distinguishing features. Almost anything said in the video, can be said for Jesus Christ Superstar.
(Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of the show. Just don't think the Burr character is so unique.)
There is one thing that you were mistaken with, due to an issue with the musical. Burr was documented saying that Hamilton deserved what came to him, and that he didn’t feel bad.
Interesting!
Personally, from the historical view, Burr really is the villain in our history. I'm not the best at american history, considering me myself isn't American, so I won't get into details why, buy I think I would like to point out that does Burr regrets killing Hamilton ? Considering they were best friends, maybe he regret it. And no one actually knows whether he regret it or not. Some people says he does, some people doesn't think so, because he uses the phrase "my best friend Hamilton, who I shot" as a joke. It's amazing that all of the sympathy and love Burr gets is from the musical, which just add on how amazing Lin's storytelling is to make us love one of America's greatest villains :v
Hamilton supported merchantism and reject the ideas of the free market.
How does this have only six comments?
Same for whoever disliked this Beautiful video
Lol, you can't just say these people sucked. They were all products of their own time. And many people even in Hamilton and Burr's time did not see Hamilton as a hero. Especially now that it can be seen with true clarity that had he had it his way, our ancestor would have all been slaves to the banks, sort of like how we all are by now. Makes sense I guess why Broadway would want to glorify him with a musical, that represents a very bastardized interpretation of the time period. But all in all Burrs the real hero in the end, a real damn hero, whether he likes it or not.
I'm just going to go with Jefferson here:
He was a product of his time, and he sucks by our standards. Those two aren't contradictory; you can't just argue "Jefferson was an amazing founding father who did no wrong and we should look up to unequivocally" the same way you can't just argue "Jefferson was a slaveowner who only used his supposed ideals to benefit himself and he should be struck from the history books."
The real Jefferson had many qualities we would find admirable and many we would find abhorrent because that's how real people are, they're not romanticized versions of the American past where everyone believed in freedom and liberty for all in the same way we do. Similarly Hamilton's Jefferson is charismatic and lovable as a character, but he's also kind of a slave-fucking, loser taunting, hypocritical opponent of social mobility ("[Hamilton] smells like new money, dresses like fake royalty"). So I think it's fine to say these people sucked as long as we also acknowledge what was good about them and vice versa.
Jefferson enslaved his own children ( his first conceived when Hemings was a 13 year old child), was known as the bloodiest horseman in Virginia, and claimed he PURCHASED THE LOUISIANA TERRITORY from France. This land was inhabited by native Americans, who he considered to be subhuman. In fact, Jefferson made a treaty with France and then sought to annihilate its rightful inhabitants.
In addition, Jefferson cribbed the Declaration of Independence from the previously published Virginia Declaration of Rights.
Heres’s just the first 2 sections:.
They will sound very familiar to you.
A DECLARATION OF RIGHTS made by the representatives of the good people of Virginia, assembled in full and free convention which rights do pertain to them and their posterity, as the basis and foundation of government.
Section 1. That all men are by nature equally free and independent and have certain inherent rights, of which, when they enter into a state of society, they cannot, by any compact, deprive or divest their posterity; namely, the enjoyment of life and liberty, with the means of acquiring and possessing property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety.
Section 2. That all power is vested in, and consequently derived from, the people; that magistrates are their trustees and servants and at all times amenable to them.
The more facts your uncover about Jefferson, the less you like him. He, even in his own time, was not a man who was widely admired.
Was the choice of fagin and tavye, two streotypal/traditional european Jews intentional?
Not at all. I chose them for the same reason that I chose Javert - they are complex and well written characters.
Okay but he did try to start his own country with him as the leader... and was going to take American soil... so he kinda is a villain