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The Revolutionary Rhetoric of Hamilton
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Description
This scholarly exploration of Hamilton encourages audiences to interpret this popular culture force in a new way by revealing that the musical confronts conventional perceptions of American history, racial equity, and political power. Contributors explore the ways in which the musical offers social commentary on issues such as immigration and gender equity, as well as how Hamilton re-considers the roles of theatre in making social statements, especially relating to the narrator, the curtain speech, and musical traditions. Several chapters directly address recent controversies and conversations surrounding Hamilton, including the #CancelHamilton trend on social media, the musical's depiction of slavery, and its intersections with the Black Lives Matter movement. Employing multiple novel theoretical approaches and perspectives—including public memory, feminist rhetorical criticism, disability studies, and sound studies— The Revolutionary Rhetoric of Hamilton reveals new insights about this beloved show for scholars of theatre studies, media studies, communication studies, and fans alike.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction: Turning the World Upside Down
Nancy J. Legge, Jacob Justice, and Luke Winslow
Section I: Revelations About History
1“If You Had to Choose”: Hamilton, Public Memory, and the Hamilton-Jefferson Rivalry
Talya Peri Slaw and Jacob Justice
2Washington Says Good-bye: Examining 'One Last Time' through Public Memory
Jessica L. Gehrke
3The Rhetorical Significance of John Laurens in Hamilton: An American Musical
Nancy J. Legge
4Da Da Dada Da: The Discourse of the Mad Monarch
Sarah Mayberry Scott
Section II: Revelations About Race
5 Casting as a Rhetorical Act: Color-Purposeful Casting and Hamilton's Anti-White
Casting Call
Ailea G. Merriam-Pigg
6 Hamilton's Revolutionary Aesthetic: Race, Hip hop, and the American Style
Luke Winslow and Jonathan Veal
7 Hamilton, Social Revolution, and the Black Lives Matter Movement
Caleb George Hubbard
Section III: Revelations About Socio-Political Issues
8 Immigrants: Getting the Job Done Then and Now
Judith P. Ro
Product details
| Published | Sep 09 2022 |
|---|---|
| Format | Ebook (PDF) |
| Edition | 1st |
| Pages | 1 |
| ISBN | 9781978751026 |
| Imprint | Lexington Books |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
About the contributors
Reviews
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This wide ranging study integrates a number of important fields: popular culture, American history, and musical theatre among others. It uses connections between these disciplines to show some important ways in which the political issues that engross our country are handled rhetorically through cultural artifacts. This is an important, integrative book.
Barry Brummett, University of Texas at Austin
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The Revolutionary Rhetoric of Hamilton is an indispensable resource for understanding the multiple important messages in the greatest musical of our time, Hamilton. In revealing the meaning of Hamilton, the chapters in this book also reveal a great deal about historical and contemporary popular and political culture.
Robert C. Rowland, The University of Kansas
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“This edited collection grounds its chapters in a larger argument about the importance of rhetoric and popular culture. It is essential reading for those interested in history, politics, identity, and entertainment, and makes an especially important contribution especially to the ongoing scholarship on one of Broadway’s biggest hits.”
Ryan Neville-Shepard, University of Arkansas
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[This] volume does an exceptional job of drawing in the reader and laying out a potent argument for Hamilton's impact on the reconsideration of the American dream. Because of the strong connections with theory and careful use of each analysis type, the book would serve a classroom extremely well. Undergraduates hesitant to approach rhetoric will quickly see the benefit of careful analysis, and with the popularity of Hamilton, they will see how each of them is actively engaged in public rhetoric—even if they only know the words to “My Shot.”
Journal of Popular Culture
ONLINE RESOURCES
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