By: Karl Risley
Throughout Hamilton, Lin Manuel uses repetition for multiple purposes. For example, in “My Shot”, Lin Manuel uses the repetition of the lyric, “I am not throwing away my shot” in order to convey the intensity and drive that Hamilton carries. Similarly, this line has been repeated several times throughout the songs we have listened to so far in class, symbolizing that Hamilton’s relentless drive is still present, influencing his actions and the outcome of events in the play. This lyric first resurfaces when the company sings it in “Right Hand Man,” a song about Washington’s selection of his right hand man. Following the plot of the song, Hamilton interrupts Burr while he is talking to Washington and begins his ‘interview’ for the position. The company began to sing, “I am not throwing away my shot”, alluding to Hamilton’s previously established character, showing the audience that his drive still exists and played a major factor in the course of his life and makings of our country through repetition. Lin Manuel used a similar repetition style to carry the elements of Aaron Burr’s personality through Act one. He establishes Aaron Burr’s passive character in the song, “Wait for it”, where the lines, “I’m willing to wait for it”, and “Wait for it” were repeated many times.
In Lin Manuel’s “Non-Stop”, he uses repetition not only like detailed above, but also to emphasize the nature of how the words were spoken by the character. Both Hamilton’s and Aaron Burr’s established character are brought to light again repeating the lines mentioned above in the background. The repetition occurs simultaneously, musically illustrating the clashing of the two rivals. Furthermore, Lin Manuel uses the repetition of what both Burr and Hamilton say, mainly rhetorical questions, to emphasize the struggle they face understanding each other. In several parts of the song, Burr asks rhetorically questions such as, “Why do you fight like your running out of time” and “Why do you write like your running out of time?” These questions are also repeated one after another for many lines. While the repetition shows his frustration towards Hamilton, the big clumps of repetition serve the purpose of placing the audience inside Burr’s head. Lin Manuel uses this writing style to make it seem that Burr is sharing his stream of consciousness.
Finally, Lin Manuel uses the repetition to carry themes throughout the musical. Most of the lyrics in “Non-stop” are exact repetitions of lyrics in past songs, providing the audience a continuous story line. For example, “Non-Stop” has copied lines from “Alexander Hamilton”, “Right Hand Man”, “My Shot”, “Wait for it” “Satisfied”, “History has its eyes on you”, “The Schuyler Sisters”, and “Helpless”. Most of these lines are written and sang all at once. Manuel uses these simultaneous repetitions to illustrate all of the pressures and events going on in Hamilton’s life at the time. The repetition culminated all of the prior themes in the play, creating connections and a cohesive musical.