The Revolutionary Rhetoric of Hamilton

(Hardback)

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Description

The Revolutionary Rhetoric of Hamilton analyzes traditional conceptions about the musical, Hamilton, American history, and current political disputes. This scholarly exploration of Hamilton encourages audiences to interpret this popular cultural force in a new way by revealing that the musical confronts conventional conceptions of American history, racial equity, and political power. Several chapters in this volume directly address recent controversies and conversations surrounding Hamilton, including the #CancelHamilton trend on social media, the musicals depiction of slavery, and its intersections with the Black Lives Matter movement. Contributors explore how the musical offers social commentary on issues such as immigration and gender equity and how Hamilton re-considers the roles of theatre in making social statements, especially relating to the narrator, the role of the curtain speech, and musical traditions. Chapters within the book employ multiple novel theoretical approaches and perspectivesincluding public memory, feminist rhetorical criticism, disability studies, and sound studiesto reveal new insights about this beloved show. Scholars of theatre studies, media studies, and communication studies will find this book particularly useful.

Reviews

This wide ranging study integrates a number of important areas of study: popular culture, American history, and musical theatre among others. It uses connections among those disciplines to show some important ways in which political issues that engross our country are being handled rhetorically through cultural artifacts. This is an important, integrative book.

--- Barry Brummett, The University of Texas at Austin

-- Barry Brummett, University of Texas at Austin

"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 the book also reveal a great deal about historical and contemporary popular and political culture."

---- Robert C. Rowland, University of Kansas

-- Robert C. Rowland, The University of Kansas

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 important contribution especially to the ongoing work on one of Broadways biggest hits.

--- Ryan Neville-Shepard, University of Arkansas

-- Ryan Neville-Shepard

Author Bio

Luke Winslow is assistant professor of rhetorical studies in the Department of Communication at Baylor University.

Nancy J. Legge is professor in the Department of Communication, Media, and Persuasion at Idaho State University.

Jacob Justice is assistant professor of speech communication and the director of forensics in the Department of Writing and Rhetoric at the University of Mississippi.