Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

An Ethical Revelation Of The American Revolution: An Analysis Of Communication Ethics And Hypertextuality In The Musical Hamilton, Jessica Neu

Communication and Theater Association of Minnesota Journal

Since debuting in 2016, Hamilton has generated much scholarship on such topics as race relations and public memory. However, this article uses concepts of communication ethics and hypertextuality to situate the retelling of America’s past for America’s present. Connecting Hamilton to communication ethics proves paramount because it helps to situate the moral ground under which the characters stand, thereby serving as the epicenter for the show’s ultimate message. Viewers are brought into a hypertextual world of two historical moments, America ‘then’ and America ‘now,’ and consider the juxtaposition of past and current ideas, tradition, culture and narrative commitments that all …