“My Dearest, Angelica”
I treasure the Hamilton musical on so many levels. In addition to the wonderful score and fluid lyrics, the story is so well-researched. For example, in Take A Break, Alexander Hamilton and Angelica Schuyler Church express their affection for one another with special attention to grammar.
Alexander writes to Angelica:
My dearest, Angelica
“Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow
Creeps in this petty pace from day to day”
I trust you’ll understand the reference to
Another Scottish tragedy without my having to name the play
They think me Macbeth, and ambition is my folly
I’m a polymath, a pain in the ass, a massive pain
Madison is Banquo, Jefferson’s Macduff
And Birnam Wood is Congress on its way to Dunsinane
Angelica then writes back to Alexander, and notices his punctuation:
My dearest Alexander
You must get through to Jefferson
Sit down with him and compromise
Don’t stop ’til you agree
Your fav’rite older sister
Angelica, reminds you
There’s someone in your corner all the way across the seaIn a letter I received from you two weeks ago
I noticed a comma in the middle of a phrase
It changed the meaning. Did you intend this?
One stroke and you’ve consumed my waki
Article from Reason.com
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