Ā I see people saying Hamilton is a Gryffindore like...you mean to tell me that you watched and ENTIRE MUSICAL about this man, whoās ENTIRE MOTIVATION FOR EVERYTHING is making a legacy? Did you see act II?
This man is ambitious as HECK. GEORGE WASHINGTON. AMERICAāS FOUNDING DADDY OFFERS HIM A JOB AND HAMILTON IS LIKEĀ āthatās cool but could do better?ā Yeah, the dude is obsessed with fighting, but he wants to die for glory and legacy, so people will remember him! Heās obsessed with whoās going to tell his story, what heās leaving behind! He wants to do things!
The Reynolds pamphlet, AKA Americaās first sex scandal, was because he wanted to defend his legacy. Sure, tank his personal life, possibly break his marriage, but he wonāt be accused of embezzlement because it would damage his LEGACY. He endorses Jefferson, knowing that they agree on exactly nothing, but he admires Jeffersonās strong beliefs and convictions. Whatās his problem with Aaron Burr? He doesnāt believe in anything. He has ambition but canāt act on it, which to someone like Alexander whoās spent his entire life seizing every opportunity to prove himself, canāt understand.Ā
Whatās Hamiltonās first line in the whole damn musical? My name is Alexander Hamilton, and thereās a million things I havenāt done. BUT JUST YOU WAIT. Heās not throwing away his shot. Heāll straight up deck the guy that doesnāt believe he can graduate in two years.
In āMeet Me Insideā, Washington is telling Hamilton that he doesnāt need defending, but Hamilton tells himĀ āI donāt have your name I donāt have your titles, I donāt have your landā. He wasnāt even defending Washingtonās honor for Washingtonās sake, not entirely! He was worried about how dragging Washingtonās name through the mud would make HIM look. He asks for a command, so he could eitherĀ āfly above his stationā after the war or die on the battlefield in glory, because EITHER WAY, people will remember him and THATāS what he cares about.Ā
He goes home, Eliza saysĀ ālook at where you are, look at where you started. The fact that youāre alive is a miracle. Stay alive, that would be enoughā and our boy Alex saysĀ āNO THE HECK IT AINāT!ā and jumps on the first chance to get himself killed again. Heās come so far and the only thing he can think is how much further he can go, obsessed with rising above his station. Elizaās telling him that being himself is enough and Alex looks at her likeĀ ādoEs nOt ComPuTe?ā because he needs MORE.
āGod help and forgive me I wanna build something thatās gonna outlive meā
He definitely has his own sense of honor and code of ethicsĀ āIf you stand for nothing, Burr what will you fall for?ā He feels that he needs to stand up for his beliefs and back them up.
He wants to create and change the nation and be an important person. Heās smart, and crafty, and manages to work his way from bastard orphan son of a whore to Washingtonās right hand man. He comes up with a financial plan, and manages to get Jefferson and Madison on his side by trading away the nationās capital, moving it down south in a deal that no one else witnessed---somewhat sketchy, and totally Slytherin move.
Thereās not a single action taken by Alexander Hamilton in this entire musical that canāt be traced back to either cunning or ambition, the key traits of Slytherin house thank you for coming to my tedtalk.