In class this week, we analyzed and interpreted the lyrics of Hamilton to find a deeper meaning. For the most part we discussed the song “My Shot” and how Hamilton was not afraid to speak his mind. On our own the students had to choose a song to interpret the lyrics and find “ethos logos and pathos” in the text.
During the week, I personally have experienced rhetoric. There were many different ways that a speaker had encouraged people to go out into the world and do anything. For example, a church pastor had said that “instead of trying to get revenge, forgive them.” The way the pastor had spoken could’ve encouraged anybody in the church to forgive their enemy.
Andrew Jackson killing Charles Dickenson in 1806. Woodcut print, 1834. (Library of Congress)
This week, I am going to be working on Hamilton’s “Helpless” and I will be looking for ethos, logos, and pathos. Having to delve deeper into text will give me a deeper understanding of both the lyrics and their meaning.
Works Cited:
Hamilton: An America Musical. Performances by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Leslie Odom Jr., Phillipa Soo, and Jonathan Groff. Atlantic Records, 2015.
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