Hamilton: How Philip Foreshadows His Own Death In The Musical

The brilliance of Hamilton lies in its wordplay and how the musical structure foreshadows key moments – including Philip Hamilton’s death. Portrayed by Anthony Ramos, the nine year-old son of Alexander Hamilton, is introduced in Act II of the Disney+ movie, and later dies after being killed in a duel by the trash-talking George Eacker.

Thematically, Hamilton focuses heavily on the concept of duality. Many of the main players have dual roles, and the film itself is divided in two acts. Alexander begins as an immigrant and transforms into an American founding father. He’s a loving husband, but also admits (rather publicly) that he cheated on his wife, Eliza. Philip is first referenced in Act I, when Alexander sings to his newborn son, and then comes to life in Act II via Ramos, who originally appears as John Laurens. Hamilton has a point vs. counterpoint structure, and this foundation translates to the music, albeit in a more subtle way. The character Philip is primarily linked to his mother, and concepts of duality arise through their shared scenes – most notably in how they sing with each other.

Hamilton may be loaded with great songs, but young Philip doesn’t necessarily have any big wordplay moments. He shows off on his ninth birthday in “Take a Break,” a track that sets up an educational moment between mother and son. Eliza teaches Philip to count in French, and the theme of duality comes into play through the melody. Eliza sings in a minor tone when reaching “sept-huit-neuf,” while her son, Philip, sings in a major tone and breaks from the melody. Musically this allows for a unique sound, but Philip’s musical rebellion also foreshadows his tragic death 10 years later.

The Hamilton song “Blow Us All Away” begin on a positive note, as the 19 year-old Philip mirrors the youthful bravado of his father. Philip intends to defend Alexander’s honor in a duel, but first takes a moment to boast about his potential. Miranda references the iconic lyricists Mobb Deep when Philip sings “I’m only 19, but my mind is older,” – a line borrowed from the hip-hop duo’s song “Shook Ones Part II”. When Philip counts to 10 during the duel, Hamilton references the melodic break from “Take a Break.” Philip once again breaks from the “sept-huit-neuf” melody – only this time around, “huit” and “neuf” are replaced by gunshots.

As noted by Lara Willard, there’s another layer to this that adds even more depth to Hamilton’s musical structure and the ties the bind the Hamilton family. Silence is used as “chiastic structure,” which means that opening themes link with closing themes, albeit with some creative twists. In this case, Alexander’s Act I boasting connects with Philip’s melodic shift in “Take a Break,” and Philip’s silence on the seventh count of his death scene connects to his father’s demise at the end of Hamilton.

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Q.V. Hough
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Q.V. Hough is a senior writer at Screen Rant. He’s also the founding editor at Vague Visages, and has contributed to RogerEbert.com and Fandor.

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