‘ shooting ’ for , and something that , if handled badly or with mistakes , could be fatal . Harding argues this point in an article considering the figurative language of Hamilton :
The use of contemporary idioms and historical allusions represent the show ’ s external referentiality , while repetition of phrases within the show creates significant internal referentiality . The show repeats specific phrases like ‘ bastard orphan ’ and ‘ throw away your shot ’ again and again : they become recognisable idioms within the discourse of the musical . But because they are often used in new contexts that connect analogically to earlier scenes , the repeated use of phrases is meaningful rather than merely repetitive . ( Harding 2017 : 15 )
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Metaphorical expressions such as , ‘ I ’ m a diamond in the rough , a shiny piece of coal ’ are mentioned colloquially throughout and while they may not immediately be contributing to the overarching themes and concepts aforementioned , they serve a different function which nods more to the idea that humans speak in common metaphors . Miranda weaves present day metaphors into almost every song and by using these widely understood phrases it does not matter if the audience do not know the full historical context because they can appreciate what being a diamond in the rough – something unpolished , not finished , with potential – means . Harding ( 2017 ) discusses this too , suggesting ‘ in Hamilton , idioms are creative and effective , particularly because they bring informality into the context of a Broadway musical about a lofty historical topic .’ ( Harding 2017 : 14 ).
When the focalisation goes to the more overt violent imagery of , ‘ Ev ’ ry burden , ev ’ ry disadvantage / I have learned to manage . I don ’ t have a gun to brandish / I walk these streets famished ’ it is particularly interesting that Hamilton draws on the notion that having a gun to brandish would equate to him being of a higher status . On Genius Lyrics annotations Miranda claimed that this song took a year to write as he wanted it to sound like ‘ some 80s raps ’ ( Miranda , 2015 ) and with this intention he plays with an interesting juxtaposition that at the time of the late 1700s having a gun to brandish may be interpreted as a person being of military or a wealthy status , much like the same is suggested in some of the 80s gangster rap that Miranda draws inspiration from . Comparisons to more recent rap music are often drawn too , with Shishko saying ‘ Hamilton raps for his life and his stake in it with a die-hard desperation that is instantly recognizable by hip-hop enthusiasts as something similar to Eminem and his song ‘ Lose Yourself ’’ ( Shishko 2019 : 72 ) who sings ‘ you only get one shot , do not miss you chance to blow , this opportunity comes once in a life time ’ ( Eminem 2002 ). If the Hamilton lyric is interpreted to be contributing towards the conceptual metaphor that HAMILTON ’ S SHOT IS HIS LIFE then not having a gun to brandish may be saying more than the literal and instead be saying that Hamilton has nothing to lose , or nothing of significance to begin with , so any opportunities he gets are going to be incredibly important and poignant to him . As Hamilton meets and
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