The portrayal of the figure of the genius through contemporary media, with special reference to Hamilton

Abstract

The figure of the genius is one whose explanation evades us, puzzling philosophers and psychologists alike as they attempt to unravel the makings of it. This thesis will aim to delve into the portrayal of the figure of the genius through different contemporary media, in order to analyse similarities and differences in its representation. This will also be done with close reference to the musical Hamilton. Hamilton is a musical which revolves around the founding father, Alexander Hamilton, who was the first treasurer of America under the presidency of George Washington. Having only been released in April 2016, Hamilton is a very recent musical so not a lot of studies have been made on it, making this thesis a strong starting point to open further discussion and interpretation on this great piece of work. The first section of this thesis will focus on delving into the etymology behind the word ‘genius’ as well as looking at psychological and philosophical points of view surrounding the word ‘genius’. This will then be applied to different works, all of which have a character who is a genius as their protagonist. This will give us the opportunity to analyse these characters, some of which are based on historical figures. Hamilton will then be used as the centre point, as all the works that will have been analysed in the previous chapter will be leading up to it. This is so that I can look at the way the figure of the genius will have been put forth through different types of literature, and what makes Hamilton’s Hamilton such a unique character in its portrayal. One of the aspects that will be delved into will be the usage of the different points of view that are used throughout the musical. Does the point of view used to perceive these figures affect our opinions of them? What effect does it have on the audience? These questions will be explored also in relation to other works, if used at all, in order to establish the figure of the genius throughout different works and media. Apart from this, the characters themselves will be analysed, as well as their relation to other characters in the story. This will be delved into especially by taking a closer look at the foil, and exploring why exactly is a secondary supporting character so crucial when portraying a figure of genius. This will aid us in unravelling the techniques used when putting forth a character which is very often misunderstood in the real world due to the complexity of the character. In conclusion, this thesis will aim to explore the portrayal of a figure that is barely understood in the non-literary world – the genius. This will help us understand how different people perceive, react to, and put forth the portrayal of the genius. This will be done with the help of contemporary media, with reference to literary works which may be considered classic.