The 5 Most Hamilton Moments in The Name of the Wind

Signed on as an official producer, Miranda is thrilled to be joining this project, and has made no secret of his love for Rothfuss’s work. He even admitted one of the songs from Hamilton was directly influenced by a moment in The Name of the Wind—but more on that below! Rothfuss, in turn, is an enormous fan of Miranda’s; the two have already displayed an astonishing amount of feel-good fan-boying; their enthusiasm and genuine appreciation for each other’s work can only mean a successful collaboration to come. (Right?)
It’s not surprising that Miranda would be drawn to the trials and travails of Kvothe as he was Alexander Hamilton before him; the two have far more in common than you’d think (hear us out). Both rise to prominence at a young age, seek power (sure, in some cases more political than magical) to elevate themselves, are intensely brilliant (which often gets them in trouble), and fall for a women faster than lightning striking a tree. They’re both obsessive, proud, talented, and sometimes get their heads stuck up their asses before finding a way out of trouble. But underneath the bluster, both are passionate, smart, driven, and ultimately want what’s best for themselves and their friends (and, in Hamilton’s case, his country). And both are seeking the Chandrian of myth in order to avenge the murder of their parents.
Wait, what?
Confusion aside, I thought it would be fun to mash up some songs from Hamilton with scenes from The Name of the Wind, and examine how they relate.

“Alexander Hamilton”
The show’s opening number could actually be stretched across the first hundred or so pages of The Name of the Wind, as Kvothe, living as humble tavern owner Kote in the village of Newarre, is slowly revealed to us. We learn equally of the man he used to be—magician, fighter, myth—and the man he is now—bartender, quiet, in pain. Similarly, the musical’s title number introduces Alexander’s childhood and his rise to power, and hints at the tragedy to come. In the same way those early chapters reveal the shadow on Kvothe’s heart, and the novel’s first act hints there is joy and magic and love, but also deep pain to come; like Hamilton, who stood by his beliefs no matter how foolhardy, Kvothe’s hurt is suggested to be, in many ways, self-inflicted.
“My Shot”
The heavy beats, the camaraderie, the shouts of joy, and the celebration of confident swagger: “My Shot,” is the powerful introduction to Hamilton’s crew, and his realization that by sticking with them, he can do some real good. Everybody has a chance to shine: flamboyant Lafeyette, powerhouse Hercules Mulligan, righteous John Laurens, and cautious Burr. But it’s when Hamilton steps up and monologues about his hopes and dreams that reminds me of Kvothe’s escapes from his destitute life in Tarbean, and his decision rise up, fight back against the Chandrian, and seek justice for his parents. Making his way into the University, heart of knowledge in all the Four Corners of Temerant, he swaggers, cheats, swindles, charms, and shines his way into its halls. Along the way, he meets Wilem and Simmon, Fela and Manet, Masters Kilvin and Elodin—his own crew that will be with him through thick and thin. Once Kvothe is in, he is certainly not throwing away his shot.
“Helpless”
The sun-shiny beats and breathless excitement of Eliza’s song as she spots Hamilton from across the room and falls for him in an instant never fails to make me smile. That pit-in-your-stomach feeling of falling into love is the perfect fit for the moment when, having decided to use his immense musical talents to garner patronage at the Eolian, center of culture, Kvothe goes onto the audition stage in front of a packed house, and decides the only way he will impress enough to “earn his pipes” is to play the impossibly complicated “The Lay of Sir Savien Traliard.” However, it is impossible to sing alone; it requires a woman to sing the part of Sir Savien’s beloved, Aloine. Kvothe is confident someone among the crowd will join in. And as he begins to play, his heart is in his chest; he is breathless, waiting for a woman to step up. And then he is helpless, as a sweet voice cuts through the silence and joins his own. Rothfuss’s writing of the sheer joy, the immense incredulity at the talent of such a voice, the deep curiosity to find who it is who sings with him, reach a crescendo. After he is done playing, and has earned his pipes, he finds her: Denna, a woman he has met before.  And he falls for her all over again, helpless.

“History Has Its Eyes On You”
I could listen to Christopher Jackson sing anything, and that he lends his powerful voice to this song about the weight of history, the price of leadership, and the stakes of action, even better. A sentiment passed from George Washington as Hamilton is about to lead his first command, his words are direct and harsh—and they should be: to lead is to take the lives of others into your hands. When you act, you make a thousand decisions in a second. When there are lives at stake, every moment matters. There are many moments in the book that could fit this song, but the one I keep coming back to is the Draccus attack toward the end. A large lizard, addled from poison, rampages toward the town of Trebon, out of its mind. Kvothe only has moments to act and races after it. The weight of history, the emphasis on the people in the town, the potential for the deaths of innocents, spur Kvothe to act. And he stumbles. He makes mistakes. He questions himself. But he never questions why he is acting. He doesn’t think twice about what has to be done. And in the end, he sets himself to the task, and he moves—with the eyes of the town and history upon him.
“The Story of Tonight”
We’re out of chronological order, but I thought it best to end on this moment, which Miranda has said he directly inspired a song in Hamilton. In a chapter entitled “All This Knowing,” Kvothe, Wilem, and Simmon are drunk and are walking back on a cool night from town to the University. Rothfuss imbues the scene with a quiet reverence, strong bonds of camaraderie, and the potential for greatness to come. There is anticipation in the expectant silence these three friends walk in; all they can focus on is their own immortality, the ever-burning potential of the young, and the deep love that each of them holds for the other. As Rothfuss writes, “The boys know many other things, but none of them seem as important as this. Perhaps they are right.” This love, this celebration of youth, this potential for the future all come shining through in Hamilton’s “The Story of Tonight,” which reaches almost Les Mis levels in its focus on the now, on the celebration of friendship, and the anticipation of whats to come, that no matter may happen. Tomorrow there will be more of us, and together, the future is ours to shape.
What book and musical moments would you mash-up?