I always had an eye toward the stage for the story of Hamilton's life, but I began with the idea of a concept album, the way Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'Evita' and 'Jesus Christ Superstar' were albums before they were musicals.
Lin-Manuel MirandaRead
In the best works of fiction, there's no mustache-twirling villain. I try to write shows where even the bad guy's got his reasons.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Great stories present complex characters with relatable motivations rather than simplistic villains.
This quote highlights the importance of depth in storytelling, suggesting that even antagonists should have reasons for their actions that reflect their humanity. By avoiding one-dimensional villains, stories become richer and more engaging, requiring audiences to empathize with all characters, even those who are considered 'bad'.
Themes
StorytellingCharactersVillainComplexityMotivation
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a writing workshop to emphasize the importance of character development.
More from Lin-Manuel Miranda
All quotes βYou know what's a great way of tricking people into thinking you're a genius? Write a show about geniuses!
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I think I'm always subconsciously trying to write the ideal school play. Lots of parts for everybody, great parts for women - don't forget, more girls try out than boys in the school play; everyone gets to be in the school play.
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Anytime you write something, you go through so many phases. You go through the 'I'm a Fraud' phase. You go through the 'I'll Never Finish' phase. And every once in a while you think, 'What if I actually have created what I set out to create, and it's received as such?'
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Everything we know about Hamilton, we knew when he was alive, because he told us.
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Making words rhyme for a living is one of the great joys of my life... That's a superpower I've been very conscious of developing. I started at the same level as everybody else, and then I just listened to more music and talked to myself until it was an actual superpower I could pull out on special occasions.
Lin-Manuel MirandaRead
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