"Ten Duel Commandments" is the fifteenth song from Act 1 of the musical ''

Hamilton Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...

'', based on the life of

Alexander Hamilton Alexander Hamilton (January 11, 1755 or 1757July 12, 1804) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first United States secretary of the treasury from 1789 to 1795. Born out of wedlock in Charlest ...

, which premiered on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

in 2015.

Lin-Manuel Miranda Lin-Manuel Miranda (; born January 16, 1980) is an American songwriter, actor, playwright and filmmaker. He is known for creating the Broadway musicals ''Hamilton'' (2015) and ''In the Heights'' (2005), and the soundtracks for the Disney animate ...

wrote both the music and lyrics to the song.

Synopsis

The song recounts a duel which occurred between

John Laurens John Laurens (October 28, 1754 – August 27, 1782) was an American soldier and statesman from Province of South Carolina, South Carolina during the American Revolutionary War, best known for his criticism of slavery and his efforts to help recr ...

and Charles Lee. The duel took place as a result of disparaging remarks made by Lee about

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

following Lee's dismissal from the role of

Major General Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...

in the

Continental Army The Continental Army was the army of the United Colonies (the Thirteen Colonies) in the Revolutionary-era United States. It was formed by the Second Continental Congress after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, and was establis ...

in the wake of Lee's failure at the

Battle of Monmouth The Battle of Monmouth, also known as the Battle of Monmouth Court House, was fought near Monmouth Court House in modern-day Freehold Borough, New Jersey on June 28, 1778, during the American Revolutionary War. It pitted the Continental Army, co ...

. The song starts with the ensemble counting up to nine, then setting out the ten rules involved in a duel of the era, before the seconds in the duel,

and

Aaron Burr Aaron Burr Jr. (February 6, 1756 – September 14, 1836) was an American politician and lawyer who served as the third vice president of the United States from 1801 to 1805. Burr's legacy is defined by his famous personal conflict with Alexand ...

, convene to attempt to make peace. Burr labels duels "dumb and immature", but Hamilton insists that they proceed, with the duel continuing as planned. The song culminates with the ensemble counting up again, much like the one at the start of the song. It results in Laurens non-fatally shooting Lee in the side after Hamilton encourages him to "not throw away his shot", a motif in the show and expression of the time.

Analysis

The eponymous ten commandments refer to the

Ten Commandments The Ten Commandments (Biblical Hebrew עשרת הדברים \ עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדְּבָרִים, ''aséret ha-dvarím'', lit. The Decalogue, The Ten Words, cf. Mishnaic Hebrew עשרת הדיברות \ עֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְ� ...

of the

Abrahamic faiths The Abrahamic religions are a group of religions centered around worship of the God of Abraham. Abraham, a Hebrew patriarch, is extensively mentioned throughout Abrahamic religious scriptures such as the Bible and the Quran. Jewish tradition ...

, which guide followers on how to live their lives. Miranda also stated that the concept of ten commandments stemmed from the "

Ten Crack Commandments "Ten Crack Commandments" is a song by American rapper The Notorious B.I.G. on disc two of his final studio album, ''Life After Death''. It was written by B.I.G. (credited under his legal name, Christopher Wallace) along with producer DJ Premier. ...

", which served as a guide to illegal acts during the 1990s, as well as being a song by the

Notorious B.I.G. Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997), better known by his stage names the Notorious B.I.G., Biggie Smalls, or simply Biggie, was an American rapper. Rooted in East Coast hip hop and particularly gangsta ...

This connection is acknowledged in the credits of the 2020 filmed version of Hamilton, which states that elements of "Ten Crack Commandments" are used with permission. Elizabeth Logan, writing for ''

Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...

'', stated that the song has a key role in making the audience "comfortable with duels". This becomes important in Act 2 of the musical, where two duels occur in

Weehawken, New Jersey Weehawken is a Township (New Jersey), township in the North Hudson, New Jersey, northern part of Hudson County, New Jersey, Hudson County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located largely on the Hudson Palisades overlooking the North River ...

. Thus, as per the author, the audience will be on board when "some beloved characters pick up pistols" later on in the musical. The song receives two reprises at key junctures in the musical: during "Blow Us All Away" when

Philip Hamilton Philip Hamilton (January 22, 1782 – November 24, 1801) was the eldest child of Alexander Hamilton, the first United States Secretary of the Treasury, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, and Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton. He died at age 19, fatally s ...

and

George Eacker George I. Eacker ( 1774 – January 4, 1804) was a New York lawyer. He is best known for having fatally shot Philip Hamilton, the eldest son of Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton, in a duel on November 23, 1801, in Weehawken, ...

are about to duel, and in "The World Was Wide Enough" in the lead-up to the Burr-Hamilton duel. In addition, the counting

Leitmotif A leitmotif or leitmotiv () is a "short, recurring musical phrase" associated with a particular person, place, or idea. It is closely related to the musical concepts of ''idée fixe'' or ''motto-theme''. The spelling ''leitmotif'' is an anglici ...

is heard in a modified form in various songs throughout the show, such as in the first of the "

Cabinet Battle "Cabinet Battle #1" & "Cabinet Battle #2" are songs written for Act II of the musical ''Hamilton'', based on the life of Alexander Hamilton, which premiered on Broadway in 2015. Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote both the music and lyrics to the songs. Th ...

" songs, where it is orchestrated in baroque counterpoint, and in "Take a Break", where Phillip and his mother Eliza Hamilton argue over and learn about the correct notes on a piano scale and French counting.

Critical reception

The Young Folks had it ranked 29th among songs in ''Hamilton''. ''

'' said that the song was a "club-worthy jam", and

Vibe.com ''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down productio ...

said that it contained a "strong percussive beat" with the men involved "exuding dominance".

References

{{Authority control 2015 songs Songs from Hamilton (musical) Songs written by Lin-Manuel Miranda Songs written by DJ Premier Works about dueling