GMB, I've never pondered Angelica's arc before, and I find your argument very compelling. I would add that it's probably not coincidental that "Helpless" is a teenpop, fluffy kind of song, while "Satisfied" is much more complex. And we hear about Hamilton's correspondence with "my dearest Angelica" in detail, while we don't hear much from Eliza at all except that she wishes Hamilton was more present for her. For much of the first half of the show, LMM seems to be setting up the idea that, as you say, maybe Hamilton married the wrong sister, and maybe Hamilton subconsciously thinks so, too. He certainly doesn't seem to appreciate her.
So when Angelica arrives after the Reynolds Pamphlet comes out, it's not strange that Hamilton thinks she's come to comfort him. And I think Angelica's "I'm here for my sister, you dumbass!" response, and Hamilton and Eliza's shared grief after Philip's death, make Hamilton realize what a treasure he has in Eliza. And LMM allows Eliza to come into her own, and it makes sense that she is the one who gets the show's final moments. |
