Hegel and the Politicality of Song in the Musical

In this thesis I argue that musicals are one way in which society reflects upon its customs, practices, and beliefs, and that song is an integral part of this function. The politicality of the genre is readily accepted but the political function of song has yet to receive attention. Consensus across existing theories of song function is far from universal, deriving instead from disparate and wide-ranging approaches to dramatic impetus. This thesis argues that, while these existing theories are in themselves inherently political, this politicality is not recognised and could be a more effective description of song function in the musical.