DIRECTIONS-- ANSWER THE BELOW QUESTION BASED ON YOUR ANALYSIS OF “I KNOW HIM”
They say
George Washington's yielding his power and stepping away
Is that true?
I wasn't aware that was something a person could do
I'm perplexed
Are they going to keep on replacing whoever's in charge?”
WHY IS KING GEORGE III CONFUSED THAT THE U.S. IS PICKING A NEW LEADER?
King George III is confused that the U.S. is picking a new leader because he is not familiar with the concept of a leader willingly stepping down from power. In his understanding, once a person becomes the leader, they hold that position indefinitely. The idea of George Washington voluntarily relinquishing his power and allowing someone else to take over is foreign to him. This confusion arises from the monarchial system in which King George III himself is a part of, where leaders typically remain in power until their death or forced removal.
King George III is confused that the US is picking a new leader because he was under the assumption that George Washington would not yield his power and step away. He believed that it was not something a person could do, so the idea of someone else replacing whoever is in charge perplexes him.
Based on my analysis of the lyrics of "I Know Him" from the musical Hamilton, King George III is confused that the U.S. is picking a new leader because he is not familiar with the concept of a peaceful transfer of power through elections.
To reach this conclusion, we can look at the following lines from the song:
"They say George Washington's yielding his power and stepping away"
This line suggests that King George III is surprised to hear that George Washington, the first President of the United States, willingly relinquished his power and stepped down from office after serving his term. This notion is unfamiliar to King George III, as historically, the British monarchy passed down power through hereditary succession, rather than through democratic elections.
"Is that true? I wasn't aware that was something a person could do
I'm perplexed"
These lines further emphasize King George III's confusion. He expresses disbelief upon learning that a leader could voluntarily give up power and appears perplexed by the idea.
"Are they going to keep on replacing whoever's in charge?"
Here, King George III questions if the United States will continue to replace their leaders through elections. This shows his confusion over the democratic process and suggests he may not comprehend that a new leader can be chosen by the people based on their votes.
In summary, King George III is confused about the U.S. selecting a new leader because he is unaware of the concept of a peaceful transfer of power through democratic elections, which contrasts with the traditional monarchical succession he is familiar with.