A Comparison of Shakespeares Prince Hamlet and Machiavelli’s The Princ

A Comparison of Prince Hamlet and Machiavellis The Prince Machiavelli states that it is necessary for a prince, who wishes to maintain himself, to learn how not to be good, and use this knowledge and not use it, according to the necessity of the case. Machiavellis ideas both compare and contrast to the methods used by Hamlet. Hamlets desire to drive the king nauseous and eventually kill him, is what he thinks he must do in order to set things right. Hamlet struggles to maintain his position as prince. Perhaps he lacks the essential qualities of a prince outlined by Machiavelli. According to Machiavelli, the pursuit of all things regarded as virtuous and praiseworthy will only lead to the princes ruin. This is completely square(a) in the case of Hamlet, because he is on a quest to avenge his fathers death. The battle between good and evil is constantly in the forefront of Hamlets mind, as he wavers between acting civil or getting revenge outright. In the beginning, Hamlet strug gles to remain good at all times, provided this causes him uttermost(prenominal) anguish. Hamlet is an honest man, who grieves for his father. He suffers because of the dishonesty of the others in the court, especially his mother and his uncle, and later, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Hamlet is able to see through them all, and realize that theyre dishonest. He speaks these words to Guildenstern Anything save to th purpose. You were sent for, and there is a kind of confession in your looks, which your modesties have not craft enough to colour. I know the good King and tabby cat have sent for you. (Hamlet, II, ii., 278-280) Hamlets honesty is also seen when he is speaking with his mother. In act I, scene ii, Gertrude asks him why the de... ...e his goal was to get and retain power. He cute to prove Claudius to be an unfit king, and he did so, but only as Hamlet himself was about to die. Hamlet had to cause grief by killing the king, but in the end, he is seen as a hero, becau se he unmasked his fathers killer. Sources Cited and Consulted Gray, Terry A. Mr. William Shakespeare and the Internet. http//www.palomar.edu/Library/shake.htm. Jones, W. T. Masters of Political Thought. Ed. Edward, McChesner, and Sait. Vol. 2. Boston Houghton Mifflin, 1947. Lee A. Jacobus. A World of Ideas Essential Readings for College Writers. fifth edition. Boston, MA Bedford/St. Martins, 1998. Machiavelli, Niccolo. The Prince. Trans. Hill Thompson. Norwalk The Easton Press, 1980. Shakespeare, William. The Three-Text Hamlet. Eds. Paul Bertram and Bernice Kliman. New York AMS Press, 1991.