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In the play “Hamlet” by William Shakespeare, the character of Claude is a
near perfect example of a Machiavellian character. Claude began as the brother
to King Hamlet, stepbrother to Queen Gertrude and Uncle to Prince Hamlet.
However this situation obviously does not suite Claude so he takes measures to
change it. After doing what he had to too become King, Claude’s brother is dead,
he is married to Gertrude and Prince Hamlet is now his son-in-law. In this
fashion he has demonstrated the golden rule of Machiavelli. That rule is to
obtain power by all means necessary and to keep that power by all means
necessary. However after Claude gains his power he does not do a good job of
keeping it. There are things Claude could of done to keep a grasp on the
Kingship that he does not do and the result is his death. So in some ways Claude
is a perfect example of a Machiavellian character, but in other ways he is far
from it. As the play begins, Claude has taken possession of the crown. “The
serpent that did sting thy father’s life now wears his crown.”(Hamlet, 29) A
ghost of Old Hamlet has told Prince Hamlet and the audience how he died. His
brother poisoned him.
This action alone is cruel but would not guarantee the
crown to Claude, for that to happen Claude must do more. “With mirth in funeral
and with dirge in marriage, in equal scale weighing delight and dole-taken to wife.”(Hamlet, 10) To secure his position as King, Claude has married Gertrude.
Now he is married to the Queen, brother to the dead King and an experienced
leader, the perfect choice for a new King. This is a good position to step into
because Old Hamlet was well like and Denmark was a powerful country, so Claude’s
Kingship would be warmly greeted. “I say at once there are fewer difficulties in
holding hereditary states, and those long accustomed to the family of their
prince…”(Machiavelli, 3) When a country is used to the way things are done by a
particular family, any family member can be easily accepted among the people,
simple because of his name. Now that Claude has usurped the position he so badly
wanted from his brother, he needs an action to solidify the process. Everyone is
happy because Claude is there, but they need to be assured that he will be a
good King. To assure the people Claude sends a strong message to the son of
Fortinbras, who plans to wage war with Denmark. “He hath not failed to pester us
with message importing the surrender of those lands lost by his father, with all
bonds of law, to our most valiant brother. So much for him.”(Hamlet, 10) Claude
shows everyone that he is strong by ignoring the “idle” threats of Fortinbras.
This shows that he will lead, and lead with strength. Like a true Machiavellian
character, Claude has done all things necessary to obtain his power, and has
begun to do the things necessary to keep the power.
The only problem is that
Claude does not continue as strong as he began. He did do all that he must to
obtain his power. He killed his brother, married his brother’s wife and showed
disrespect to his enemies in front of his people. However when the time comes to
keep his power, he is not as decisive. “For your intent in going back to school
in Wittenberg, it is most retrograde to our desire, and we beseech you bend you
to remain here in the cheer and comfort of our eye.”(Hamlet, 13) Claude requests
of his new son that he stays in the palace with them. This was his first
mistake. Claude took the thrown not only from his brother but from his nephew
Hamlet as well. This means that Hamlet is in direct competition for the crown
and thus an enemy of Claude. For those reasons he should of immediately killed
Hamlet, or at the very least allowed him to leave the kingdom and never allow
him to return. Claude however does not and from then on his days will be
numbered. When Hamlet finds out about how his father had died, he sets a course
to kill Hamlet. Part of this course is to pretend to be mad so as to throw his
enemies off. “But since the King’s conscious guilt and terror might reasonably
have created a distrust of Hamlet, and that distrust and a desire of security
induced him to see his death…”(Lennox, 81) The madness that Hamlet pretends to
be experiencing disturbs Claude, and rightly so.
He knows that the killing of
Hamlet’s father would be reason for revenge, and a crazy Hamlet is more likely
to complete that action than a sane one, so why would Claude still hesitate to
eliminate his enemy? In the beginning Claude’s actions are very much like that
of a Machiavellian character, but as the play progresses he becomes more and
more like a weak leader who is to confused to solve any of his problems. “The
Queen his mother lives almost by his looks…”(Hamlet, 115) Claude’s excuse for
not getting rid of his enemy is that Gertrude would be upset. But if she were to
become that then she as well would be an enemy and eliminated. “I say that every
prince ought to desire to be considered clement and not cruel. Nevertheless he
ought to take care not to misuse this clemency.”(Mahciavelli, 23) Claude has
become too concerned with looking nice and kind and has lost track of his goal
to keep the power he has obtained. Claude however regains his determination and
sets a plan to kill off Hamlet. “For that purpose I’ll anoint my sword. I
brought a unction of mountebank…a chalice for the nonce, whereon but sipping, if
he by chance escape your venomed stuck…”(Hamlet, 119-120) Claude and his new
tool, Laertes have devised away to rid themselves of Hamlet. Hamlet and Laertes
will fence, Laertes with a poisoned sword and if that does not kill him, then
Claude with a poisoned drink will kill Hamlet. Claude has forgotten his misled
dependence on people like Gertrude and has resolved to kill his enemy like a
Machiavellian character would. Throughout the play “Hamlet” by William
Shakespeare, Claude plays the role of a Machiavellian character. He does what he
has to too obtain the desired power, and in the end does what he must to keep
it, although to no avail. There are a few instances where Claude strays from the
path, but he corrects his mistakes and does, or at least tries to do what he
must to secure his position. So for the majority of the time Claude is the
perfect example of a Machiavellian character.
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