An argument made is whether Claudia or Hamlet would make a better Prince. Both of which, use their power to try and make a better good; however, Claudia uses his by murder and Hamlet uses his to get revenge. By following the Machiavellian traits, one can inquire that Hamlet would be a rightful Prince. Hamlet succeeds in fulfilling the qualities by being noble, having overall wisdom, and bravery along with strength. These make him fit to rule as a prince over Claudia. Machiavelli believed a Prince should possess certain qualities to be successful. He thought that every Prince should aim to be merciful and not cruel or evil.
However, he believed that the end to a situation would justify the means. Even if it is a bad situation, a Prince must do what is needed to keep his title. Whether it is being wise about war or being noble for the cause of others, a Prince should keep in mind to do what is best for him and his Princedom. This is why Machiavelli said that a Prince must obtain wisdom. A wise Prince will know what to do in almost every situation, and will be TABLE to handle it. Although a Prince may not possess every quality, Machiavelli stated in his work, “it is most essential that he should seem to have them” (46 Prince).
Claudia, who replaced the late King Hamlet, made everyone believe that he was a good ruler. Claudia was far from being kind hearted and merciful in the play. He did not meet Machiavellian standards of being a rightful Prince especially when he proved to be the opposite of noble. Claudia almost seems like a coward when he feels the need to kill Hamlet. It shows that he is insecure and scared that Hamlet could take his place. However, this is where Claudia meets Machiavellian traits. Machiavelli believes that it is accepTABLE for a Prince to do whatever is needed to keep his title, and that is what Claudia attempted to do.
He believes in the means to an end, which ended up failing in his favor. Although Hamlets plan to get revenge on Claudia did not go the way he planned, he proved in the end that he possesses many of the characteristics Machiavelli believes a Prince should have. Hamlet showed that he obtained nobility, bravery, and strength. Machiavelli states that a good Prince should be observant of the men he has around him. Hamlet was more than aware Of the men around him and proved that when he took matters into his own hands to find out if Claudia really killed his father.
Also, Hamlet showed he was wise when e forged the letter in order to kill Reassurance and Guilelessness, who were out to kill him. A place where Hamlet falls short in the Machiavellian traits was being merciful. For good reason, Hamlet did not have any mercy for Claudia. This trait is where both men fall short. Both Hamlet and Claudia meet and fall short of Machiavellian qualities that he expects from a Prince. By observing the evidence from above, one can gather that Hamlet would make a better Prince. He indeed has wisdom and is noble. Even though people of the Princedom may like Claudia, he is not fit to be a ruler.
