Influence of Machiavellian Teachings on Shakespeare in Characterization of the Royal Progeny Characters in Hamlet

The 16th-century Italian composer, politician, Dramatist, and writer, Niccolo Machiavelli, elaborates on various types of kingdoms and means of guarding them in his famous treatise, The Prince. He provides the contemporary monarch, Lorenzo De’ Medici, with advice on how to conserve his power and sovereignty. The influence of Machiavelli on the literature, especially dramatic literature and theatrical performances of the Elizabethan Era is examined in the preface of the present article. The significance of Machiavelli’s opinions in the Elizabethan literature, theoretical foundations, and elaboration ofimportant concepts in his political reflections such as Virtu, Fortuna, Armi, and Militia are examined in the theoretical studies. Consequently, the dialogues, relations, motivations, and interactive functions of the three royalties of the play, i.e. Hamlet, Claudius, and Fortinbras, who are of the regal ancestry (they are king or princes) are extracted, compared and contrasted to those in the Prince. This comparative analysis supports the notion of identicality of the characters’ acts and Machiavelli’s teachings and advice. Relying on the abovementioned terms and concepts in the Prince, the present study attempts to provide further examples of similarities between the words and demeanor of the three royal characters in Hamlet and the aforesaid concepts, and thus to deliver a respond to the issue regarding William Shakespeare’s being influenced by Machiavelli’s The Prince in the characterization of the three regal figures.