This is a good position to step into because Old Hamlet was well like and Denmark was a powerful country, so Claudius’s Kingship would be warmly greeted. 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 Claudius has usurped the position he so badly wanted from his brother, he needs an action to solidify the process. “With mirth in funeral and with dirge in marriage, in equal scale weighing delight and dole-taken to wife. Nevertheless he ought to take care not to misuse this clemency. For those reasons he should have immediately killed Hamlet, or at the very least allowed him to leave the kingdom and never allow him to return. Everyone is happy because Claudius is there, but they need to be assured that he will be a good King. To assure the people Claudius 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.” Claudius 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, Claudius 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 Claudius does not continue as strong as he began. He did do all that he must to obtain his power. “I say at once there are fewer difficulties in holding hereditary states, and those long accustomed to the family of their prince…”
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.” Claudius requests of his new son that he stays in the palace with them. This was his first mistake. Claudius 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 Claudius. For those reasons he should have immediately killed Hamlet, or at the very least allowed him to leave the kingdom and never allow him to return. Claudius 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…” The madness that Hamlet pretends to be experiencing disturbs Claudius, 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 Claudius still hesitate to eliminate his enemy? In the beginning Claudius’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.
Claudius 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…” 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 Claudius with a poisoned drink will kill Hamlet. Claudius 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, Claudius 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 Claudius 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 Claudius is the perfect example of a Machiavellian character.
