Characteristics of a Machiavelli in Spanish Tragedy and Hamlet To understand a Renaissance Machiavellian as depicted in Spanish Tragedy and Hamlet, it is necessary to find characters from both plays who exhibit the characteristics of a Machiavellian (conspiracy, secrecy, and finally murder). This is the tricky part, as most of the main characters in both plays display some, if not all, of these characteristics: although neither Heironimo nor Hamlet are evil, they both rely on Machiavellian tactics; they both pretend that the madness doesn't seem threatening, then proceed to strike when they least expect it: I will avenge his death! But how? Not like the vulgar ingenuity of men, with obvious, but inevitable evils, as with secret but certain meanness, which will be better disguised under kindness. The Spanish Tragedy III xiii 20-24 This behavior is echoed by Hamlet after his encounter with his ghost father. This madness, this attitude and this preparation for revenge, although for good reason, are undoubtedly Machiavellian. It is probably true that the madness experienced by both characters is not entirely false, as both are under extreme mental stress. This outright madness is reflected in the disjointed and heavily interrupted lines that both Hamlet and Heironimo use when reciting the soliloquies: O pernicious woman! O bad, bad, damned smiling bad! My boards. The fact is that I write it That you can smile, and smile, and be a bad guy - At least I'm sure it could be like that in Denmark. So, uncle, here you are. Now, my word. It's "goodbye, goodbye, remember me". I have not sworn Hamlet I v 105-112. However, it is not true that Machiavellian behavior is limited to l...... middle of paper ...I did better, at least in Hamlet's eyes, to wait longer before doing so. To conclude, it would appear that a Renaissance Machiavellian is anyone who uses Machiavellian ideas to influence others, whether for good or ill. These Machiavellian ideas and strategies range from cunning and concealment to murder and the elimination of witnesses. In essence, then, Machiavellianism, in Renaissance terms, is the process by which a person attempts to influence others through different means. Machiavellianism is not limited to villains, as heroic characters also use it. The definition of Renaissance Machiavellian ranges from the scheming villainy of Lorenzo to the antiheroic Heironimo. Works Cited Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Ed. Ciro Hoy. 2nd ed. New York: Norton, 1992.Kyd, Thomas. The Spanish tragedy. Ed. Filippo Edwards. London: Methuen, 1959.