friendship. This is the case as Rosencrantz and Guidenstern allow themselves to be used as spies of Hamlet by Claudius. The idea of descending to lower levels of humanism was also derived from Picos Oration. With freedom of choice and with honor, as though the maker and molder of thyself, thou mayest fashion thyself in whatever shape thou shalt prefer. Thou shalt have the power to degenerate into the lower forms of life, which are brutish. Another symbol of the Renaissance idealism is the nature of Claudius, who, although showing guilt over his actions, can be seen as a Machiavellian. This of course comes Niccolo Machiavelli who wrote The Prince, the book that supposedly theorized how an ideal prince should rule. Machiavelli describes how the nature of man is evil and one should whatever is neccessary to maintain power: Taking everything into account, he will find some of the things that appear to be virtues will, if he practices them, ruin him, and some of the things that appear to be wicked will bring him security and prosperity. These Machiavellian concepts are clearly defined by Claudius as he first kills his brother to claim the throne, later sends his nephew Hamlet to be executed in England, and finally, inadvertantly causes his wifes demise from another plot to kill Hamlet. The themes and ideas used in Hamlet are clearly seen as that of the Renaissance thinking. Shakespeares use of notions first brought on by early Renaissance writers shows his ability to incorporate modern thought in drama. This modern thinking combined with old ideals characterized what the Renaissance was all about. Word Count: 886 ...
