In the 16th century, Niccolò Machiavelli stated in "The Prince" that leadership came primarily from theatricality. That is to say, to be a good leader one must first be a good actor, or at least be convincing enough to gain people's loyalty. In an era when the political situation of his kingdom was so precarious, when the people were so divided and opposed to each other, it is not surprising that King Henry IV was so concerned about the apparent lack of leadership within his son . However, she was completely unaware of the manipulative and cunning nature of Prince Hal, who had a plan of his own to win the people's love. Although his character may appear to have undergone serious character development, Prince Hal (and the future Henry V) rather played the different roles that both his subjects and his father needed him to take on, thus being one of the most static characters of the entire tetralogy. Through Prince Hal, Shakespeare explores the idea of ​​a Machiavellian prince, one more focused on the theatrics of politics to get what he wanted. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Through Henry IV Part I and Part II, the reader "sees" Hal become the future king, the one destined to unite all of England. When he is first introduced, he is (according to his father) a libertine, an ungrateful brat, who hung out with the worst kind of people a prince could hang out with. His closest friend is, after all, the most corrupt and amoral character in the entire tetralogy. He is shown gambling, planning a robbery, frequenting prostitutes, and drinking with his foolish friends in a tavern. This creates a dramatic contrast with the Harry the reader encounters in “Henry V,” the king who inspires his soldiers with his rousing speech to go “once more into the breach.” It would seem that character development will have its hands dipped into the very soul of the Prince, to make him honorable and worthy of sequel. It will seem so to everyone, inspiring even those who can see the wild prince transform into a worthy king, if it were not for the following speech: I know you all, and for a while I will support / The free humor of your idleness. ./ Yet in this I will imitate the sun, / who allows the low contagious clouds / to suffocate his beauty from the world, / so that when he wants to be himself again, / being desired, he can be more amazed / Breaking through the ugly and foul mists/ Of vapors that seemed to strangle him./ If the whole year were a game of holidays,/ Sport would be as dull as work,/ But when they come but seldom, they long to come,/ And nothing pleases but rare cases./ So when I abandon myself to this profligate behavior/ And pay the debt I never promised,/ How much better am I than my word,/ How much will I falsify men's hopes;/ And Like shining metal on dark ground,/ My reform, glittering above my guilt, / Will show itself more beautiful and attract more eyes / Than that which has no sheet to make it stand out. I will offend so much, to make offense a skill, / Redeeming the time when men think least I will. (1.2.202-224)Here, Prince Hal begins to demonstrate that not only is he not the dishonorable man the world thinks he is, but rather he plays the role to make himself look even better as king. While this is incredibly manipulative, Prince Hal has various reasons that validate this manipulation: his father is a usurper and there is civil unrest in the country. He needs the loyalty of his people, he needs them to trust and value him so that they don't try to dethrone him once his time comes..