ABSTRACT
Machiavellianism in The Jew of Malta is both an oversimplified and an exceedingly convoluted critical issue. This chapter is based on the assumption that Marlowe did read Machiavelli, and offers a further contribution of the relevance of The Prince to The Jew of Malta. A focused analysis of the Prologue of the latter and of Machiavelli's The Prince makes the idea that Marlowe did read The Prince and did make some references to Machiavelli's doctrine rather plausible. Albeit the world think Machevil is dead, yet was his soul but flown beyond the Alps, And now the Guise is dead is come from France to view this land and frolic with his friends. To consider the Duke of Guise an ambitious and scheming Machevil may have been interesting enough for most of the audience, but it would hold little relevance to those who knew Machiavelli's books.
