In the renaissance period English playwrights such as William Shakespeare were obsessed with a man named Niccolo Machiavelli. In his day, Machiavelli was seen as the reputed expert of the art of political corruption and the attainment of power through sinister means.

In fact he wrote a book titled “The Prince” that referenced history and offered instructions on how to calculate and deceive. Playwrights used Machiavelli as a sensational device in their tragedies. Audiences would be both entertained and taught as they witnessed a main central character like Macbeth take a journey down the path of evil.