Game of Thrones, possibly the biggest hit series on television, can be used as a perfect example to contrast Machiavelli’s The Prince. Machiavelli advises a prince to be cautious on who he chooses for his council, should be feared rather than loved and should gain the support of the people while weakening the nobles. Joffrey, eldest son of Robert Baratheon, becomes king after his father death and does everything wrong.
If Joffrey had read The Prince by Nicolo Machiavelli, he could have ruled for sixty years. His council was made up of people with their own self interests and Machiavelli believes a king should be weary of this. He also states that a king should not be so selective in his council that he doesn’t listen to anyone and sees no use in a council. Machiavelli provides an example in The Prince of an emperor, Maximilian, which never got anything done because he didn’t listen to anybody’s suggestions which caused things to be redone. Joffrey was similar to Maximilian. Even though Cersi tried to influence Joffrey’s decisions, she had little success. Joffrey took nobody’s advice into consideration and sometimes even did the exact opposite.
Joffrey was also neither feared or loved. He was regarded as weak, while also being hated. Machiavelli believes a good King should be feared. People will follow you while also giving a king the ability to still hold the peoples’ respect. If one is neither loved or loved, people will believe that they could over throw the king. Varys and Little Finger, two of Joffreys council members, schemed behind his back because they perceived him as being a weak king. Varys has been planning on the return of the Targaryens to the thrown while Little Finger basically planned the death of Joffrey.
In The Prince, Maximilian also consulted kings to weaken the power of the nobles and gain the praise of the people. Weakening the nobles but having the support of the people will ensure that the nobles won’t have any power to overthrow the king. Joffrey, again, did neither. Many people believed they were equals to Joffrey. The people did not praise him, fear him, but rather hated him. All of these are not suggestions from Machiavelli to be a great king.
Joffrey is renowned in Game of Thrones as one of the worst kings ever. An example of Joffrey’s brutality is shown when he forced his soon to be wife, Sansa Stark, to watch the execution of her own father for which he ordered himself. If you were to ask Machiavelli, Joffrey had no chance. No chance to be a great leader. No chance to live a long life as king.