This unadulterated love for a man Edward's nobles regard as ""base and obscure"" (1.101) and as a man that "'the world hates"" (4.76) is the reason why the nobles begin to hate the king. This defiance suggests that the nobles know how manipulative and how significant a threat Gaviston is. The nobles also begin despising Edward because he makes the nobles seem inferior and spends the country's wealth on Gaveston when he should be allocating it to soldiers. When Gaveston is exiled, the king expresses an agony as if he signed England away by saying ""accursed hand fall off!""(4.88). Edward is a coward because he allows the nobles to subjugate his authority. Instead of punishing them for contradicting his opinions, Edward makes them earls and laments over the banishment of Gaveston. If Edward had recognized Machiavelli's suggestions on dependence of the elite, the nobles would have never received the opportunities to overrule him. .
As a result of Edward's effeminacy, he becomes susceptible to attacks by the nobles. Even though Edward is the king, he has scarce power over his subjects. His pleasant demeanor forces him to make the nobles his equal, which means that he ""cannot order about or manipulate as he might wish"" (31-32). Instances of the previous statement include parts of Act II Scene II where two of the nobles wear armor that mock Edward's rule. A fierce king would have them slain immediately, however, Edward only gives threats. This action suggests that Edward is dependent on the nobles, mainly because they have gained the populaces support. Edward also heeds their demands when they want Gaviston exiled. Such dependence on the elite should not have occurred, had Edward embraced Machiavelli's ideology of the disadvantage of elite support. When he initially became king, Edward simply needed to establish firm power without the reliance on the nobles. It is essential to showcase to everyone that he, and only he, is omnipotent and everyone else must accept their roles as subordinates.
