Interpretation Of Machiavelli's The Prince

Improved Essays
In one section of the article, Vincent Barnett discusses some of the alternative ways that Machiavelli’s The Prince can be interpreted. One interpretation was that Machiavelli possibly intended for his writing to be satirical, because certain facts, such as how Machiavelli had a family, refute his statement from the pamphlet that he believes all humans are evil. Also, it is possible that Machiavelli didn’t actually agree with the ideas in his writing, but he only wrote those things to gain favor from the leaders of his time. These are just possibilities, but knowing about Machiavelli’s life and his situation are important in order to understand his motives for writing The Prince. Just like Machiavelli, present-day leaders and authors make

Related Documents

  • Decent Essays

    In Vincent Barnett's article that interprets Machiavelli's "The Prince" was intriguing. Many readers were shocked about Machiavelli's guide to be a leader, but he was only telling the truth. To be a successful leader, Machiavelli proposes that "the end justifies the means. " Machiavelli's critical manual was meant to appeal to leaders to reach their goal for the greater good.…

    • 123 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Niccolo Machiavelli wrote "The Qualities of the Prince" in July 1513 in Florence, Italy, to convey his idea of the strong, active, and perfect ruler to the current ruling the Medicis. The work is remembered and responsible for bringing “Machiavellian” into wide usage as a pejorative term. The essay takes a stringent position on the proper way to govern a nation. With a straightforward logic, a relevant idea, and an expressed method, Machiavelli’s “The Qualities of the Prince” is a practical guide for current…

    • 85 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Great Essays

    Machiavelli’s intentions are clear from the very beginning, the dedication of the book to Lorenzo de’ Medici, the ruler of Florence. The Prince is not particularly hypothetical or abstract, its prose is transparent and its logic incomplex. These attributes underline Machiavelli’s desire to provide coherent, efficient understandable advice. In his book, “The Prince,” Machiavelli stated that a good ruler should not only mirror previous great rulers and seek advice when needed “the prince must read histories and in them study the deeds of great men; he must examine the reasons for their victories and for their defeats in order to avoid the latter” (The prince, XIV), but he should also devote himself to the military operations and preserve power distinctly, and not to mention defeat or eradicate possible threats such as political conflicts and potential enemies.…

    • 1636 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Niccolò Machiavelli and Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca went through different experiences that led them to have their own perspectives in human nature and create their ideals for good governance. The simple fact that Cabeza de Vaca was unfortunate enough to have a hard time throughout the expedition made him more open minded about human nature, while Machiavelli had a set idea of what human nature was and how it ties to good governance. Machiavelli's view on human nature is the same as what is a good governance a good leader and a good human being is someone who knows how to be respected and feared without being hated and how that leads to have the people the Prince governs happy and on his side. Cabeza de Vaca has a more down to earth view on human nature but that differs…

    • 2016 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Decent Essays

    It appears that Machiavelli’s purpose in writing The Prince was to eventually gift it to Lorenzo the Magnificent as a means of securing good favor from him. As to why he chose to write a novel as opposed to the more commonplace tribute of either gold or some other finery, the most feasible conclusion is that Machiavelli wished to indirectly guide Lorenzo in how he thinks his job should be done. Machiavelli wanted Lorenzo to implement the strategies detailed in The Prince so that Lorenzo may eventually garner even more power and prestige; in the hopes that one day Lorenzo would repay Machiavelli’s kindness by relieving him of his suffering and misfortune. In terms of more noble goals, Machiavelli hoped that the Medicis would use his knowledge…

    • 139 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The Drive to Maintain Power A famous aristocrat who shifted into power in the great city of Florence during the war named Niccolo Machiavelli wrote a magnificent, celebrated work, called The Qualities of the Prince. Being a prince, led him to having the power of having control of every citizen within the nation. In the story, The Qualities of the Prince Machiavelli writes, “it is much safer to be feared than to be loved” (Machiavelli 222). When ruling a prince should be aware of what needs to be done in order to maintain his position. He has to learn to be cruel in order to maintain power.…

    • 2020 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Machiavelli's Prince

    • 59 Words
    • 1 Pages

    Which is an act that men admire for its good intentions of self preservations of the human spirit, and well livening body. As Machiavelli explains a Prince should not in good faith represent liberty, for the fear of destroying his state. With a Prince exercising acts of generosity without unbend he will use up resources and prevents further generosity.…

    • 59 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Decent Essays

    Machiavelli's The Prince

    • 429 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The prince by Machiavelli is not a book about ethics or morals instead it about power. The prince is a time with manual for political success and powers, which is showcased through his philosophy on: how to get power, how to gain it, how to keep it, how to apply it, how to increase it, how to hold it, and how to protect yourself against threat. Back in the Roman times into the late medieval period , many philosophers used to write guide books on how to rule for certain rulers Must similar to the prince . This would include everything from how to kick out barbarians up until how republics would work. Machiavelli inferred that it is better to be feared than loved because with fear your followers Will obey you.…

    • 429 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli is a treatise that states many points. One of the points is “It is better to be feared than loved”. Macbeth by William Shakespeare is a play about ambition and tragedy. In chapters 14-17 of The Prince, Machiavelli describes how a ruler should act.…

    • 604 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Machiavelli's The Prince

    • 781 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Prince, by Niccolo Machiavelli, is a political treatise/non-fiction book written as a guide for how to be an effective ruler. Machiavelli intends to guide rulers on how to seize a country and how to destroy an enemy. He writes about rulers of his time and the things they did well and did not do so well. His purpose was to right a book to advise the aristocracy in what they should do to rule effectively so government would be run in the way his mind pictured it. He told the world the truth about how politics really were, and did not soften it up one bit.…

    • 781 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Even admitting Machiavelli was autograph in a apple absolutely altered to that of our own, his thoughts and theories are still animate in our association today. (Machiavellian Backroom 2011) Backroom has afflicted over the years and it is definately not the aforementioned as it was on 1513 if Machiavelli wrote his argument The Prince, but capital groundsills of the backroom accept remained the same. Therefore abounding Machiavelli’s account can be able-bodied acclimated in our society. Machiavelli’s arguments accept been echoed and accustomed by writers and statesmen from his own time to the present day.…

    • 1400 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    In this guide, he emphasizes the significance of the image of the Prince and his standing amongst the people he governs. In a constant battle to avoid revolt, Machiavelli feels that the Prince “will find greater security in being feared than in being loved" (Machiavelli, Chapter 17, pg. 60). This means that he can commit open murder so long as he performs a few good deeds after. At the same time he must avoid being seen as generous when helping his people or risk being taken advantage of, but also assist his people enough to avoid rebellion. Machiavelli’s ideal prince is someone of complete secrecy who is strategic, swift, and powerful.…

    • 1863 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Machiavelli's The Prince

    • 1294 Words
    • 6 Pages

    In Machiavelli’s The Prince, there are several guidelines that a ruler must follow in order to achieve success. A ruler must be willing to do anything possible to ensure that the state survives, while maintaining his reputation. A ruler can not be inclined to be moral, as doing so would endanger the state and the people. He must not be loved, but rather feared to maintain power and have the respect of his people.…

    • 1294 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The ideas that Machiavelli displays are the true ideals of the era, however, the irony and satire surrounding how they are presented are not genuine: ““Any man who tries to be good all the time is bound to come to ruin among the great number who are not good. Hence a prince who wants to keep his authority must learn how not to be good, and use that knowledge, or refrain from using it, as necessity requires” (Machiavelli). Machiavelli is revealing to the reader that in order for a prince to do a good job, he must lie to his subjects in order to be successful. He continues to be ironic and poke fun at the system in play and proves that these thoughts of the prince are not genuine. The beliefs that correspond with those of the era that are presented in The Prince are a strong ruling body in order to maintain social order:“Machiavelli, in the world we have described, often holds qualities like liberality, affability, generosity, courage, sincerity, gravity, and faith, to be of no more or less political value than their opposites, except in communication”(Moore).…

    • 1412 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    At face value, The Prince and the Discourses seem to have a conflicting nature, but both texts focus on the administration of a state and present textual similarities. Much of what Machiavelli writes in The Prince reinforces the Discourses, echoing both stylistically and thematically. Machiavelli uses pragmatic methods in both and accentuates the importance of historical studies. In The Prince, there is a significant amount of reference to Cesare Borgia, a man that Machiavelli admires, and he states, “I shall never hesitate to cite Cesare Borgia and his actions,” and his views on virtue and fortune come out of Borgia’s narrative . For Machiavelli, Borgia is the superlative example of a man who can compel any individual to do the distasteful…

    • 1201 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays