Machiavelli Cruelty Vs Mercy Analysis

I will argue that Machiavelli is correct in saying a prince (or a leader), when the time comes, should be cruel, rather than merciful, but, they must be swift in their cruelty against their opponents and to be cautious in repeating it. Machiavelli argues that cruelty, rather than mercy, is preferred when ruling over a people. As Machiavelli reaffirms throughout his piece, the sole purpose of the prince is for glory, and for the continuation of the state. To achieve this goal, the prince will encounter many obstacles, some of which may force him to be cruel. Being cruel is preferred over mercy for many reasons. When a prince is merciful, his people will always expect him to be merciful, thus not fully respecting the prince’s authority. But, …show more content…
A that is loved by his people is only truly loved by his people for that time being. When the prince does something bad against the people, the people will be quick to drop their love for him and hate him, until the love is restored (usually through gifts). Why is this the case? When a prince is constantly nice and generous, the people will always expect him to be so, but when he fails to be generous they will only ever see that single wrong, and not the many previous generosities. For the sake of the prince, it is better for them to be feared than loved. When a prince is feared, any kind gesture is met welcomed with rejoicing. The people will never hold any expectation against a prince that is …show more content…
Washington’s rise to power is littered with bloodshed and violence, having fought through the incredibly bloody and difficult Revolutionary War. His rise to power isn’t too uncommon compared to other historical leaders, for example, Stalin, Napoleon, Mao. But what sets George Washington apart from these dictators and emperors is Washington never repeated the violence. Once the war was over, the war was over, for the most part. Rebuilding began, and people returned to their lives in a free society. To the people, the thousands of lives lost, and the nearly ten years they spent at war, it was all worth it now they had the chance to live free. Washington will always be remembered as an amazing leader, even though his political career is quite bloody. The people forgave him for the violence because they too found meaning in it. To them, the ends justified the means.
Easily one of the more important aspects of why Washington is an important and remembered leader deals with the core functions of the Presidency. With the title of President of the United States comes the title of Commander in Chief of the armed forces. This gives the President the authority to use force, when needed, to solve issues. This key component of the Presidency