Machiavelli's The Qualities Of The Prince

Niccolo Machiavelli wrote during a time when Italy was not totally formed yet. At the time it was made up of many city-states which constantly changed rulers. He wrote "The Qualities of the Prince" to convey his idea of the strong, active, and in his own eyes, perfect ruler to the current ruling family, the Medicis. Machiavelli composed The Prince as a guide for ruling as he understood it. His theories, or some of his critics would just say they were only ideas, focused on an autocratic form of government as opposed to a republic. His writings also had a strong emphasis on the military aspect of government as well as the ruler himself. As Machiavelli saw it, the ideal prince should be ruthless and have nothing to do with conventional morality in order to exert and therefore maintain power. In fact, they should not govern according to any principle other than the willingness to do what is necessary to deal with any situation that arises. It’s ok to be dishonest, tell people want they want to hear, but it is just as important to be clever enough to make people believe that he is honest. …show more content…
This is the primary duty of the ruler. In his reasoning, understanding military matters can make even a commoner a great ruler. Therefore, a good prince must spend all of his time studying the art of war. Not just warfare in and of itself, but specific battles and the situations that causes two opposing forces to engage in conflict. He must read history and study the actions of great leaders. A prince must plan for peace but be prepared for war. The description of the perfect prince does not depict a ruler who equally values politics, and other facets of his rule, but one who focuses exclusively on the military strength of the land that he