The Cid And The Prince: An Analysis

Both writings, The Poem of the Cid and The Prince, discuss political and military leadership tactics. The Poem of the Cid presents the Cid as one of the great leaders in the history of the Reconquista; he was a remarkable warrior and leader, and his actions showed his superiority. This dominance is shown through his warfare tactics, but also through his religious commitment, his skill and practice of military command, knowledge and practical aims of battle, and cunningness and cleverness. Because the Cid was banished unfairly, he sought to slowly restore his political and moral honor by his own attempts. The Prince, by contrast, written by Machiavelli, is a guide advising on how political and military leaders should rule; it is about power, …show more content…
The Cid was seen as a cunning, intelligent, and insidious leader, especially when he deliberately thought to fill two chests up with sand and to decorate the outside to make it look lavish and full of riches. He did so with the help of Martin Antolinez and he told him, “You must go in secret to Rachel and Vidas. (Say) that I am forbidden to trade in Burgos and that the King has banished me; I cannot carry my wealth about with me as it is too heavy, so I intend to pawn it for a reasonable sum” (The Poem of the Cid, 27). In other words, he was cheating the Jewish bankers of cash to obtain some so he could go on and start his adventure. The Jews of Burgos were people of wealth, they were traders, bankers, and merchants, and the Cid knew of this. The Cid was very cunning and moreover clever in how he tackled his problem of obtaining riches in order to advance in his mission; he was skillful in planning this idea and was ready to deceive the Jewish bankers Rachel and Vidas in order to get what he wanted, money and riches. Likewise, Septimius Severus, a Roman emperor, acted the part of both a fox and lion as Machiavelli puts it. In other words, he acted as a fierce, clever lion and a very cunning fox. This was illustrated when he was seeking to become emperor of Rome. Severus and his army moved to Rome after Julian was put to death and the Senate voted him emperor out of …show more content…
The time periods from Medieval to Renaissance was a time of transition in humanism. The Poem of the Cid, which illustrated the Medieval time period, was a time that concentrated on the power of God through warfare and gaining riches. By contrast, The Prince, written during the Renaissance period, was a time that was directed more on the authority of the individual, focusing on how to better oneself and become powerful. During the Medieval period, God was the key being with power and because of this, political and military figures had a stronger belief in God and a stronger relationship with Him and other religious figures. The Cid regarded a close relationship between ethics and politics. He was a strong believer, always praying for intercession; he sought such devotion to his Lord. This is depicted in the First Cantar of The Poem of the Cid when the Cid said with praise “Thanks be to God on high for the great victory we have gained!” (The Poem of the Cid, 63). The Cid often called upon and praised God and saints to help and protect him when in battle; they were to be alongside the Cid when he fought. With the Cid recognizing those powerful superiors, he is showing his humility by concentrating on the powerful deities rather than focusing on himself. During the Renaissance