She chooses The Virgin Mary is as the leader of the City of Ladies because she is what all women should strive to be. Pizan says, “It’s truly fitting that a gathering of the whole of womankind should beg this revered, noble and magnificent princess to deign to join their number and to live amongst them in their city here below.” All the ladies in the city revere Mary above all other women. She deserves this because she is set apart by God. God chooses Mary to carry his son Jesus, the savior of the world. She surpasses all women in humility, goodness, and faith. Mary possesses every trait and is the perfect example of Pizan’s ideal …show more content…
In 1513 Machiavelli wrote The Prince, a guide that offers advice on how to rule a city like Florence. The theme of the book is that a successful prince or leader must have virtù, or as the Greeks refer to it, arete. This quality is the virtues of strength, skills, power for men. Machiavelli did not hold the belief that women should lead. Machiavelli believed that a leader’s public success and what they do in private can be separate. He does not care if a leader has real virtue, they just need to have it while in public. Machiavelli believes that a good prince will gain great success if they keep a good public image. Machiavelli also favors several other leadership qualities besides virtù. These qualities include frugality, appearing to be concerned about your people you may not care about, and maintaining “integrity” even though you may not. An ideal leader will also have complete control over their people, territory, and resources. To do this Machiavelli stated that “A prince ought to inspire fear in such a way that, if he does not win love, he avoids hatred.” He believed that it was better for a leader to instill fear than to show love, it could make the difference between being successful or being