Cesare Beccaria

I. Preliminary Info A. The Prince B. Niccolo Machiavelli C. The University of Chicago Press; Chicago D. Originally: 1532; This edition: 1985 E. N/A F. Harvey C. Mansfield G. 111 pgs. H. Non-Fiction II. The Book’s Contents A. Non-Fiction 1. The general topic of this book is Machiavelli’s view of how to aquire and maintain power. It also gives his ideas of how and why the Italian government isn’t doing well. 2. In the book The Prince, Machiavelli doesn’t realy use characters as in a novel;…

Machiavelli’s most famous work is The Prince. The Prince describes the cunning and immoral methods by which a prince can acquire and maintain political power. In his view, a prince should be concerned only with power and be bound only by rules that would lead to success in political actions. Machiavelli believed that the use of political powers was only rightful if it was utilized by a ruler whose personal scrupulous character was strictly virtuous. He did not think that someone who was only…

When one thinks of an effective leader, many traits come to mind. One characteristic that an effective leader needs to have is bravery. If a leader is not brave then the people of his kingdom will not be confident enough in his decisions. If his people don’t follow him, then his kingdom will fall apart. Also if the leader is brave in battle then his army will follow him. Two other traits that an effective leader needs to be are smart and ambitious. A leader has to be smart to manage an empire…

Much of India's folklore is presented in The Red Lotus of Chastity by Ancient Indian poet Somadeva. The short story is filled with devious and cunning characters who rely on deception to accomplish their goals. It follows Machiavelli’s The Prince, concept of being the fox and the lion. Both Devasmita and the nun in The Red Lotus of Chastity attempt to succeed in being both animals. Although Machiavelli states in The Prince that he must possess both traits of the fox and the lion, only Devasmita…

Three recurring themes in “The Prince” are good will and hatred, fortun, and warcraft. The first recurring theme in “The Prince” is good will and hatred, Machiavelli always goes back to the fact that a prince must make sure that he is not hated by his people, a prince must take care of his people and not be cruel and if a prince suspects he is hated by this people he should fear them. He discusses this theme in both chapters XVII and XIX. The second recurring theme in “The Prince is fortune in…

According to the principles in Machiavelli’s The Prince, Henry VIII was an egotistical king and was not considered a good leader through, campaigns that mostly failed, the wasting of his own countries resources, and only considered advice that benefited his cause impulsively his unsuccessful campaigns. Henry VIII made countless mistakes through the failure of his campaigns in politics and military strategies. Through his failed campaigns, Henry also used the country’s wealth to fund them which…

Machiavelli was an Italian historian, politician, philosopher, humanist and writer who is well known as the founder of early political science. One of his most known books The Prince, is considered to be one of the most important nonfiction literature written in history. It gives an accurate and a truthful description of the method on governing. Elizabeth I of England was a Machiavellian leader. She was a ruler of vast intelligence, ability and success. She displayed her power by playing by her…

Niccolo Machiavelli wrote in chapter 15 of his famous work, The Prince that “it is necessary for a ruler, if he wants to hold on to power, to learn how not to be good, and to know when it is and when it is not necessary to use this knowledge” (Machiavelli, The Prince, 48). Throughout The Prince, Machiavelli emphasizes the importance of being crafty and the necessity of being violent. He makes it clear that in order to be a successful ruler, one does not always have to be good; moreover, one…

The Prince, written by Niccoló Machiavelli is a guide for ruling. In the opening chapters Machiavelli gives some basic knowledge to the readers so that they will be able to understand the scope of the book. Machiavelli explains that all states are either republics or principalities. The Prince focuses entirely on principalities because Machiavelli has already discussed republics in a different book. Throughout the rest of the book, Machiavelli explains many different qualities of a leader that…

In the essay “The Morals of a Prince” Niccolò Machiavelli wrote that the ideal prince who can keep his subjects united and loyal is a man who knows when to lie, when to be cruel, and when to be feared – but not hated. Machiavelli uses evidence from historical famous rulers such as Pope Julius II, Caesar, and Alexander to back up his claims on stinginess, whether to be loved or hated, and how Princes should keep their word. He uses these historical examples in order to educate the next prince on…