Archive: The Prince

Niccolò Machiavelli was a Florintine statesman in the fifteenth century. He was sent on several ambassadorial missions to various nobles and kings throughout Europe. This gave him the political knowledge that was necessary to write The Prince. Later, there were several powershifts in Florence and he lost his position in the government which gave him the motivation to write The Prince.

Plot Summary
The Prince is a book devoted to the instruction of a person on how they should govern and conduct themselves while in a position of power and to attain a position of power. The initial dedicatory letter to Lorenzo II De’ Medici is to explain his reasoning to writing the book albeit in a flowery and flattering way. The next three chapters give a short overview of a few of the types of principalities. The subsequent four chapters then discuss how one should govern a principality that has fallen into their possession so as not to lose it either to rebellion or external forces. The next chapter discusses the acquisition of principalities through nefarious means. Then, the three subsequent chapters discuss theocratic principalities, principalities created to serve the commoners or nobles, and the way in which to gauge the strength of principalities. The next two chapters explain the various types of military troops and their usefulness. The subsequent chapter states that a prince should devote his profession to the military and let nothing else occupy his time as it is the only profession befitting of a prince. The next three paragraphs discuss the qualities of a prince which are praised and those that are useful and how to appear to have the former while having the latter. The next two chapters explain the necessity for a prince to break his word and how to avoid the hatred of the populace. Then, the next two chapters discuss the usefulness of fortresses and how to act in order for a prince to gain fame and prestige. The next two chapters then explain the usefulness of secretaries and what traits are useful in them and on how to avoid flatterers. The final three chapters explain why the Italian princes have lost their states and a plea to Lorenzo to rise up and unite Italy and remove the barbarians.

Characters
name

1. Niccolò Machiavelli

2. Lorenzo II di Piero De’ Medici

3.Alexander the Great

4. Antonius

role

1. He is the author of the author of this literary work

2. He was the intended recipient of the work

3. He was an example given by Machiavelli

4. He was an example given by Machivelli

significance

1. He is the person who envisioned the people of Italy united which caused him to write this work.

2. He is the person Machiavelli wanted to unite Italy and restore his own political position

3. He was used as an example of how to properly govern a kingdom

4. He was used as an example of the consequences of unregulated cruelty

adjectives

1. Cunning, manipulative, tactful, and sly

2. Powerful, wealthy, noble

3. Great, powerful, tactical

4. Cruel, violent, imprudent

Themes
The end justifies the means, is a theme that is iterated and reiterated throughout the work as any method of achieving a goal is acceptable as it still gains the same end result.

All people are inherently evil, is another theme as throughout the work it states that people should be regulated through fear and that not doing so will be your end as they will overrun you in their selfish greed.

Symbols
He uses both a prince and principality to represent any form of government principality merely being a location specific example.

Fortune is also used to represent anything that can influence your life that is beyond your control.

Significant Quotes
“A prince, therefore, must have no other object or thought, or take up anything as his profession, except war and its rules and disciplines. p. 63

“The distance between how we live and how we ought to live that he who abandons what is done for what ought to be done finds his ruin rather than his preservation.” p. 66

“There are two methods of fighting, one with laws, the other with force: the first one is proper to men, the second to beasts but because the first does not often suffice, one must have recourse to the second.” p. 75

Whenever the majority of men are not deprived of their property or honor, they live contentedly. p. 79

Background
Historical author Niccolò Machiavelli was born in 1469 in Florence Italy. His family had long served as political officials and he was no exception he eventually became known as the Florentine Secretary as he had become well known while he was Secretary of the Second Chancery in Florence. While he was the Secretary of the Second Chancery he instituted a militia in Florence, and he is credited with bringing the city of Pisa under Florentine control. However, when the Medici family returned to power in Florence he was stripped of his political office, and later imprisoned and tortured under false accusations of treason. He was later released at which point he took his family and lived in the country outside of Florence. It was here that he began writing his works such as The Discourses on the first decade of Titus Livy and The Prince. In around 1520 he was recalled to Florence and asked to give advice on governmental affairs. Later, Pope Clement VII had him begin to organize a national militia for Italy, however, this was ended when Emperor Charles V sacked Rome. Niccolò Machiavelli died a in the following few years. Source: Biographical note in The Prince

Historical setting It can be said that it is set in Florence in the lifetime of Niccolò Machiavelli (1469-1527) as events during his lifetime prompted him to write it. During this period of time the city of Florence underwent many changes in leadership the first of which was the rule of Lorenzo Di Piero De’ Medici, after his death Girolamo Savonarola, then after his execution it was ruled by Piero Soderini, who later lost it to Giovanni De’ Medici, who gave it to his brother (Giuliano De’ Medici) after he was elected pope, after Giuliano died Lorenzo II Di Piero De’ Medici came to power and Machiavelli dedicated The Prince to him, and finally after his death The Republic of Florence was reestablished (Machiavelli died a few days later). Source: Biographical note in The Prince

Allusions
He allude to many hostorical figures such as Antonius, Alexander the Great, Caesar Borgia,and Darius