The Prince Book Review
Niccolo Machiavelli was born in Florence on May 3rd, 1469. He received a humanistic education typical of the time, and went on to become a banker in Rome. He then returned to Florence in 1494, the same year the Medici family, who had been the ruling family of Florence for decades, lost their throne to Charles VIII of France. In 1500, Machiavelli served as the diplomat of Florence to France, and spent the following decade serving his state, in 1512, the Medicis took back the throne and Machiavelli was soon after accused of participating in a conspiracy to restore the republic, and as a result jailed and tortured. When he was released, he moved to the quiet town of St. Andrea, where he would come to write The Prince, which he would offer as a gift to the current prince of Florence, Lorenzo de Mecidi, as "proof of his devotion" in an attempt to gain favor in his court. He went on the write another political book, Discourses, The Art of War, A poetic epic, The Golden Ass, and a comedic play The Mandrake. Following the fall of the Medicis and reestablishment of the Florentine republic, he continued to perform various tasks for the government, hoping to regain his former stature, be he was distrusted due to his service of the Medi
Although Machiavelli was influenced while writing The Prince, much of what he wrote was very true. He stated at length that in order for a prince to maintain his political standing, he must have the respect of his people. At the same time, he must not be hated and despised by them. This has held true throughout the ages, for nearly every time a culture is held under the control of a belligerent dictator, it revolts, and a new government is formed. His ideas concerning ruthlessness and distrust, as unpleasant as they may be, proved to be all but necessary in living in the political world of modern Europe. To be a weak leader all to often meant to be no leader at all. cis, and never did. He died in June 21, 1527. Much of the concentration of the book is on the relationship between the prince and his peers - the politically elite. Because ambition and lust fir power drive such men, and they are by nature selfish and greedy beings, one must in turn be aggressive and even ruthless in his methods if the wishes to gain and maintain power. Machiavelli feels that one must take direct action when ever able, and constantly exercise his power in order to maintain his political position. He goes on the state that shared power with others will never be effective because those others too are trying to attain power; since nobles are unforgiving, and driving by greed, it would be terribly dangerous, if not suicidal for a prince to rely of their good will and honesty. At the same time, Machiavelli writes that one must not be hated by those he controls, as the people hold the true p
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Approximate Word count = 1069
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)
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