Machiavelli
Italy was divided between four dominant city-states, and each of these was continually at the mercy of the stronger foreign government of Europe. Since 1434 the wealthy Medici family ruled Florence. Due to a reform movement, Medici rule was temporarily interrupted in 1434, in which Machiavelli became an important diplomat. The Medici family regained power in 1512 with the help of Spanish troops. At this time, Machiavelli was tortured and removed from public life. While being in political exile, he wrote a letter to his nephew. It was said to be "the most famous letter ever written by an Italian, shows how the hours spent each day in his study helped to bring a measure of balance and even exhilaration into his life as a whole"(Hale, 147). At this point Machiavelli is beginning his philosophies about the nature of princely rule, eventually, leading him to create, "The Prince." Nicocolo Machiavelli in 1513 wrote his masterpiece, The Prince, which remains one of the single mo!st important works in history. To this day scholars struggle over interpreting Machiavelli's precise point. For the next 10 years he devoted himself to writing history, political philosophies and even plays.
history, where change was unacceptable and his writings where difficult to accept by society. The question as to why Machiavelli chose to write such a controversial piece of work remains unanswered. What was Machiavelli's objective in writing it? His work caused such uproar in history and ironically Machiavelli was never able to justify himself. As Machiavelli's The Prince was released to the public, many people began forming strong opinions towards him. The name Machiavelli itself holds a definition. A person considered to be a Machiavellian, is one that is tricky, deceitful, conniving and cunning: it is usually used as an insult. Machiavelli was recognized and famous for writing the Prince and the controversy behind his work left him as a legacy. Though in some cases Machiavelli's suggestions seem harsh and immoral; it is important to remember that these views were derived out of concern for Italy's unstable political condition. He was well known not only as a political figure but also having incredible ability to write. However, to this day, it is unfortunate that Machiavelli was unable to defend his work; he died before his work was published and released to the public. One can only make assumptions to what the author's true intent was with regards to his work. Machiavelli wrote The Prince during an error in! Some of Machiavelli's devices revolve around the issue of fear. He believed that fear was preferable to love because it is a more efficient tactic, a safe means of maintaining support. He says that, "fear is sustained by a dread of punishment that is always effective" (Mousley 166). Machiavelli advised princes to make use of this tactic, as it was one of the keys to success. Machiavelli's uses the following example: Cesare Borgia was deemed cruel; nevertheless his cruelty calmed the Romagna, united it, and reduced it to peace and fidelity. If this is well considered, it will seen that he was much more merciful than the Florentine people, who, in order to avoid the reputation for cruelty, let Pistoia be destroyed. (Sonnino 89). The Prince has been criticized both positively and negatively. Some have praised Machiavelli for his realism and irony in an ingenious manner. He is acclaimed for having his work seen as supporting a republican form of government by exposing the faults of Princedoms and praised his ability to distinguish between political and moral issues. Machiavelli can also be seen for as naive, promoting fraud, force and immorality in politics, using beneficial ends to justify evil means, and betraying republican ideals. There is also a variation from classical models to a more humanist approach, when Machiavelli urges rulers to take on the characteristics of animals by using force when the situation requires. In Machiavelli's The Prince, the chapter on "How Princes Should Keep Faith"(91), Sonnino concludes, Machiavelli writes about several significant issues in Italy's rule and describes in his writi
Some common words found in the essay are:
Cesare Borgia, Machiavelli's Prince, Prince Lorenzo, Machiavelli Italy, Nicocolo Machiavelli, Florentine Republic, Florence Due, Faith91 Sonnino, Kingdom Tuscany, Written Italy, machiavelli's prince, niccolo machiavelli, prince written, form government, machiavelli's prince interdisciplinary, manchester university, martin coyle, coyle york, york manchester, press 1995, prince describe, manchester university press, interdisciplinary essays ed, prince interdisciplinary essays, lorenzo de'medici prince,
Approximate Word count = 2003
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)
|
