Machiavelli Aspect To A Prince Being Feared Or Loved?

I. Machiavelli In his famous work the Prince Niccolo Machiavelli exposes what it takes to be a good prince and how only this good price and keep control over his state. There are many different qualities that make a man a good ruler but there are some that are more essential than others. In this work Machiavelli stresses the importance of being a warrior prince, a wise prince, and knowing how to navigate the duality of virtù and vices. Without these attributes there was no way that a prince could hold together their state and their people.

When Brutus’ speech occurs, Shakespeare utilizes rhetorical questions, pathos, and tone in order to suggest that Caesar was too ambitious and could possibly enslave the citizens of Rome so he should be killed , which proves Oscar Wilde’s claim that disobedience is a valuable human trait and that it does promote social progress. This text is important because Caesar made a big impact on people and his closest friends turned their back on him. Without Julius Caesar, the world would not be what it is today. Caesar helped shape Rome into a great international power with a profound influence on the world. His military exploits led to the incorporation of new lands and people under the umbrella of

Success in war was an honorable characteristic of Roman people, as is evident in The Aeneid. Peace as a result of violence is a significant part of Roman culture and is embodied in this epic. Works Cited Hunt, John. “Carriages, Violence, and Masculinity in Early Modern Rome.” Tatti Studies in the Italian Renaissance, vol. 17, no. 1, 2014, pp.

Martin Luther, an American civil rights activist, once said, “If there is hell, Rome is built on it.” For centuries ancient Rome has suffered and survived the reign of numerous political leaders. Rome’s political history is intricate, bloody and filled with various rulers and enemies. Among Rome’s countless enemies, Hannibal Barca, general of the Carthaginian army, has stood out as monstrously cruel. Rome has accused Hannibal of sacrificing children to the gods, whipping innocent wives and children and destroying all who dared cross his path.

The Roman Empire was built on the pietas of its people, which was highlighted by Virgil in “Aeneid” through the character of Aeneas. Virgil provided several examples of this powerful virtue throughout “Aeneid”, but as our texts progress through the semester the authors began to realize that the Romans had become envious of one another. The Roman Empire started on strong foundation of virtues, with pietas being the strongest layer. Through centuries of erosion this foundation began to crumble and moral decay brought this might empire to its knees. Some will argue that foreign invaders simply defeated the Roman Empire, while that is true; the real reason is the moral decay or the loss of pietas that allowed these armies to invade.

“It is no use trying to escape their arrange by submission or good behavior. They have pillagedd the world… If an enemy is rich, they are greedy, if he is poor, they crave glory... They make a desert and call it peace.” (Tacitus 22).

This is one of Marc Antony's strongest characteristics as it helps him triumph in war, rally the Romans, earn respect, and become a leader of Rome. One of the best examples we see of Antony's quick thinking is after Caesar dies. Brutus leaves to speak to the other Roman citizens, and leaves Antony to talk to the citizens after Brutus convinces them that, "I weep for him; as he was fortunate, I rejoice at it; as he was valiant, I honour him: but, as he was ambitious, I slew him." Act III, Scene II of Julius Caesar. He convinces them that killing Caesar was the best .

Being hated or praised by his people is a sector that comes with the high ranking of a prince. A prince cannot possess all the qualities that are regarded as honorable. Some of a prince’s acts that appear to be wicked are beneficial to the state. Due to the impracticality of a perfect ruler, a prince should contain some aspects of evil, despite the hatred of his people. What some may believe to be the acts of a malicious ruler are, in fact, in the best interest of the state.

He describes Hamilcar as a proud and embittered man, this being showed by making his son swear an oath against the Romans. Livy said that, Hasdrubal’s peaceful and diplomatic policies was truly the polar opposite of his brothers, with the unrelenting militarism of Hannibal’s approach, the contrast to which is highlighted by the former’s violent end. Crucial for now is the uncompromising view he gives of the reckless aggression inherited by Hannibal from his

The Moorish General Othello is an accurate definition of a tragic hero. Not only is Othello a very successful general in the Venetian army, he is also seen as a respected, honorable, noble hearted man. These traits are admired greatly amongst the characters found within Othello. This includes Iago who admiringly states that Othello is “of a constant loving, noble nature [and] will prove to Desmona a most dear husband’ (2.1.290-292). In order to truly feel the tragic downfall, an understanding of “high estate” being not of royalty or of noble stature, but one that “gives him a place of dignity to fall from and perhaps makes his fall seem all the more a calamity” (Kennedy & Gioia 856) is needed.

However some may postulate that Brutus was a noble man in killing Caesar and “saving” Rome. After all Caesar was becoming an overeager tyrant that wanted to take over Rome. Brutus was benevolent in saving the republic rather than let a ruthless tyrant rule Rome. This argument fails to consider that Caesar “hath brought many captives home to Rome whose ransoms did the general coffers fill. ”(5.1.87-88)

Later in the text, Machiavelli talks about the importance of being loved and feared. He is quoted saying, “Upon this a question arises: whether it be better to be loved than feared or feared than loved? It may be answered that one should wish to be both, but, because it is difficult to unite them in one person, it is much safer to be feared than loved, when, of the two, either must be dispensed with… for love is preserved by the link of obligation which, owing to the baseness of men, is broken at every opportunity for their advantage; but fear preserves you by a dread of punishment which never fails.” Although it may seem immoral to achieve power through evil, one must decide between being loved or being feared. In the case of King Agathocles, he was clearly feared by many based on his journey to power.

Cruelty is more important than mercy because it maintains a prince’s power and establishes order and sustainable peace within society. Moreover, a leader must be feared as he will be taken more seriously and never be questioned by his disciples. Cruelty preserves more respect while shows more compassion towards citizens than mercy and love; thus, a leader is better off being feared and respected immensely than loved and susceptible to his own

The works of Lao-Tzu and Machiavelli bring to light a very interesting question, "is it better to be feared or loved?" Lao-Tzu was an ancient Chinese philosopher that believed in peace, simplicity, and letting the world do its work without intervention until absolutely necessary. Machiavelli, an Italian politician and writer, emphasized the necessity for war, and addressed the wicked nature of men. Both of these individuals have very contrasting points of view in regards to ruling a kingdom. Three of these major differences were about war, human nature, and the use of mercy.

Though many view Machiavelli as evil, his teachings are better seen as harsh and stable. Richard III has much to learn from Machiavelli, for his rule is unstable and overly oppressive. Machiavelli makes the distinction that one should either gain the subjects' approval or should crush them unforgivingly, two opposite extremes. Richard, however, switches between his type of ruling: somtimes he orders people to die, while other times he manipulates them, sparing their life. As Machiavelli teaches his audience in his book The Prince, if one hurts his subjects in a not fatal manner, they will strike back, seeking revenge; and this is exactly what happens to Richard.