Renaissance Prose Analysis: The Prince

Alessandro de Souza Ferreira

Prof. Intihar

English 201

May 6, 2015

Renaissance Prose Analysis: Machiavelli’s, The Prince

On The Prince, written by Niccolò Machiavelli, the reader is presented with various recommendations of how to govern or acquire a state effectively. Moreover, the author presents elements that would affect or help princes and people nowadays to accomplish success on their life’s, such as: determination, brutality, learning from past experiences and liberality.

Machiavelli explains to the reader that people is capable to shape their destiny by their determination, and that things do not occur only by luck. Moreover, the text mentions that the “half, or perhaps a little less” (Marriott, W. K. 25) of people actions occur

On the text, the author recommends that princes “should read histories, and study there the actions of illustrious men” (Marriott, W. K. 14), meaning that rulers should learn from mistakes that were committed in reigns before them, moreover, they should learn from history to acquire the good qualities of monarchs. Also, learning from past mistakes is something people do nowadays. Moreover, students are often taught theory by reviewing real cases, because this enhances the student knowledge by applying it on a real life scenario. Furthermore, most of science discoveries are results of the trial and error method. In addition, people should be aware of mistakes that surrounding individuals commit to avoid doing them again. For example, if a family member was sent to jail due to driving intoxicated, it might be a good idea to not drink and drive, because it would result in five years behind bars and expensive

Moreover, the text says that a prince should be “an example of courtesy and liberality” (Marriott, W. K. 21), meaning that he has to be an example for the citizens to follow, by doing so the people would believe that they have a great leader and feel proud of it. Furthermore, the author recommends a prince that in order to achieve so, it has to carry out “festivals and spectacles at convenient seasons of the year” (Marriott, W. K. 21). Nowadays, societies lack people who would share part of their wealth with the persons who need it the most, such as young orphans or old abandoned people. Moreover, people is becoming more individualistic and concerned in achieving their own life goals without looking around for those who are not able to grow due to a limitation that life put on their way. Also, people should learn to share their excesses, as it would make them grow spiritually and make them better individuals. Finally, humanity is losing this ability to help each other; moreover, sometimes people want to sink each other for no reason. For example, in Peru, most of medium and high class parents teach their children not to help economically other kids in the street, while they buy expensive video games that would end in a drawer on a couple of months after