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Machiavelli The Prince Essay

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There are many different views regarding how a prince should rule, but in The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli, he advises Lorenzo de' Medici to rule with absolute power and to take extreme measures when necessary to maintain his power. Machiavelli wrote The Prince in 1513 with the intent of convincing Lorenzo de’ Medici to give him an advising position within the Florentine government. Niccolo Machiavelli was an Italian writer and politician who lived from 1469 to 1527. In the dedication of his book, which was written in 1513, he explains that his writing is the most valuable thing that he has to offer. Through his detailed accounts of history and his ruthless approach to ruling Machiavelli explains why he tends to favor the ancients and has …show more content…

To back up his claim that a prince must study war, he references the ways that the Romans handled war. He says “Thus, the Romans, seeing inconveniences from afar, always found remedies for them and never allowed them to continue so as to escape a war, because they knew that war may not be avoided but is deferred to the advantage of others”. Machiavelli is claiming that postponing a war will only tip the odds in the favor of their opponent, which is one of the reasons that he is ruthless when it comes to war and believes in violence when it is necessary to stay in power. He goes on to say that in this instance, the Romans went on to start a war with Greece which later prevented them from engaging in a war with Italy. Critics began to question Machiavelli’s unwavering faith in the ways of the Ancient …show more content…

During this time, there was an ongoing religious reform but the popular religion in Europe was Christianity and according to Cardinal Christian views, the prince should seek to be loved and to be generous. It is worth noting that Machiavelli goes against this advising princes to be frugal and that if it comes down to one or the other, it is better to be feared than to be

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