Niccolo Machiavelli s The Prince - 854 Words

Niccolà ² Machiavelli’s The Prince has been both praised and reviled since its publication. In particular, the book’s seventeenth chapter, â€Å"Of Cruelty and Clemency, and Whether it is Better to be Loved or Feared,† controversially posits that an effective leader ought to value being feared over being loved (Machiavelli 43). Though many have questioned the veracity of Machiavelli’s claim, an examination of some of the world’s most effective leaders shows that they led through fear. Alexander the Great, the leaders of the Mongols, and even Hammurabi used fear to maintain their authority and the security of their domains. Alexander the Great led victorious military campaigns from Macedonia to Egypt, Persia, and beyond, establishing a mighty empire all during his brief life of 32 years (Cole et al. 89). He did not accomplish this feat through kindness but through repeated acts of cruelty perpetrated against his enemies, both at home and abroad. The death of Alexander’s father, Philip II, resulted in a number of revolts across Macedonia and Greece (Cole et al. 90). Alexander swiftly established his authority as the new ruler by destroying the city walls of Thebes, the spot of one such revolt (Ibid). This sort of action fits neatly into Machiavelli’s thinking. Machiavelli wrote that, â€Å"†¦ he who quells disorder by a very few signal examples will in the end be more merciful than he who from too great leniency permits things to take their course and so to result in rapine andShow MoreRelatedNiccolo Machiavelli s The Prince1719 Words   |  7 PagesMachiavelli’s, The Prince, a book written by Niccolà ² Machiavelli, is a read that most people wouldn’t prefer to read as a first option but in defense to Niccolo, it brings out many themes such as Goodwill and Hatred, Free will, and Human Nature. â€Å"It is known from his personal correspondence that The Prince was written during 1513, the year after the Medici took control of Florence, and a few months after Machiavelli s arrest, torture, and banishment by the Medici regime† (Bio.com). The novel wasRead MoreNiccolo Machiavelli s The Prince892 Words   |  4 PagesNiccolà ² Machiavelli wrote The Prince with the sole purpose of impressing the Medici family and getting on the good side of the new ruler of Florence, Lorenzo di Piero de’ Medici. By writing this â€Å"handbook to ruling,† Machiavelli hoped to sway the Medici to accept him as an ally and possible political advisor. He was extremely convincing as he used examples from the past as a â€Å"political lesson† to further distinguish his ideas as correct. By seeing the successes and failures of those in power, MachiavelliRead MoreNiccolo Machiavelli s The Prince2212 Words   |  9 Pages Niccolà ² Machiavelli was an Italian diplomat, politician, writer and philosopher who lived during the Renaissance period. He was a significant contributor to modern political science, specifically in the field of political ethics. He wrote his most famous work, The Prince, after the Medici family had returned to power and he was removed from the political scene. The devious and corrupt sort of politicians he describes in The Prince serve as the inspiration for the now commonplace term â€Å"MachiavellianRead MoreNiccolo Machiavelli s The Prince879 Words   |  4 Pages Machiavelli wrote The Prince in 16th-century. His methods of acquiring and maintaining rule over people are not relevant in today’s modern American society. There are many principles that are still true in politics today, but the methods of ruling can no longer be used in American society today. Niccolà ² Machiavelli was born in Florence, Italy in 1496. He was a diplomat in Italy s Florentine Republic for fourteen years. This was during the Medici family exile, and when they returned, MachiavelliRead MoreMachiavelli s The Prince By Niccolo Machiavelli1943 Words   |  8 PagesNiccolà ² Machiavelli’s The Prince is a book that examines the qualities and strategies required for a ruler in order to maintain power. Despite being composed in the 16th century, the ideas presented are applicable even to mythical kings from texts over a thousand years ago. Throughout the story of Seneca’s Oedipus, substantial connections could be made between Oedipus and The Prince’s ideas of rule, such as methods in acquiring principalities, channeling subjects’ fear, the use of cruelty and controllingRead MoreSummary On Niccolo Machiavelli s The Prince 1109 Words   |  5 PagesAssignment - April 19, 2015 Niccolà ² Machiavelli’s The Prince and Ian Johnston’s Lecture on Machiavelli’s The Prince Niccolà ² Machiavelli, a Florentine, lived between the years of 1469-1527. In 1513, Machiavelli wrote The Prince and gifted it to the Medici family with the original title of About Principalities. He first dedicated the work to Giuliano de’ Medici and later to Lorenzo de’ Medici. It was a political critique that was later printed under the title of The Prince in 1532. The treatise wasRead MoreAn Analysis Of Niccolo Machiavelli s The Prince 941 Words   |  4 PagesNiccolo Machiavelli and Karl Marx developed theories concerning wealth and poverty in our society, as well as different types of governments. For instance, Machiavelli supported a capitalist economic system, unlike Marx, who embraced socialism in the society. Machiavelli wrote a book The Prince that explained how to be an effective leader. The theme of the book is the end justifies the means. A person could or should do whatever is necessary to achieve the desired goal. According to MachiavelliRead Mor eNiccolo Machiavelli s The Prince1293 Words   |  6 PagesBy many, Niccolà ² Machiavelli is infamous for being one of the most controversial political philosophers during the period of 1494-1564. Machiavelli is a realist whose lack of idealistic optimism is the root of his cynicism towards human nature and human weakness. He is a perpetuator of the idea that â€Å"the means justifies the end.† Although an ample amount of individuals criticize his principles, many rational thinkers embrace the political realities he so adamantly acquaints his readers with in hisRead MoreNiccolo Machiavelli s The Prince1465 Words   |  6 PagesNiccolà ² Machiavelli had a very negative view when it came to the nature of humans. He made the weakness of human nature the central message of all his writings. Machiavelli’s mannerist cynicism about human weakness came about from wounded idealism, for life had taught him that his early optimism was wrong. In most of his writings, he is mea ning for human nature to restore sanity to a world that he believed to have gone mad. Machiavelli’s most enduring contribution that left the strongest imprintRead MoreNiccolo Machiavelli s The Prince864 Words   |  4 PagesNiccolo Machiavelli, was an Italian diplomat and writer, born on May 3rd, 1469 in Florence, Italy. In his younger years, Niccolo became a diplomat after the downfall of the Medici family in 1494. Machiavelli earned the reputation of vicious since he enjoyed tormenting his associates. In 1512, the Medici family came to power once again and Machiavelli was accused of conspiracy thus was tortured, jailed and nonetheless banished from getting involved in politics and from Florence (Niccolo Machiavelli

Book Review Odyssey - 2531 Words

Alexis Lauren Robinson December 03, 2014 Odyssey Sections Book Thirteen: 1-79: The section of this book in which Alcinous is stunned by how much Odysseus has suffered. Alcinous believes that he will sail home from Ithaca. The king and the rest of his people throw him a type of celebration in which they slaughter an ox, sing, and Odysseus is launched into the sea. 80-212: Royal escorts took the gifts produced by the queen while Odysseus sleeps. Poseidon angered by the Phaeacians talks with Zeus about their punishment for sending castaways into the sea. At the end they reach an agreement that in front of the Phaeacians when their ship returns in will be†¦show more content†¦The swineherd made those walls with his own hands to enclose pigs without the help of anyone. (built of quarried blocks and coped with a fence of wild pear.) Drives stakes, in the yard he built twelve beds to house his pigs and were breed. The suitors’ feast are thinning the population of boars who sleep outside; this keeps the swineherd sending to town his beast hog. A pack of four dogs guards them however. He sends a hog in town and one to the suitors to feast on. 32-83: Odysseus is almost attacked by the pack of guard dogs. But, is saved by the swineherd who invites him in to talk of where he is from and the pains he has endured as well as eat a large quantity of bread and wine. (Thinks that Odysseus is a dead and was traveling to unknown lands unaware of anything. The gods blocked his journey home) Odysseus loves this gesture and thanks the man again. Eumaeus believes no man should ever be sent away eve one in worse shape than him; every beggar comes from Zeus and whatever scrap they receive they are thankful for. 84-191: He talks to him angried that Odysseus is dead and believes that the suitors have no mercy in their hearts. They think Odysseus died and that has caused they to do not want to do their courting fairly or go back in peace. Odysseus’ wealth was vast and no man could ever defeat him. Odysseus questions if he knows he has died for sure and what his name is. As well, he believes he can bring him news. The swine herd said that no

Yvain Free Essays

Yvain or The Knight with the Lion: The Introduction of Literary Strengths There are few novels today that possess the adventure which takes place throughout Yvain (aka The Knight with the Lion). Chretien’s use of structure in this poem has surely influenced the modern day novel. Yvain was one of the first books to introduce the genre of Chivalric Romance, which many authors still mimic today. We will write a custom essay sample on Yvain or any similar topic only for you Order Now The genre capturing this tale clearly defined literature thereafter and was the beginning of a new era in story-telling. In Northrop Frye’s definition of modes, we can see that this poem is clearly in â€Å"Romance Mode†. In the concept of modes, Frye identifies literary works to be classified by the hero’s power of action. By distinction of any novels’ hero, the audience can discern whether the main character or hero has powers greater, less, or roughly the same as the audience’s. The romance mode is the second mode of Frye’s distinction. In this poem, the hero of the story is human, but is certainly superior to normal humans; it is a story in which the hero has marvelous strengths and powers of endurance. The setting of the story may also slightly suspend the laws of nature in a way that allows magical things to happen. As Frye says, this is the world of legends, folk tales, and fairy tales. In this novel, the main character Yvain portrays the essence of these qualities. Yvain has many instances throughout the poem, in which he miraculously overcomes obstacles. There was not one event in which he lost against another knight or creature. The fact that Yvain intruded on a fight between a lion and a snake, is in itself, marvelous. No human in real life, would risk their life for this situation. In this scene, as Yvain chose to slay the snake by chopping it into pieces, and the lion shows a sense of gratefulness. The Lion rose on his hind feet and joined his forepaws in complete submissiveness and then he spread his forepaws out and bowed his head in great humility (pg 95). † It was after this point that they became companions, and the lion would never leave his side. This scene illustrates the Romance mode as the basic laws of nature are slightly obstructed by the lion’s ability to express feelings. Taking a closer look, we can discern the subcategory of this romance mode to be chivalric and contain courtly love. The entire story is full of many events in which even Chretien noted as chivalric. These consist of the knightly values of courage and loyalty as well as extreme respectfulness to others, especially women. In these civilized times, the royalty- living in castles and employing warriors- created these rules of combat and courtly manners that knights should carry out. It was the main goal for every knight to perform the good deeds, because it was the honorable thing to do, not because its adventure was of interest. In the poem, Calogrenant went in search for a marvel to entertain himself with adventure. But when this lead to disaster, Yvain had to stand by his side because they were cousins, and blood relatives were not to be abandoned. Yvain went out in hopes to avenge his cousin Calogrenant, â€Å"The lord did not sit down or pause; he poured some water on the great green stone. The storm came, just as he had known (pg 23). † Here, Yvain committed the same act that got Calogrenant in trouble, yet Yvain did not commit this act in hopes of a marvel, but rather to hold honor because it was the right thing to do for his family. This act reinforced Yvain’s knightly duties, furthering his intent to be chivalrous. Instrumental for the configuration of any chivalric identity in a medieval romance, this genre entices the male audience with its tales of lone adventuring, jousting with common men, killing beasts, rescuing virgins, and fighting in fateful battles. It also introduces a new side (in the medieval time period) to male and female relations, fascinating the idea of courtly love. The behavior of courtly love was a social phase that society engaged during the time of the poem. It was the idea that love was a service that gentlemen carried out for their women. It also reflected the principle that men and women could have conversation, and â€Å"flirt†. One could even fall in love at first sight by a physical process: in through the eyes, and passing down to the heart, and from there taking over the entire body as though captured by love’s poison. In the poem, the audience sees Yvain express his feelings through courtly love. â€Å"A new Love sweetens him with sugar and honey. Love, at whim, has hunted in her lands today, and now she gathers in her prey. His enemy has his heart (pg 38). † By this quote, we see that the force of love is overpowering, and Yvain is the â€Å"prey† wounded by love, because this woman, whose husband he has killed, now has his heart. When Yvain was published, society had just recently become civilized, as opposed to their previously barbaric state. People were becoming accustomed to mannerism and sense of ruling. In the poem, we see a little of both sides of this society. In most of the story, Yvain and his surroundings are civilized, he is a proper knight and he is carrying out duties of society in a refined way. But when Laudine brought shame upon him for breaking his promise to her, we see Yvain turn to the opposite of civilized society. Yvain became so ashamed of himself he turned to a barbaric state of society, â€Å"a whirlwind broke loose in his brain, so violent that he went insane, and clawed himself, tore off his clothes and fled across the fields and rows (pg 79). † By entering the forest in this manner, Yvain indicated his complete abandonment of everything his aristocratic culture stood for—he no longer takes the part of a husband, or even a knight, but merely a wild animal. The entire poem is composed with many individual stories. What made this poem such an inspiration for the future genre was its completeness. Like Aristotle mentioned, a good story must have a beginning, middle and an end. Yvain, is compiled with many intricate stories chronologically placed, perfect and large enough for one to remember them all. The uniqueness of the Chivalric Romance genre had great influence on subsequent literature, but presenting three definite parts in the story is why Yvain or The Knight with the Lion became so renowned. How to cite Yvain, Papers