How Does Machiavelli Create A Satire In The Prince

Throughout history, man has continued to propose reform in order to ameliorate the condition of his society. Following the middle ages, a time of corrupt church institutions and the break of deleterious disease, Europe was in desperate need of rectification. The birth of the Renaissance was not only a birth of novel yet classical learning but the emergence of a new, secular and individualistic way of thinking. Such ideation perpetuated the talented intellectuals of the time to formulate new ideas, and in Niccolo Machiavelli’s case, a new way to govern. In his book, The Prince, Machiavelli uses his “how to guide” to delineate the political theory a prince should use in order to secure his power and govern his people effectively. This piece
of writing, however, is most eminent for Machiavelli’s belief that “the end justifies the means”, a controversial topic raised in The Price.
Although Machiavelli’s work has been criticized as a satire that justifies an absolutist way of ruling, it is truly an attempt to establish the foundation for the unification and stability of the Italian empire through an array of historical examples and systematic resolutions appropriate for the time it was implemented. The Prince, published in 1532 by Niccolo Machiavelli, has earned acclaim from many people, including critics who cannot help but see this piece of work as a form of totalitarianism that suggests how to subjugate the people of an empire. Although the book does possess some absolutistic ideas in its political theory that may seem extreme to the audience of the present, the propositions set forth by the author are appropriate for the time period for which he is writing. Since the middle ages was renowned for its lack of authority in the government, Machiavelli argues, in The Price, that during the Renaissance the goal was not to preserve morality but to initiate the reconstruction of an empire, particularly through the acquiring of principalities and warcraft, no matter what the cost. Machiavelli explained how these now principalities could be acquired by using history to study the success of the
past empires, particularly the French, Romans and Greeks. He particularly mentions Agathocles, a ruler who planned to have the entire senate of Syracuse murdered by his army and when they were dead, arranged to take over the government. Such a tactic is not aligned with humane principles and Machiavelli agrees but he argued that it was the only way to win the prince power; therefore, the ends could justify the means. Although Machiavelli’s justification of Agathocles actions and his other advice, such as murdering the former ruler when taking over a state and violently suppressing revolts, can be characterized as unprincipled, such measures need to be taken in order to establish a unified and orderly society. Therefore, the author is correct when he focuses on foreign diplomacy and warcraft, rather than morality and domestic affairs. Additionally, albeit the fact that some critics may censure The Price as a “how to” guide on imperialism, urging domination by either devastation and war, creation of a local oligarchy or physical presence by the princes of Italy (as seen by Turks in Greece); in order to rise as a unified empire, Italy, as Machiavelli suggests, must establish itself as a foreign power. Machiavelli doesn’t claim to perceive all the answers, but uses his book as a guide on political and military strategies that should be used by Italian princes in order to create a prosperous empire. He does not come up with false claims, but as seen, uses history in order to substantiate his position. Machiavelli’s ideas of studying and evaluating man’s actions in the past prove to be useful in the insightful policies he develops to better the condition of his home.