Machiavelli and The Qualities of the Prince

Generals and Princes A general is an individual who leads men into battle field. Generals are strong, courageous, smart leaders who lead others in the time of need. A prince is a man with power to a thorn that is wise and feared amongst other men. According to Machiavelli, a general should be the prince because the sense of betrayal could fall into the general?s hands. Thus, a prince should be a general and a prince all in one.

In the article The Qualities of the Prince, the author (Niccolo Machiavelli) states that the qualities of a prince should have great moral principles because of the strengths that come with the power. Machiavelli believes a prince should be the wisest of all the wise men for that he should be feared mostly instead of loved. This gives a sense of sacredness to others who dare to betray a most powerful royal prince. In the other hand, their are generals who can be looked as a leader. The author believes a princes role is to become that general which people love and be scared as they lead their people and soldiers into combat. The author express most clearly that a prince can not be hated. The hatred of the people can lead to a destructible future. According to Machiavelli, a prince must be compassionate, trustworthy, sympathetic, honest, and religious to an extent. These characteristics lie in a prince but never in a general.

I agree with Machiavelli?s views of qualities of a prince. I prince should be a noble who is wise and understanding. He is to be the leader, powerful wise man that can be looked upon in times of trouble and need. These qualities lie in a prince rather than a general. A general leads individuals but still lacks the few importance of life; honesty, trustworthy, compassionate and sympathetic. A general can not be successful as a ruler of a country because of the blindness of his eyes when it comes to understanding and communicating other ideas. For Example, during a fifth grade class activity, a teacher (Mr. Cukar) had me