Machiavelli's Character Analysis: The Prince
Lacey Fierro
Lee-5
AP Euro
12 October 2011
Analysis: The Prince
The ideal prince, for most people, would be one of which who show trustworthiness, mercy, religiousness, etc., all of which are good traits. On the contrary, according to Machiavelli, the ideal prince would at most show none of these traits and yet seem to possess them all at once. The ideal prince for Machiavelli would be one who is cruel and prudent and is more miserly than liberal. Machiavelli feels that an ideal prince would be cruel enough to bestow enough fear upon his subjects that he would gain respect, while at the same time not gain their hate. A prince would have to be bad rather than good and avoid bad habits, although if it is impossible to avoid them, …show more content…
to at least avoids those that would harm the prince’s reputation more. Stinginess would allow a prince to reign greatly because he is using the money of his citizens instead of his own, allowing him to escape becoming poor, and also to be respected by his citizens because in their eyes, they’ll see him as liberal for being able to maintain and increase revenue which would help to defend himself, and his kingdom against those who seek to overtake him. A prince would do good to be considered feared, for a prince loved, would allow disorders to break out, putting his kingdom in chaos, while one who is feared, will avoid such instances because of his reputation for cruelty. An ideal prince, in Machiavelli’s eyes, would show the characteristics of the fox and the lion well balanced and will be able to deceive those willing to be deceived and get away with it. The ideal prince would be a great listener of advice, but will act independently and on his own accord. Although Machiavelli’s views in the ideal leader contradict with others, who would see it the other way, Machiavelli believes that seeming to obtain good qualities and not have them will help a prince in becoming successful. Obtaining such qualities as cruelty, miserliness, cunning, and breaking his word, will help a prince greatly in running his kingdom because although he possesses the qualities of which would naturally receive blame by his subjects, he will, instead, be praised. Because his kingdom will be prosperous, his citizens will only expect that the king is doing great things and therefore blindly give him praise for them.
Lacey Fierro
Lee-5
AP Euro
12 October 2011
“The Prince” Questions
1.) Which qualities does Machiavelli say leaders will reap praise? Blame? Leaders will be able to reap praise if he is trustworthy, merciful, humane, generous, shows a religious affiliation, etc., and if he is able to show all these characteristics, would gain an incredible amount of praise and respect by his people because these are all traits that show him a kind leader. The qualities that leaders would reap blame from would be those of the opposite. If a leader showed the characteristics of being greedy and rapacious, cruel, arrogant, having no religion, and broke his word on a promise, to his citizens, he would gain a bad reputation and would not be praised at all. The qualities above that give a leader praise and blame are all according to the words of other writers hoping to give an insight as to what you would need to have in order to become successful in power. Although it seems logical and reasonable to gain praise when you are trustworthy and blame when you are not, Machiavelli sees differently.
2.) Which kind of qualities does Machiavelli recommend rulers to follow? The very things that would, as stated above, gain blame, Machiavelli recommends rulers to follow. He states that it would be a good thing to be bad, rather than good and that having prudence is necessary in maintaining the state. Machiavelli states the fact that “many things that appear good will damage a prince‘s power while those that appear bad will enhance it.” In this, he tells rulers that, in being cruel, it can actually increase is power. It is because of the very fact that no one can possess all the traits that would reap praise that a ruler should, at least, seem to have them, therefore deceiving his subjects and gaining respect, increasing his power. A ruler must guard himself against all of his bad habits due to the fact that he is always in the public eye, and, if not possible to do so, to at least guard him against those bad habits that would cause him to lose the state or harm his reputation. According to Machiavelli, it is sometimes necessary to be cruel in order to prevent greater wrongs.
3.) Why does Machiavelli consider liberality dangerous? Being liberal means being generous, but for a ruler, generosity can be dangerous due to the fact that it cannot be seen easily by others. In order for generosity to even be recognized, it must be exaggerated, and thus can lead the prince to become poor and lose the state in his greed to gain back the money and resources he had lost. If a prince is generous to an extent where it will actually be noticed and recognized, it means he is giving away his own resources which, in time will lead him to nothing. The prince will be hated because, in order to gain back his resources, he would have to get more money by increasing taxes, thus robbing and angering his subjects. In being liberal, generosity benefits few and harms many.
4.) When does Machiavelli say that rulers should be liberal in their expenditures? When should they be miserly? Machiavelli suggests for rulers to be liberal to those he doesn’t take from, who are infinite in number. Those whom he does not give to, who are few in number, a ruler will be miserly to. In addition, rulers should be liberal to his armies.
5.) Is it wiser to be viewed as liberal or miserly? According to Machiavelli, a prince must not object to being known as a miser, because stinginess can allow rulers to reign successfully. In being miserly, a prince will not use up all his resources as he would if he were liberal, but, instead use the money and resources from his subjects. In spending the wealth of others, rather than having his reputation diminished as it would seem, a prince’s reputation will actually be increased, because after a time, people will begin to see him as being liberal due to the fact that the revenue he has is enough to allow him to be able to maintain and defend the state. It is necessary to seem, or be considered liberal, something of which a prince can successfully do in being miserly.
6.) What is the danger in being loved? The main danger in being loved is the excess of tenderness that will result. In being loved, disorders will arise because men will have less hesitation and difficulty in offending someone who makes them loved. Allowing to be loved, impairs the whole community, not just an individual.
7.) Is it safer to be feared, or to be loved? Why? It is much easier, and much more important, to be feared than to be loved. Fear is maintained through the dread of punishment where as love is an obligation that can easily be broken by the selfishness of men. It is important for a prince to be feared, and for him to bestow enough fear into his subjects that they will respect him. A prince should be feared, but at the same time, not fill his subjects with so much fear that they hate him, which is what princes must at all costs avoid: gaining the hatred from the citizens. Being feared without being hated may be achieved by abstaining from taking the property of others; if a life must be taken, to do so within a reasonable cause and within proper justification, because men forget more easily the death of a loved one than the loss of property. And so, to be feared would be the best way for a prince to go about.
8.) What is the significance of the metaphor of the lion and the fox? The metaphor of the lion and the fox describe the dual nature of human kind. The lion, in strength can scare away the wolves, and the fox, in cleverness, can scope out the traps, and so a prince must be able to take on both forms and use both natures according to the situation, because one without the other is not durable. The lion and the fox symbolize the two methods of fighting: one of which by law, which is that of men, and the other by force, which is that of beasts. It is necessary for a prince to know both and to use both as the situation provides.
9.) Why do leaders need to keep a balance between fox and lion? A prince must be as cunning as a fox, and as strong as a lion. In other words, a prince must know how to deceive and get away with it. Princes should never keep their word when it would go directly against their interests or put them at a disadvantage, or for when the reasons for which the promise was made no longer exist. There are many people to deceive because people tend to overlook any form of deceit as long as their state is prosperous and peaceful.
10.) Which of the 5 virtues does Machiavelli feel is the most important to appear to possess? Why do you think he claims that is the most important? A prince must have a balance of everything, but of the five virtues, seeming to be religious would be the most important because people of the same religion will see him as a servant of God and therefore praise him more. Seeming to be religious would also be easy for a prince, because people judge solely on appearance and results.
Everyone can see, but only few can feel, and the few that do will not speak out against the prince because they are greatly outnumbered by the people who can’t feel.
11.) Discuss the different ways in which princes can gain fame. Which of these does Machiavelli feel is most effective? One way a prince can gain fame, is by giving outstanding examples of his greatness. For example, when someone does something extraordinary (either good or bad), he should punish or reward them, depending on which is best fit for the situation, because after such, it will be much talked about. A prince should also show himself a lover of merit and encourage his subjects to improve on their talents as well as offer awards to those who do so. This will not only increase their skills, but also help the state as a whole, because as a whole, the state is becoming more valuable. In gaining fame, it is important to also keep people busy, such as with festivals, shows, etc. Because his state is made of many groups and guilds, he must pay attention to each group and even give them an example of his generosity and humanity. In mingling with them though, he must make sure to not appear undignified to this
subjects. Machiavelli also stressed the importance about war. A prince should never remain neutral in war and should always take sides. If a prince chooses to stay in neutrality, he will find himself with no friends or allies; he will fall to the satisfaction of the loser, and will immediate be a prize to the victor. Although he did not partake in the war, the winner will not automatically be merciful to him, and will not choose friends, especially those who did not help him succeed, and the loser will not even receive him because he did not help them either, and so in remaining neutral, the prince will have gained nothing.
12.) What is the best way to ensure the loyalty of a servant? In being sure of the loyalty of the prince’s, he should show him many kindnesses. He should honor him, enrich him, and give him greater and more responsible tasks and in doing so, the offices he holds of which the prince gave him, will make him fearful in change and thus, he will remain loyal.
13.) What is the danger of flattery? Flattery proposes a danger because as human beings, it is natural for powerful men to become too self-absorbed. Because men take much pleasure in their own things, they will deceive themselves about themselves and will be ruined.
14.) How should a prince go about avoiding flattery? In avoiding flattery, a prince should let people understand that they will not offend him by speaking the truth, but then this poses a problem, because if everyone can speak out truthfully to the prince, he will start to lose respect. So, the prince should allow only those wise advisors of which he picks out to talk to him and give him advice. The prince should listen very intently, but should, in the end, make his own decisions. A prince should always seek advice, but only when he wants to and not when others push it upon him and therefore, the prince must always ask for advice but again, should be firm in his own decision and take them into his own accord. Because men will always be false unless compelled to be truthful, if the prince feels anyone hesitates in telling him the truth, he is right to be angry, and should punish them accordingly. A prince though, must also be wise himself so as to not risk being governed by, and loosing the state to one of his own advisors due to his lack of intelligence. He should also be cautious in taking council with many men because then, he will not be able to bring their conflicting opinions together. In conclusion, councils must be due to the reasonability of the prince, not the opposite.
Lacey Fierro
Lee-5
AP Euro
12 October 2011
Cesare Borgia
To be considered a Machiavellian ruler, one must act in accordance to the principles and virtues that are discussed and stated by Machiavelli in his book, The Prince. It was suggested that, in order to be successful in power, one would possess the qualities of which Cesare Borgia, and of course other rulers, have. Cesare Borgia would be considered a Machiavellian because of his actions and behavior, of which Machiavelli actually admires. It is also said that it was Cesare Borgia that was the inspiration to Machiavelli when he was writing about the ideal prince. Cesare Borgia was known very much his cruelty, one of which Machiavelli states is crucial in a prince to have when running a state. Though Cesare was considered to be cruel, it was through his cruelty that he was able to bring peace and order to the lands that he conquered and succeeded in uniting and stabilizing Romagna. A cruel ruler will do good to create fear amongst his subjects, because in creating fear he will refrain from having disorders arise. Cesare succeeds in showing cruelty, and although he did not show compassion, he actually showed more compassion than those who tried to escape the name of cruelty, such as the Florentine people had tried. In trying to escape being called cruel, the Florentine people allowed Pistoia, one of their own cities, to be destroyed where as through cruelty, and not minding on the fact that he was cruel, he actually brought together a country: Romagna. A prince, in trying to gain fame, should give outstanding examples of his greatness, meaning that when someone does something that is extraordinary, whether it be good or bad, a prince should reward or punish that deed accordingly. This is exactly what Cesare Borgia did to his rebellious captains in Senigallia. Cesare’s mercenaries set a plot against him, fearing his uncontrolled power, by leading an alliance of forces in revolt. Cesare though, fought back defensively and in the end, was able to split the alliance that was set against him. Cesare called for a truce with the remaining conspirators, but instead, imprisoned them in Senigallia and later had them executed for treason. The rebellious commander proposed an extraordinary act in leading a rebellion, of which Cesare responded back with punishment. In successfully doing this, he has automatically gained fame, because it is said that if a prince does these things, reward those who do extraordinary deeds, it will be much talked about within his citizens. Not only does this situation gain him more fame though, it also gives his subjects more of a reason to fear him because, the conspirators being examples, they know the punishment of treason and that Cesare strictly enforces this. On the subject of fear, by ensuring to bestow fear upon his people, Cesare can keep control of his state. Disorders tend to arise more easily and commonly because when a prince is loved, he is too tender and merciful and so his subjects take advantage of that. At the same time, in being feared, it is important to not gain the hate of the people, because being feared without being hated would do very well for a prince to obtain. Cesare was not merciful, as he showed with the conspirators, and because he executed the conspirators on the account of treason, he was able to abstain from gaining hatred as well. When it is necessary to take a life, it should be done within good reason, and also in having that reason made clear. This execution not only gave an example of Cesare’s cruelty, but also showed how merciless he was. Cesare creates fear upon his people in this execution because he made an example of the mercenaries showing the punishment for treason, but not only in treason, but just by showing punishment, his subjects will fear him and restrain from committing them, thus reducing the amount of crime on the streets. In this same situation of the rebellious mercenaries, Cesare is also able to show that he is deceitful. He shows that he was successfully able to imitate both the lion and the fox. He acts as the lion in fighting off the rebellion and in successfully conquering over them, and acts as the fox in cunningly deceiving them afterwards. After splitting the alliance against that was set against him, he called for a truce with the remaining conspirators, but didn’t keep with what he had said. Instead of living up to that truce, he imprisoned and executed them, because those who don’t keep their word get the better of those who do. Machiavelli states that a prince must break a promise when they go against his interests or when the reasons for which the promise were made no longer exist and in this, allowing the conspirators to live after having led a rebellion against him, was definitely not in Cesare’s interest. It is highly suggested that in times of war, a prince will not remain neutral, because in doing so, he will be ruined and lose the state. Instead, it is better for a prince to always take sides, just as Cesare did in the Italian Wars. Cesare followed with Louis XII when he marched to Milan and in capturing it, and in doing so, after Milan had been subdued, Louis provided Cesare with an army of about 1,800 cavalry and more than 4,000 Swiss and Gascon infantry. In taking sides, and in this case, Louis XII’s side, Cesare gained an alliance with Louis XII (and thus with France), extra arms for his military, and a wife, Charlotte d’Albret, of which Louis arranged for Cesare to marry. In always taking sides in times of war, there will always be a gain of some sort rather than if one stayed neutral. Even if the side taken is the one of which lost, there is nothing worse than staying neutral because even if Cesare had lost, for following him, Louis XII would have still received him and so his alliance would still stay intact, where as in neutrality, Cesare would have gained nothing and probably lost the state. Cesare Borgia had more of a political insight than of a religious one and although he was not religious, he could have still seemed religious in the eyes of many of his subjects. This is very important because being religious is the most important virtue to at least seem to have, according to Machiavelli. It is because people judge more on appearance than on feeling, that Cesare could get away with seeming to be religious. Cesare held the office of a church as Bishop of Pamplona at 15, and then later on, at 17, Cardinal of Valencia. Although he resigned his title as Cardinal to pursue his interests in the military, he still had a connection to the church through his father, Pope Alexander VI, which helped to carry on this illusion of being religious. According to Alexander Dumas, a French writer, Cesare Borgia is said to also have been the influence of many images of Jesus Christ, making Cesare a sort of symbol for religion. Cesare is considered a Machiavellian prince because of his cruelty, mercilessness, untrustworthiness, “religiousness,” he took sides in war, and was feared by his subjects and yet not hated by them. In having many of the traits Machiavelli discusses, Cesare successfully ruled the states he conquered and was mighty at war. He could be considered the ideal prince for Machiavelli, and an inspiration about what behaviors a prince should have as well.
Lee-5
AP Euro
12 October 2011
Analysis: The Prince
The ideal prince, for most people, would be one of which who show trustworthiness, mercy, religiousness, etc., all of which are good traits. On the contrary, according to Machiavelli, the ideal prince would at most show none of these traits and yet seem to possess them all at once. The ideal prince for Machiavelli would be one who is cruel and prudent and is more miserly than liberal. Machiavelli feels that an ideal prince would be cruel enough to bestow enough fear upon his subjects that he would gain respect, while at the same time not gain their hate. A prince would have to be bad rather than good and avoid bad habits, although if it is impossible to avoid them, …show more content…
to at least avoids those that would harm the prince’s reputation more. Stinginess would allow a prince to reign greatly because he is using the money of his citizens instead of his own, allowing him to escape becoming poor, and also to be respected by his citizens because in their eyes, they’ll see him as liberal for being able to maintain and increase revenue which would help to defend himself, and his kingdom against those who seek to overtake him. A prince would do good to be considered feared, for a prince loved, would allow disorders to break out, putting his kingdom in chaos, while one who is feared, will avoid such instances because of his reputation for cruelty. An ideal prince, in Machiavelli’s eyes, would show the characteristics of the fox and the lion well balanced and will be able to deceive those willing to be deceived and get away with it. The ideal prince would be a great listener of advice, but will act independently and on his own accord. Although Machiavelli’s views in the ideal leader contradict with others, who would see it the other way, Machiavelli believes that seeming to obtain good qualities and not have them will help a prince in becoming successful. Obtaining such qualities as cruelty, miserliness, cunning, and breaking his word, will help a prince greatly in running his kingdom because although he possesses the qualities of which would naturally receive blame by his subjects, he will, instead, be praised. Because his kingdom will be prosperous, his citizens will only expect that the king is doing great things and therefore blindly give him praise for them.
Lacey Fierro
Lee-5
AP Euro
12 October 2011
“The Prince” Questions
1.) Which qualities does Machiavelli say leaders will reap praise? Blame? Leaders will be able to reap praise if he is trustworthy, merciful, humane, generous, shows a religious affiliation, etc., and if he is able to show all these characteristics, would gain an incredible amount of praise and respect by his people because these are all traits that show him a kind leader. The qualities that leaders would reap blame from would be those of the opposite. If a leader showed the characteristics of being greedy and rapacious, cruel, arrogant, having no religion, and broke his word on a promise, to his citizens, he would gain a bad reputation and would not be praised at all. The qualities above that give a leader praise and blame are all according to the words of other writers hoping to give an insight as to what you would need to have in order to become successful in power. Although it seems logical and reasonable to gain praise when you are trustworthy and blame when you are not, Machiavelli sees differently.
2.) Which kind of qualities does Machiavelli recommend rulers to follow? The very things that would, as stated above, gain blame, Machiavelli recommends rulers to follow. He states that it would be a good thing to be bad, rather than good and that having prudence is necessary in maintaining the state. Machiavelli states the fact that “many things that appear good will damage a prince‘s power while those that appear bad will enhance it.” In this, he tells rulers that, in being cruel, it can actually increase is power. It is because of the very fact that no one can possess all the traits that would reap praise that a ruler should, at least, seem to have them, therefore deceiving his subjects and gaining respect, increasing his power. A ruler must guard himself against all of his bad habits due to the fact that he is always in the public eye, and, if not possible to do so, to at least guard him against those bad habits that would cause him to lose the state or harm his reputation. According to Machiavelli, it is sometimes necessary to be cruel in order to prevent greater wrongs.
3.) Why does Machiavelli consider liberality dangerous? Being liberal means being generous, but for a ruler, generosity can be dangerous due to the fact that it cannot be seen easily by others. In order for generosity to even be recognized, it must be exaggerated, and thus can lead the prince to become poor and lose the state in his greed to gain back the money and resources he had lost. If a prince is generous to an extent where it will actually be noticed and recognized, it means he is giving away his own resources which, in time will lead him to nothing. The prince will be hated because, in order to gain back his resources, he would have to get more money by increasing taxes, thus robbing and angering his subjects. In being liberal, generosity benefits few and harms many.
4.) When does Machiavelli say that rulers should be liberal in their expenditures? When should they be miserly? Machiavelli suggests for rulers to be liberal to those he doesn’t take from, who are infinite in number. Those whom he does not give to, who are few in number, a ruler will be miserly to. In addition, rulers should be liberal to his armies.
5.) Is it wiser to be viewed as liberal or miserly? According to Machiavelli, a prince must not object to being known as a miser, because stinginess can allow rulers to reign successfully. In being miserly, a prince will not use up all his resources as he would if he were liberal, but, instead use the money and resources from his subjects. In spending the wealth of others, rather than having his reputation diminished as it would seem, a prince’s reputation will actually be increased, because after a time, people will begin to see him as being liberal due to the fact that the revenue he has is enough to allow him to be able to maintain and defend the state. It is necessary to seem, or be considered liberal, something of which a prince can successfully do in being miserly.
6.) What is the danger in being loved? The main danger in being loved is the excess of tenderness that will result. In being loved, disorders will arise because men will have less hesitation and difficulty in offending someone who makes them loved. Allowing to be loved, impairs the whole community, not just an individual.
7.) Is it safer to be feared, or to be loved? Why? It is much easier, and much more important, to be feared than to be loved. Fear is maintained through the dread of punishment where as love is an obligation that can easily be broken by the selfishness of men. It is important for a prince to be feared, and for him to bestow enough fear into his subjects that they will respect him. A prince should be feared, but at the same time, not fill his subjects with so much fear that they hate him, which is what princes must at all costs avoid: gaining the hatred from the citizens. Being feared without being hated may be achieved by abstaining from taking the property of others; if a life must be taken, to do so within a reasonable cause and within proper justification, because men forget more easily the death of a loved one than the loss of property. And so, to be feared would be the best way for a prince to go about.
8.) What is the significance of the metaphor of the lion and the fox? The metaphor of the lion and the fox describe the dual nature of human kind. The lion, in strength can scare away the wolves, and the fox, in cleverness, can scope out the traps, and so a prince must be able to take on both forms and use both natures according to the situation, because one without the other is not durable. The lion and the fox symbolize the two methods of fighting: one of which by law, which is that of men, and the other by force, which is that of beasts. It is necessary for a prince to know both and to use both as the situation provides.
9.) Why do leaders need to keep a balance between fox and lion? A prince must be as cunning as a fox, and as strong as a lion. In other words, a prince must know how to deceive and get away with it. Princes should never keep their word when it would go directly against their interests or put them at a disadvantage, or for when the reasons for which the promise was made no longer exist. There are many people to deceive because people tend to overlook any form of deceit as long as their state is prosperous and peaceful.
10.) Which of the 5 virtues does Machiavelli feel is the most important to appear to possess? Why do you think he claims that is the most important? A prince must have a balance of everything, but of the five virtues, seeming to be religious would be the most important because people of the same religion will see him as a servant of God and therefore praise him more. Seeming to be religious would also be easy for a prince, because people judge solely on appearance and results.
Everyone can see, but only few can feel, and the few that do will not speak out against the prince because they are greatly outnumbered by the people who can’t feel.
11.) Discuss the different ways in which princes can gain fame. Which of these does Machiavelli feel is most effective? One way a prince can gain fame, is by giving outstanding examples of his greatness. For example, when someone does something extraordinary (either good or bad), he should punish or reward them, depending on which is best fit for the situation, because after such, it will be much talked about. A prince should also show himself a lover of merit and encourage his subjects to improve on their talents as well as offer awards to those who do so. This will not only increase their skills, but also help the state as a whole, because as a whole, the state is becoming more valuable. In gaining fame, it is important to also keep people busy, such as with festivals, shows, etc. Because his state is made of many groups and guilds, he must pay attention to each group and even give them an example of his generosity and humanity. In mingling with them though, he must make sure to not appear undignified to this
subjects. Machiavelli also stressed the importance about war. A prince should never remain neutral in war and should always take sides. If a prince chooses to stay in neutrality, he will find himself with no friends or allies; he will fall to the satisfaction of the loser, and will immediate be a prize to the victor. Although he did not partake in the war, the winner will not automatically be merciful to him, and will not choose friends, especially those who did not help him succeed, and the loser will not even receive him because he did not help them either, and so in remaining neutral, the prince will have gained nothing.
12.) What is the best way to ensure the loyalty of a servant? In being sure of the loyalty of the prince’s, he should show him many kindnesses. He should honor him, enrich him, and give him greater and more responsible tasks and in doing so, the offices he holds of which the prince gave him, will make him fearful in change and thus, he will remain loyal.
13.) What is the danger of flattery? Flattery proposes a danger because as human beings, it is natural for powerful men to become too self-absorbed. Because men take much pleasure in their own things, they will deceive themselves about themselves and will be ruined.
14.) How should a prince go about avoiding flattery? In avoiding flattery, a prince should let people understand that they will not offend him by speaking the truth, but then this poses a problem, because if everyone can speak out truthfully to the prince, he will start to lose respect. So, the prince should allow only those wise advisors of which he picks out to talk to him and give him advice. The prince should listen very intently, but should, in the end, make his own decisions. A prince should always seek advice, but only when he wants to and not when others push it upon him and therefore, the prince must always ask for advice but again, should be firm in his own decision and take them into his own accord. Because men will always be false unless compelled to be truthful, if the prince feels anyone hesitates in telling him the truth, he is right to be angry, and should punish them accordingly. A prince though, must also be wise himself so as to not risk being governed by, and loosing the state to one of his own advisors due to his lack of intelligence. He should also be cautious in taking council with many men because then, he will not be able to bring their conflicting opinions together. In conclusion, councils must be due to the reasonability of the prince, not the opposite.
Lacey Fierro
Lee-5
AP Euro
12 October 2011
Cesare Borgia
To be considered a Machiavellian ruler, one must act in accordance to the principles and virtues that are discussed and stated by Machiavelli in his book, The Prince. It was suggested that, in order to be successful in power, one would possess the qualities of which Cesare Borgia, and of course other rulers, have. Cesare Borgia would be considered a Machiavellian because of his actions and behavior, of which Machiavelli actually admires. It is also said that it was Cesare Borgia that was the inspiration to Machiavelli when he was writing about the ideal prince. Cesare Borgia was known very much his cruelty, one of which Machiavelli states is crucial in a prince to have when running a state. Though Cesare was considered to be cruel, it was through his cruelty that he was able to bring peace and order to the lands that he conquered and succeeded in uniting and stabilizing Romagna. A cruel ruler will do good to create fear amongst his subjects, because in creating fear he will refrain from having disorders arise. Cesare succeeds in showing cruelty, and although he did not show compassion, he actually showed more compassion than those who tried to escape the name of cruelty, such as the Florentine people had tried. In trying to escape being called cruel, the Florentine people allowed Pistoia, one of their own cities, to be destroyed where as through cruelty, and not minding on the fact that he was cruel, he actually brought together a country: Romagna. A prince, in trying to gain fame, should give outstanding examples of his greatness, meaning that when someone does something that is extraordinary, whether it be good or bad, a prince should reward or punish that deed accordingly. This is exactly what Cesare Borgia did to his rebellious captains in Senigallia. Cesare’s mercenaries set a plot against him, fearing his uncontrolled power, by leading an alliance of forces in revolt. Cesare though, fought back defensively and in the end, was able to split the alliance that was set against him. Cesare called for a truce with the remaining conspirators, but instead, imprisoned them in Senigallia and later had them executed for treason. The rebellious commander proposed an extraordinary act in leading a rebellion, of which Cesare responded back with punishment. In successfully doing this, he has automatically gained fame, because it is said that if a prince does these things, reward those who do extraordinary deeds, it will be much talked about within his citizens. Not only does this situation gain him more fame though, it also gives his subjects more of a reason to fear him because, the conspirators being examples, they know the punishment of treason and that Cesare strictly enforces this. On the subject of fear, by ensuring to bestow fear upon his people, Cesare can keep control of his state. Disorders tend to arise more easily and commonly because when a prince is loved, he is too tender and merciful and so his subjects take advantage of that. At the same time, in being feared, it is important to not gain the hate of the people, because being feared without being hated would do very well for a prince to obtain. Cesare was not merciful, as he showed with the conspirators, and because he executed the conspirators on the account of treason, he was able to abstain from gaining hatred as well. When it is necessary to take a life, it should be done within good reason, and also in having that reason made clear. This execution not only gave an example of Cesare’s cruelty, but also showed how merciless he was. Cesare creates fear upon his people in this execution because he made an example of the mercenaries showing the punishment for treason, but not only in treason, but just by showing punishment, his subjects will fear him and restrain from committing them, thus reducing the amount of crime on the streets. In this same situation of the rebellious mercenaries, Cesare is also able to show that he is deceitful. He shows that he was successfully able to imitate both the lion and the fox. He acts as the lion in fighting off the rebellion and in successfully conquering over them, and acts as the fox in cunningly deceiving them afterwards. After splitting the alliance against that was set against him, he called for a truce with the remaining conspirators, but didn’t keep with what he had said. Instead of living up to that truce, he imprisoned and executed them, because those who don’t keep their word get the better of those who do. Machiavelli states that a prince must break a promise when they go against his interests or when the reasons for which the promise were made no longer exist and in this, allowing the conspirators to live after having led a rebellion against him, was definitely not in Cesare’s interest. It is highly suggested that in times of war, a prince will not remain neutral, because in doing so, he will be ruined and lose the state. Instead, it is better for a prince to always take sides, just as Cesare did in the Italian Wars. Cesare followed with Louis XII when he marched to Milan and in capturing it, and in doing so, after Milan had been subdued, Louis provided Cesare with an army of about 1,800 cavalry and more than 4,000 Swiss and Gascon infantry. In taking sides, and in this case, Louis XII’s side, Cesare gained an alliance with Louis XII (and thus with France), extra arms for his military, and a wife, Charlotte d’Albret, of which Louis arranged for Cesare to marry. In always taking sides in times of war, there will always be a gain of some sort rather than if one stayed neutral. Even if the side taken is the one of which lost, there is nothing worse than staying neutral because even if Cesare had lost, for following him, Louis XII would have still received him and so his alliance would still stay intact, where as in neutrality, Cesare would have gained nothing and probably lost the state. Cesare Borgia had more of a political insight than of a religious one and although he was not religious, he could have still seemed religious in the eyes of many of his subjects. This is very important because being religious is the most important virtue to at least seem to have, according to Machiavelli. It is because people judge more on appearance than on feeling, that Cesare could get away with seeming to be religious. Cesare held the office of a church as Bishop of Pamplona at 15, and then later on, at 17, Cardinal of Valencia. Although he resigned his title as Cardinal to pursue his interests in the military, he still had a connection to the church through his father, Pope Alexander VI, which helped to carry on this illusion of being religious. According to Alexander Dumas, a French writer, Cesare Borgia is said to also have been the influence of many images of Jesus Christ, making Cesare a sort of symbol for religion. Cesare is considered a Machiavellian prince because of his cruelty, mercilessness, untrustworthiness, “religiousness,” he took sides in war, and was feared by his subjects and yet not hated by them. In having many of the traits Machiavelli discusses, Cesare successfully ruled the states he conquered and was mighty at war. He could be considered the ideal prince for Machiavelli, and an inspiration about what behaviors a prince should have as well.