Machiavlellis rule likea lion and a fox
Like a “Lion” and a “Fox”
“Is it better to be loved more than feared or feared more than loved?” This quote is just one of the many questions Machiavelli wrote in his book The Prince. The theme of The Prince is to act like a lion and a fox. Being a lion is being honorable and well respected while being a fox is being sly and secretive. Two “New Monarchs” Louis XI of France and Isabella and Ferdinand of Spain used Machiavelli’s advice. While both Monarchs took Machiavelli’s advice to gain wealth through taxation or new industries and power through war, Isabella and Ferdinand of Spain took Machiavelli’s advice to heart and took control of Spain with the illusion of being a Christian to be respected, Louis XI was indecisive did not capitalize on isolation and relied on luck. That means Isabella and Ferdinand used The Prince to a higher degree then Louis XI. Isabella and Ferdinand took control of their nation while acting as moral Christians and Louis XI stopped robbers to show power. In order to stop the crime in Spain the “Hermandes” were revived. The Hermandes acted as a local police to stop violence with severe punishment. This is an example of how an honorable thing such as ending crime puts fear into the people. The greatest point Spain took from Machiavelli’s The Prince was to appear religious. Ferdinand was not religious but the illusion of his religion gave him more respect and the ability to make all of the Jews accept baptism. Then anti-Semitic pogroms swept the town either converting or killing the Jews and if they did convert they would be considered “New Christians”. Isabella and Ferdinand feared the power of nobility and rebuilt the council with middle-class men while Louis XI used his army to stop robbers but he never struck fear in his people so he did not entirely follow Machiavelli’s advice. In the category of showing power over their nations Spain showed much more power than France. Isabella and Ferdinand of Spain used severe taxation to
“Is it better to be loved more than feared or feared more than loved?” This quote is just one of the many questions Machiavelli wrote in his book The Prince. The theme of The Prince is to act like a lion and a fox. Being a lion is being honorable and well respected while being a fox is being sly and secretive. Two “New Monarchs” Louis XI of France and Isabella and Ferdinand of Spain used Machiavelli’s advice. While both Monarchs took Machiavelli’s advice to gain wealth through taxation or new industries and power through war, Isabella and Ferdinand of Spain took Machiavelli’s advice to heart and took control of Spain with the illusion of being a Christian to be respected, Louis XI was indecisive did not capitalize on isolation and relied on luck. That means Isabella and Ferdinand used The Prince to a higher degree then Louis XI. Isabella and Ferdinand took control of their nation while acting as moral Christians and Louis XI stopped robbers to show power. In order to stop the crime in Spain the “Hermandes” were revived. The Hermandes acted as a local police to stop violence with severe punishment. This is an example of how an honorable thing such as ending crime puts fear into the people. The greatest point Spain took from Machiavelli’s The Prince was to appear religious. Ferdinand was not religious but the illusion of his religion gave him more respect and the ability to make all of the Jews accept baptism. Then anti-Semitic pogroms swept the town either converting or killing the Jews and if they did convert they would be considered “New Christians”. Isabella and Ferdinand feared the power of nobility and rebuilt the council with middle-class men while Louis XI used his army to stop robbers but he never struck fear in his people so he did not entirely follow Machiavelli’s advice. In the category of showing power over their nations Spain showed much more power than France. Isabella and Ferdinand of Spain used severe taxation to