Niccolo Machiavelli's Il Principio-The Prince

Written in 1511, Machiavelli’s masterpiece, Il Principio- The Prince, was very relevant to leaders during that period. However, almost all of these leaders up until that point, and hundreds of years after, were men. In the handbook, Machiavelli does not often mention women, and one of the few mentions is brutal: “Fortune is a woman and if she is to be submissive it is necessary to beat and coerce her. Experience shows that she is more often subdued by men who do those than by those who act coldly.” Of course, in reading a text such as The Prince, one must acknowledge the mindsets and traditions of the era. During Machiavelli’s life, women were objects instead of people, and they served as trophies. As the modern leader evolved with time, so did the profile of their power. More and more women have held positions of political power as the years have gone on, which raises the question of the relevance of The Prince to, not princes, but princesses. A woman would not only need to focus on the things outlined in The Prince, but she would must go much farther to prove herself in Machiavelli’s eyes, making a Machiavellian princess a breed
It is commonly said that women will use their “feminine wiles” to get what they want- and Machiavelli might approve of this, but as a strategy, it is easy to see through. Instead, in order to achieve what they want, in work or play, a woman must think like a princess. A Machiavellian princess is similar to a Machiavellian prince, in that they plan ahead and brave. However, instead of being as direct and aggressive, a princess uses methods of power sharing and her given wisdom (The Princessa). Harriet Rubin, author of The Princessa: Machiavelli for Women, says that women cannot play by the rules if they wish to succeed. Machiavellian women do not attempt to lessen tension, but rather know how to use it to their own ends. Rubin gives four ways power can, and should, be used by a successful