Machiavellian Ideal

The mention of Machiavelli’s name incites negative connotations. Machiavelli’s message in The Prince is often misinterpreted to suggest that he advocates the idea of “The end justifying the means”. However, Machiavelli never supported the practice of evil in itself; rather, he acknowledged the fact that, in certain situations, evil has to be used. Despite this fact, throughout Europe in the time of Shakespeare, Machiavellian methods were seen as immoral and evil. Shakespeare, however, incorporates the ideas of Machiavelli into his plays because these ideas work for the good of England. He incorporates Machiavelli’s ideas into his play through the dichotomy of characters that is King Richard II and Henry Bolingbroke. Richard II is an inept

He discusses that the prince have military knowledge, love and fear, trustworthiness, and good and bad reputations. He deeply believes in the art of war. "...a prince must not have any objective nor any thought, nor take up any art, other than the art of war and its ordering and discipline; because it is the only art that pertains to him who commands. And it is of such virtue that not only does it maintain those who were born princes, but many times makes men rise to that rank from private station; and conversely one sees that when princes have thought more of delicacies than of arms, they have lost their state." He also writes about whether it is better to be loved or feared, stating that it is best to be feared, but not hated. Love can change in an instant, and it is better to always have control, even if the prince must be feared. Patriotism and dedication to the state was also a very important aspect. In conclusion, Machiavelli strived for power and strength by any means possible. Through violence and fear, the end result would be worth it to him.

The concept of a ruler doing evil in order to maintain his kingdom is well displayed by him. He obtained his princedom by wiping out disloyal troops, conquest foreign lands, and created a loyal army. While reading chapter fifteen of The Prince, Machiavelli expresses why it is necessary that a Prince should know both virtues and vices. The Prince needs to know when to use either one to “bring him security and prosperity” (The Prince 73). Although a Prince would be praiseworthy to show all of the good qualities Machiavelli lists, it is hard to obtain all of them at once, and because of that, “it is necessary for him to be sufficiently prudent…” (The Prince 72.) Machiavelli also states that a Prince has to know how to make use of his evil depending on the situation and according to

In The Prince, Machiavelli doesn’t hesitate to recommend that a ruler employ conventionally immoral methods against his own subjects to maintain authority over them, but he does imply that whatever a ruler does should ultimately benefit the community. A Prince’s actions may be cruel, manipulative, or otherwise immoral, but they put him in the position to govern. On occasion, Machiavelli even suggests that gaining power through immoral acts is the best way to improve a community because immorality is pragmatic in a way morality is not. A strong ruler established by immoral means can then do good for his state; Machiavelli indicates that simply having power is not enough. A ruler should also use it well. Admittedly, a ruler may only want to do good for his state in an effort to secure his own position at its head, but the effect he has is no less good for the lack of selfless reasoning behind it. Machiavelli implies that a strong ruler who necessarily acquires and keeps power through immoral actions has a generally good effect on his state, which is a naturally moral byproduct of otherwise immoral deeds.

He placed emphasis on how a prince should do anything to maintain and increase their own powers – it was apparent that he felt the individual needs of a prince in terms of the power and authority was important and that a prince should do whatever he felt necessary to protect the state and as a result it would mean a prince’s position as a ruler was also prodected. [Wheeler, 2011] Machiavelli placed a large amount on the emphasis on the fact that a prince must be seen to be a moral - but he is able act un-morally if it contributes to the good of the state or provides him with more power. He must be loved by the people and he must also be feared in order to maintain his role as a ruler of a state. Machiavelli argued that if a prince cannot be both loved and feared - it is better for him to be feared as more people would be scared to question him and afraid of the consequences that may follow. This results in more power and authority for the prince but at the same time it means that the prince is less accountable. This is a benefit for the prince but no for the people living within the state that Machiavelli is suggesting (Macmillian, 2006)

Machiavelli’s interpretation of human nature was greatly shaped by his belief in God. In his writings, Machiavelli conceives that humans were given free will by God, and the choices made with such freedom established the innate flaws in humans. Based on that, he attributes the successes and failure of princes to their intrinsic weaknesses, and directs his writing towards those faults. His works are rooted in how personal attributes tend to affect the decisions one makes and focuses on the singular commanding force of power. Fixating on how the prince needs to draw people’s support, Machiavelli emphasizes the importance of doing what is best for the greater good. He proposed that working toward a selfish goal, instead of striving towards a better state, should warrant punishment. Machiavelli is a practical person and always thought of pragmatic ways to approach situations, applying to his notions regarding politics and

In The Prince, Machiavelli explains what a good and successful prince should be like. He advocates a strong, cutthroat authority figure and encourages the winning of power by any means necessary. The main theme in The Prince is that mob rule is dangerous, for people know only what is good for themselves and not what is good for the whole. The common people, in Machiavelli’s view, “are ungrateful, fickle, liars, and deceivers, they shun danger and are greedy for profit; while you treat them well, they are yours”. He believes that these commoners should be

Machiavelli considers society an immoral place. According to Machiavelli as stated in The Discourses on Livy, “for as men are, by nature, more prone to evil than to good”. The Prince is a manual for being a successful ruler in an immoral society. Often times that success is met by committing immoral acts. Machiavelli, an outsider to the inner workings of government gives what he thinks are the critical tools to being a successful ruler in modern society. “Sometimes you have to play hardball” is a saying from today that I relate to his philosophies.

Therefore if a prince wants to maintain his rule, he must be prepared not to be virtuous, and to make use of this or not according to need” (“The Influence of Machiavelli on Shakespeare”).

The Prince is essentially a guide book on how to acquire and maintain political power. We can think of it as a collection of rules and methods to achieve a level of superior authority. Its main focus is that the ends—no matter how immoral—justify the means for preserving political authority. While some may agree with this mindset of thinking many today dismiss Machiavelli as a cynic. The book shows rulers how it is that they should act to survive in the real world to maintain authority. While Niccolo Machiavelli’s ideas can be radical, they helped to spark a revolution in political philosophy. Although his ideas might have not been completely original, they were very different and unheard of at the time, The Prince, was published. Machiavelli uses many methods to convey his messages including biblical comparisons and of course metaphors. This character can be viewed in several manners. He is almighty and powerful, stopping at nothing to achieve his goals or have his ways. While this quality does qualify him to be a might leader it also raises the question of immorality. How far will one go to maintain order? Would you stop at nothing to achieve this task? Machiavelli shows this by saying, “it is

In his book The Prince, Machiavelli suggests ways in which someone can acquire and hold power. He does this by urging that a prince be bold, and that at times he should be cruel, or else he will lose the support of his subjects resulting in the government being overthrown. In addition, he states that a prince should lie to his subjects, then lie again when caught. Besides that, he says a prince should lure others into trusting him then murder them. Machiavelli also says that a prince should hide behind others when he is caught for his offenses.

Truth be told, they ought not to permit themselves to be administer as indicated by any standard other than the ability to do what is important to manage whatever issues that fortune tosses in his way. He ought to will to be exploitative, advising individuals what they need to listen, however it is similarly essential that he be sufficiently quick to make individuals trust that he is straightforward. “It is not essential, then, that a Prince should have all the good qualities [of leadership], but it is most essential that he should seem to have them; I will even venture to affirm that if he has and invariably practices them all, they are hurtful, whereas the appearance of having them is useful.” Essentially, he ought to be frugal while having all the generous of being liberal, and despite the fact that he ought to be merciless, he ought to have all the qualities of being just. To be sure, in Machiavelli's politics issues, appearances are everything, as is flexibility. The sovereign's prudence lay not in his acquiescence to some abstract moral code, but instead in his eagerness to do whatever the circumstance called for. Machiavelli's tough practicality is summarized by the following quote. “It seems to me better to follow the real truth of things than an imaginary view of them. For many Republics and Princedoms have been imagined

In his approach to generosity and meanness, Machiavelli wants us to start first by avoiding the mindset that the right thing to do will also turn out to be useful (Machiavelli 1994). Furthermore, if a prince wants to maintain his power, he should know when he should act immorally. While Cicero argues that it is good to be generous, Machiavelli argues that it is simply not possible to be perfect and so we cannot adhere to morality as often as we would like (Machiavelli 1994, chap. 15). Machiavelli goes on to argue that a life of politics and living a life of generosity would only make it difficult to maintain quality and as a result, politics is not the right pathway for those who want to live a life of generosity (Machiavelli 1994). Overall, Machiavelli believes we should avoid vices and bad qualities that would undermine your power and only assume to use them when it makes us stronger. Moreover, when using virtues, we should not allow ourselves to show weakness. Also, generosity can come at a cost, such that it takes up a lot of resources and for example, it can lead rulers to raising taxes, while losing the respect of their people. Next, Machiavelli looks at cruelty and Hannibal. This is a criticism towards merciful leaders as even the slightest hesitation will let things get out of hand. Ideally, just like Hannibal, Machiavelli wants princes to be both feared and loved by their people (Machiavelli 1994). On such cases, Machiavelli also brings our attention to princes and how they should shape their appearances towards their people. The basic principle to appearance is to know when to virtuous and to be virtuous when it deems possible. However, if we should be cruel, we must keep the appearance of being cruel (Machiavelli 1994, 55). This is because the people will only know what they can see and the outcomes. So, if a prince says the right things and gets

Machiavelli has another argument “concerning those who become princes by evil means.”# He believes that cruelty can also be used to benefit the prince but only in modesty. If a prince frequently relies on cruel acts then he will not live in power for long. Proper use of cruelty is only achieved when it is done “out of the need for safety” and when it is done swiftly as to make sure that the act is quickly forgotten, and the people can return to a feeling of safety.# His idea that cruelty should be swift is excellent, this way the citizens will feel more at ease with there prince, because if he were to drag out the atrocities then the people may feel the need to revolt to protect their personal freedoms and civil rights. Many people may think these are evil ideas, but it is completely practical, during Machiavelli’s era (and even today) a prince will always face a moment in this rule that he will have to act in a cruel manner, in no way is this statement cruel it is just a practical way of dealing with a inevitable situation. He also believes that “benefits ought to be given little by little, so that the flavour of them may last longer.”# As much as people may be discusted by this

The prince thus has to "know how to use wisely the natures of the beast and the man". He should balance his kindness, and should prefer to be feared than loved. he does not have to believe in integrity. He has "to be a great hypocrite and a liar. This confirm Machiavelli statement back in chapter XV, that a prince who wants to maintain his principalities has to learn "how not to be good." Thus we see that Machiavelli's prince Machiavelli is a big manipulator.