Machiavelli The Prince Quote Analysis

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Fear is a major theme in Nicolo Machiavelli’s book, The Prince. One of Machiavelli's famous quote in his book is that, “It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both” (Machiavelli, pg.79). Machiavelli is saying that fear is a useful tool for rulers to rule over their people. Machiavelli thinks fear can not be used for the ruler’s own sake but for the people. A similar example is like the executive privilege power that the president of the United States have but not use because it would be political suicide. The executive privilege allows the president not to release information to Congress if it’s in the nation’s best interest not his (president) own. Dictators in the past could have misinterpret the quote (stated above) in Machiavelli’s book, The Prince to rule their people according their (dictators) own …show more content…

Its subjects will be happy that they can appeal to a ruler who is living among them. So, if they're intending to be obedient, they'll have one more reason to love you, and if they're not, all the more reason to fear you” (Machiavelli, pg.6).
Machiavelli suggest that in order to successfully do something when one must do it on their own. Today in politics, the president of the United States dominates the foreign policy even though the Constitution of the United States says in a vague interpretation that all branches of the United States government have some part in the foreign policy making.
Machiavelli advise rulers not to do anything that could result in hatred. Here Machiavelli says:
“All the same, while a ruler can't expect to inspire love when making himself feared, he must avoid arousing hatred. Actually, being feared is perfectly compatible with not being hated. And a ruler won't be hated if he keeps his hands off his subjects' property and their women” (Machiavelli,

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