Machiavelli's The Prince

In “The Prince”, Machiavelli suggests that a prince should have five qualities which include; merciful, faithful, humane, upright, and religious. Machiavelli specifies that it is not a must to have those five qualities, but that it is necessary to appear to have them in order to be an accomplished leader. The first quality Machiavelli suggests that a prince should appear to have is mercy. It is a courageous act of a prince to give up the temptation to take revenge on those who oppose his rise to power. Appearing to give forgiveness is a merciful act in which allows the prince to show true remorse and commitment to those who were wronged and restore the trust that has been compromised. The aspect of learning from past mistakes makes his followers

have more support as they know that they can be forgiven. The second quality Machiavelli suggests that a prince should appear to have is faith. Machiavelli acknowledges that a prince who honours his word is usually praised by others.

However, a prince who uses deception to appear loyal achieves far more success as a leader. Machiavelli points out the importance of using laws and arms to secure one’s position as a leader. While fighting by the law is natural to mankind and fighting by force is natural to beasts, Machiavelli argues that a prince must appear to act like a beast in order to be sufficient, which shows his dedication to his followers. The third quality Machiavelli suggests that a prince should appear to have is humanity. A prince must have a mind that is ready to act accordingly to any sort of unfortunate events that may put the country in danger. Doing so makes the prince appear considerate since the prince must always take care of his people and the state. The fourth quality Machiavelli suggests that a prince should appear to have is honesty. A prince must learn to use both the natures of a lion and a fox. Machiavelli uses a metaphor that explains how the lion is defenseless against traps, but can easily frighten off wolves, whereas, the fox is defenseless against wolves but is able to recognize

traps. Machiavelli uses the metaphor to argue that a prince must be crafty and keep his word only when it benefits his own interests or else he will be tricked.

For this reason, in order for a prince to be a successful leader, he must be a skilled liar because, in the service of the state, dishonesty becomes a virtue. The fifth quality Machiavelli suggests that a prince should appear to have is religion. According to Machiavelli, the importance of religion is necessary to maintain power. Men judge based on appearance and the facade you put on and not by the true nature of an individual. Machiavelli provides an example of a prince named Alexander the Sixth who is seen going into the church as part of his role. Alexander deceives men into believing he practices religion to provide a sense of a common purpose between him and his people. The idea of mutual religious beliefs with his people allows him to create uniformity, making them support him. In conclusion, the five qualities Machiavelli suggests that a prince should appear to have in order to be a successful leader are merciful, faithful, humane, upright, and

religious.
In the film “Elizabeth”, Queen Elizabeth I demonstrates the five qualities that Machiavelli suggests a prince should appear to have which include; merciful, faithful, humane, upright, and religious. The first quality Elizabeth acquires is mercy, which allows her to become a successful leader. Elizabeth has a romantic relationship with Sir Robert Dudley, who attempts to persuade her to marry him. Despite Elizabeth being unaware that Robert is already married, he still fails to convince her to marry him. Once Elizabeth finds out that Robert is married to her cousin, Elizabeth banishes her cousin, but forgives Robert and does not kill him. Elizabeth forgives Robert because she has a genuine affection for him as he is the only man she had ever truly loved. The second quality Elizabeth acquires is faith, which allows her to become a successful leader. Sir Francis Walsingham lets Elizabeth know that there is a priest aboard carrying letters from Rome to those who mean to harm her. He continues by telling her that Norfolk’s power in court is growing and that the priest and his foreign allies are raising an army that will outnumber hers. Elizabeth decides to take on a ruthless act by killing them all to show how loyal she is as she safeguards her country and her people from their enemies. The third quality Elizabeth acquires is humanity, which allows her to become a successful leader. Elizabeth arranges a meeting with the Roman Catholic bishops at the House of Lords in order to propose the Act of Uniformity. Elizabeth believes it is better to have a single Church of England with a common prayer book and a common purpose. The Roman Catholic bishops are quick to believe that it is for her own intentions as a leader, but Elizabeth guarantees them that it is purely for the welfare of her people. Elizabeth shows how compassionate she is by settling religious conflicts to provide protection and peace for her people. The fourth quality Elizabeth acquires is upright, which allows her to become a successful leader. After Elizabeth decides to act upon the priest and his foreign allies by killing them, she has their head put on a spike and left out in public as a warning. Elizabeth is being honest with her people by showing them that whoever betrays her country will not follow their religion and will have no afterlife. The fifth quality Elizabeth acquires is religion, which allows her to become a successful leader. Elizabeth believes that there is one thing higher than royalty and that is religion. That there is one god and if there would be no uniformity of religious beliefs, there would only be fragmentation, dispute, and quarrel. For this reason, she proposes the Act of Uniformity to the House of Lords which unites English Christians under the Church of England and severs their connection to the Vatican. Doing so allows the lords to continue to perform their religious practices and allows Elizabeth to protect her people from the danger of religious conflicts. In conclusion, Queen Elizabeth I is a successful leader because she acquires the five qualities Machiavelli suggests a prince should appear to have which are merciful, faithful, humane, upright, and religious. Elizabeth shows her success through her forty-four years on the throne as she provides stability and forms a sense of national identity for the kingdom.