The Prince

1458 Words3 Pages

Bennett Watson
Prof. Beach
DWC-001
23 April 2018
Shakespeare’s Critique of The Prince
Political power carries many different beliefs of how it should be performed. Throughout history, humans have been trying to encode the best and proper way to influence or outright control the behavior of people. When controlled and displayed properly civilization can thrive and continue to develop. Attaining this power and figuring out who should have power is not easy. Machiavelli and Shakespeare are two influential figures who take on the task of political power. Machiavelli, in The Prince, focuses on the truths of politics. The Prince highlights Machiavelli’s universal theory of how a prince should rule. It tackles how a prince can gain control and how …show more content…

Borgia’s “cruelty restored order to Romagna, unified it, and restored it to peace and loyalty. When you come to think about it, you’ll see him as being much more truly merciful than the Florentines who, to avoid a reputation for cruelty, allowed Pistoia to be destroyed” (Machiavelli 17: 35). Analyzing his actions and way of handling the minister is an excellent example of the political virtue Machiavelli preaches. Borgia in this situation demonstrates that wisdom on love and fear as well as this understanding of the inner essence of the citizens is exactly what people look for and need in a ruler. The punishment is going to leave the people with satisfaction that action was taken while it also leaves them with comfort since their ruler is strong and is being active. He is not pretending to do work or only doing the work that is known by the people, but rather works behind the scenes. This paired with the symbolism of the punishment puts forth the image and works of a wise leader. The man divided the body of politics and his punishment is he himself will be physically divided. This course of action shows a ruler who uses wisdom. Machiavelli relays that this is how a balance of love and fear is effective. Too much love and one will be disregarded to easily and too much fear the ruler will be hated. Borgia is the embodiment of Machiavelli’s theory of how a ruler should rule. Since Borgia was able to achieve and rule in this manner, Machiavelli feels every ruler should and is capable of ruling in this ideal

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