The Prince Group at eNotes

A phrase like "wrong with Italy" implies some common problem or...

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:29:53 PST

A phrase like "wrong with Italy" implies some common problem or shortcoming of the people of Italy. Machiavelli does not speak about any such problem or shortcoming. Also the book Prince written by him is not directed at solving problem. It is only about gaining and retaining political power. For this Machiavelli covers methods of dealing with political adversaries as well as of ruling the people of a state. The objective of this book as...

When Niccolo Machiavelli wrote "The Prince" in 1513, he felt that there...

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:31:36 PST

When Niccolo Machiavelli wrote "The Prince" in 1513, he felt that there was a great deal wrong with the way Italian governments (of course there was no such thing as the country of Italy at this time) were being run. The major problem, to Machiavelli, was the fact that Italy was disunited. This gave Spain and France, especially, points of access through which they could interfere in the politics of the Italian states. A secondary problem,...

What did Machiavelli feel was wrong with Italy of his time, that it...

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 21:18:11 PST

What did Machiavelli feel was wrong with Italy of his time, that it needed The Prince he described in his book, The Prince?

what kinds of historical examples does Machiavelli use to demonstrate...

Sat, 15 Aug 2009 00:14:19 PST

what kinds of historical examples does Machiavelli use to demonstrate his ideas in The Prince,

Machiavelli's The Prince is set presumably during his own lifetime...

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 23:10:30 PST

Machiavelli's The Prince is set presumably during his own lifetime (1469-1527). Machiavelli does provide the reader with a number of clues to suggest this. Two of his favorite examples, Francesco Sforza and Cesare Borgia, as well as other figures such as Alexander VI and Ferdinand of Aragon, lived during Machiavelli's lifetime. Keeping in mind Machiavelli's intention to provide an instruction book for a ruler who could survive the...

In The Prince, Machiavelli makes reference to a wide variety of...

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 22:55:08 PST

In The Prince, Machiavelli makes reference to a wide variety of characters, both from antiquity and from his own time. Machiavelli mentions two figures in particular: Francesco Sforza and Cesare Borgia. Francesco Sforza was the duke of Milan during Machiavelli's lifetime. He discusses Sforza's actions in relation to the question of fortune v. prowess. Sforza, in Machiavelli's view, acquired his kingdom purely through prowess, an...

In The Prince, Niccolo Machiavelli goes to great lengths to illustrate...

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 22:38:57 PST

In The Prince, Niccolo Machiavelli goes to great lengths to illustrate the different kinds of kingdoms a prince may acquire and the relative advantages to each of them. Machiavelli begins his discussion with hereditary kingdoms. Hereditary kingdoms, unlike composite kingdoms, already have a preexisting power structures. The prince merely comes in to take control of the system. His political prowess, much more than his military...

Machiavelli discusses the prince's acquisition of power in relation to...

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 22:25:25 PST

Machiavelli discusses the prince's acquisition of power in relation to the acquisition of territories. He draws a distinction between hereditary and composite principalities. The acquisition of hereditary principalities presents specific advantages to the prince. The power structure has already been established, so the arrival of the prince is essentially the same as a change in watch. This provides the greatest advantage in that it...

In The Prince, what, according to Machiavelli, are the disadvantages of...

Sun, 26 Jul 2009 12:16:51 PST

In The Prince, what, according to Machiavelli, are the disadvantages of the various routes to power?

Who does Machiavelli refer to in The Prince, and how does he refer to them?

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:23:19 PST

Who does Machiavelli refer to in The Prince, and how does he refer to them?

Write a list of the people Machiavelli mentions and write the reference...

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:40:19 PST

Write a list of the people Machiavelli mentions and write the reference he makes to that person.

He wasn't necessarily cruel but he did address that cruelty is a form of...

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 07:29:25 PST

He wasn't necessarily cruel but he did address that cruelty is a form of fear-causing strategy that would help a Principality maintain its power without drawing hatred from the people, which would be its downfall. As far as the purpose under which he wrote The Prince, he was really making a statement of the state of affairs at the time of a very disbanded Italy, and as a plea to the new ruler to unify it. He did follow a specific pattern in...

Why was Machiavelli cruel in his writing of The Prince?

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 00:05:35 PST

Why was Machiavelli cruel in his writing of The Prince?

Machiavelli's The Prince - Essay Assignment

What kind of states does Machiavelli describe in The Prince and how do...

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 22:02:39 PST

What kind of states does Machiavelli describe in The Prince and how do they differ from one another?

I am guessing that you are teaching 10th grade global history and must...

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 15:17:20 PST

I am guessing that you are teaching 10th grade global history and must commend you!! Teaching fifteen year olds Machaivelli just proves how tough and dedicated we are!!!!I teach 12th grade American government/ political science. I use The Prince to demonstrate the power of politics and the political mind. Not easy for 12th graders, more difficult for 10th graders, however I developed an activity that I think makes Machiavellian theory...

Shakespeare did not write about kings in a way Machiavelli did....

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 16:22:04 PST

Shakespeare did not write about kings in a way Machiavelli did. Shakespeare expressed his views about kings in many of his plays, but it is hard to guess what he actually considers an ideal king or whether he even plans to present a political program in his plays. Machiavelli, on the other hand, developes a realistic political theory with clear observations on the subject. Shakespeare explores the depths of psychology of his royal characters,...

Machiavelli took a scientific approach to the world of politics. Much...

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:34:15 PST

Machiavelli took a scientific approach to the world of politics. Much like laws of nature, laws of politics have not changed in modern times. So I would say his statements are still true.

Adding excitement

Mon, 1 Sep 2008 22:06:42 PST

I am teaching The Prince for the first time to 10th grade students. I am using the Study guide for The Prince on enotes but I am having trouble getting the students interested in the work and they are having a very hard time understanding it because they find it boring. Does anybody have any ideas on how to engage the students with an activity based on The Prince?

The Pope banned The Prince by Machiavelli in 1559 because the book was...

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 21:39:36 PST

The Pope banned The Prince by Machiavelli in 1559 because the book was considered a direct threat to Roman Catholic authority. Machiavelli proposes that a prince must have his own interests satisfied, even to the point of ignoring church doctrine...."The ends justify the means".This mentality could find itself in direct conflict with the church. The accepted views of morality as dictated by the Roman Catholic Church were of...