The Prince Group at eNotes

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 he describe and how do they differ from one...

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 22:02:39 PST

What kind of states does he describe 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...

look on pages 34, 36-37, 63-64, and 69 for complete answers

Sun, 8 Jun 2008 18:46:42 PST

look on pages 34, 36-37, 63-64, and 69 for complete answers

(continued from previous answer) "now to speak of ecclesiastical...

Sun, 8 Jun 2008 00:50:40 PST

(continued from previous answer) "now to speak of ecclesiastical principalities, touching which all difficulties are prior to getting possession, because they are acquired either by capacity or good fortune, and they can be held without either; for they are sustained by the ancient ordinances of religion, which are so all-powerful, and of such a character that the principalities may be held no matter how their princes behave and...

On heredity principalities, Machiavelli says:"I say at once there...

Sun, 8 Jun 2008 00:50:19 PST

On heredity principalities, Machiavelli says:"I say at once there are fewer difficulties in holding hereditary states, and those long accustomed to the family of their prince, than new ones;" (Machiavelli, pg. 10) Here he suggests that hereditary principalities are easier to maintain because a ruling family develops a relationship with the people and unless the ruler exhibits some extraordinary vices, the people will continue to...

In "The Prince," what does Machiavelli say is the best way to...

Sat, 7 Jun 2008 21:52:40 PST

In "The Prince," what does Machiavelli say is the best way to maintain herediatry, mixed, civil, and ecclesiastical principalities?

"The Duke of Ferrara, who could not have withstood the attacks of...

Sat, 7 Jun 2008 20:54:06 PST

"The Duke of Ferrara, who could not have withstood the attacks of the Venetians in '84, nor those of Pope Julius in '10, unless he had been long established in his dominions." (Machiavelli, Chapter 2) "Louis the Twelfth, King of France, quickly occupied Milan, and as quickly lost it; and to turn him out the first time it only needed Lodovico's own forces; because those who had opened the gates to him, finding themselves...

In 1559, The Prince, as well as all of Machiavelli's books were banned...

Sat, 7 Jun 2008 16:56:22 PST

In 1559, The Prince, as well as all of Machiavelli's books were banned and put on the "Index of Prohibited Books" list. The Catholic Church believed that Machiavelli promoted anti-Christian beliefs.In The Prince, Machiavelli promotes a kind of deception. Politicians and leaders need not truly be moral, or good people, they only have to master the art of public image. As long as the people perceive the leader to be a good and...

Write a list of people Machiavelli mentions in his book "The...

Fri, 6 Jun 2008 22:46:55 PST

Write a list of people Machiavelli mentions in his book "The Prince" and also write what reference Machiavelli makes to the person.

Why did the pope ban "The Prince" by Machiavelli in 1559?

Fri, 6 Jun 2008 22:38:55 PST

Why did the pope ban "The Prince" by Machiavelli in 1559?

While I hate to say it I totally agree with Machiavelli on many points...

Fri, 28 Dec 2007 06:53:18 PST

While I hate to say it I totally agree with Machiavelli on many points including this one. When I first began studying Machiavelli I thought his system was too black and white and way too cold, but as I delved into the study of his politics I began to see that politics are just that- cold. In order to be a good politician one must appear to be what the people want. To think that appearances will always match actions is ludicrous. It would be...

Was Machiavelli Right?

Thu, 27 Dec 2007 19:02:46 PST

One of Machiavelli's arguments in "The Prince" is that a leader must only maintain the appearance of morality in order to be revered by the people ("Politics have no relation to morals", he says. In what ways do you find the authors statements true or false in modern times?

It used to be that a prince needed to be moral-and his power relied on...

Thu, 27 Dec 2007 15:17:54 PST

It used to be that a prince needed to be moral-and his power relied on it. To gain power as a prince, the public noted his church-going habits, his sinfulness, and his lifestyle. Machiavelli wrote of a change in the politics of power. He noted that the prince need only give the perception of morality-not live it. The public perception-that he appeared moral-was key to gaining power. It didn't matter if his private life was not a...