Book Of The Courtier Analysis

In The Book of the Courtier, Castiglione describes the qualities a courtier must have in order to be considered perfect. However, although the courtier must be perfect, he is inevitably a human at the core. Taking on an important position such as the courtier, requires one to keep up with appearances and meet all expectations with complete disregard for opinions that do not align with the rules. Courtiers are still human and are thus bound to make mistakes, but since the people have very high expectations for them, it can leave them feeling extremely pressured. Castiglione mentions that the courtier must do the following: avoid melancholy, always agree with the prince; and project good virtues upon the prince. Although these three actions are

He must avoid foolish arrogance, lying, and boasting (125). I agree with this demand because the courtier has to be an image that motivates others in a way that they will not feel the need to express the same negative emotions. This is especially true for the prince because the actions of the courtier could affect the emotional state of the prince, thus affect his judgement. This is similar to the way in which modern day workers maintain a certain level of professionalism that is not only shown verbally, but physically as well. Although the prince would be honest in speaking about his emotions, his words, which reflect a negative presence around the prince could also be interpreted as disrespect. This is because the courtier must satisfy the prince to the best of his ability. Additionally, Castiglione mentions that the courtier must focus on projecting all of his ambitions, actions, and behaviors onto the prince (125). These positive actions are promoted to in order to influence the prince to also participate in the same ambitions, actions, and

This ensures that the ruler will be honest and in the best interest of the group as a whole. Additionally, Castiglione believed virtue was related to prudence in the way that a person can decipher right from wrong. He also believed that when men engage in imprudence, it puts them at risk for making false judgement (292). He wanted to indicate that when a person disregards morals, they invite the possibility of inconsistency within their moral judgement. This could possibly cloud their judgement in the future in regards to morals. This is why I agree with requiring the prince to reflect moral virtues. When people see other people doing good deeds, they are more likely to follow that same behavior. Such an influential image such as the courtier is surely a great influencer for the people and the