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The Lion And The Prince In Machiavelli's The Prince

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In Machiavelli’s The Prince, Machiavelli explains to Lorenzo De Medici that a ruler must have the characteristics of a lion or a fox, and must be willing to break their word when it suits their purpose in order to be effective. I believe that Machiavelli is correct, a leader must be beast-like to be effective, and willing to break their word for the greater good. In the next few paragraphs I will discuss how a Prince must have traits that resemble a lion in order to be effective. Then I will relate this to Lorenzo De Medici, resembling the characteristics he has to that of a lion. After that, I will explain why a leader needs to break their word through advice that Machiavelli gives to Lorenzo De Medici from The Prince. Throughout the essay I also will give a few pieces of evidence from psychological studies that help …show more content…

To take a deeper look, I am going to compare the fox to co-rulers of Florence. A fox, we depict him as sneaky, cunning, clever, vicious, and strategic. These Medici brothers began as the few first banking families. In order to keep their business and create a name for themselves, they began to invest in art. However, it was a political move that has kept their legacy in place until today. Their clever and strategic selves knew that by investing in art, as a form of gratitude, their names would be placed on plaques. Even in present day, this family still has many buildings in Italy that are named after them. To add to this, their money created power, while their fortitude and tenacious pursuit led them to the top. For years they ruled, and held complete control of their variables. When threatened by other families they retaliated in order to send messages that they will remain in power. Their beast-like strategies led them to the top; perhaps if Lorenzo De Medici would have actually read Machiavelli’s book The Prince, his reign would have lasted

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In Niccolo Machiavelli's book, The Prince (1513), he evaluates on how a prince can be a successful leader. Machiavelli’s purpose of this guidebook was to construct his argument to the rising ruler Giuliano de Medici for when he comes to power in Florence. He adopts a casual but authoritative tone in order to convince the prince that Machiavelli’s evaluation on how to be the best prince, is the right thing for the prince to do without coming off as he knows more than the prince or is trying to intimidate him.. Machiavelli’s reference to previous rulers and whether their tactics failed or succeeded helps to benefit his credibility along with his allusion to historic text. He appeals to our logic by simply stating a prince can only do what is within his power to control, and his use of an analogy furthers his argument.

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The first half of his life was spent in the Golden Age of Florence, the heyday of the Renaissance, and the second half in a period of war between France and Spain and other powers competing in Italy. 《 The prince》was written during the period of Machiavelli's dismissal from office, and he makes it clear that his purpose in writing the book was to offer it to the Florentine authorities for reappointment. In this book, he strives to demonstrate the political wisdom he has acquired through his long political practice, limiting his subject matter to the analysis of the monarchy, which is central to his discussion of how monarchs can retain their states. Machiavelli’s political ideology was shaped by his belief in the importance of power and the need for a strong, centralized government.

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