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The Medici Family In Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince

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After reading Niccolo Machiavelli's novel “The Prince” I find this book to be a very interesting and controversial novel. I found it kind of difficult to interpret at first, but as I read along that it was easy to follow. So was Machiavelli under the influence of being threatened by the Medici family the entire time he wrote this novel? After finding different sources and researches about the Medici family and biography about Machiavelli, I do believe that he was under this certain influence. In the beginning of the story, it kicks off by dedicating the book to Lorenzo de’ Medici, a very powerful Italian Statesman. The entire book contains advice of how to acquire and maintain political power. Four main parts are mentioned and included in the novel of how to rule: different kinds of principalities, different types of armies as a leader, character and behavior of a prince, and the current political situation in Italy. His sole purpose to writing “The Prince” was believed to please and enlighten the Medici family (Thornton). Who was the Medici family? The Medici family was a powerful and influential Florentine family from the thirteenth …show more content…

He went on missions to France, Germany, and other governments in Italy. He soon became well educated in government affairs. As he carried out missions, he later perceived the relentless strategies of seizing and maintaining cities of Italian politician Cesare Borgia(1475-1507). He later based his new governing methods from Borgia within his novel “The Prince”. “Put a gun to someone’s head and try to focus, that’s how Machiavelli felt with the Medici family” (Thornton). Machiavelli undoubtedly counted on winning the favor of the Medici family and an advisory position within the Florentine government, but Medici received the book differently and Machiavelli failed to receive an invitation to serve as an

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The Prince: A Decidedly unMedieval Piece of Work The Prince, written by Niccolo Machiavelli, was a secular handbook that dealt with modern statecraft and leadership. In fact, this was the first modern book that discussed political science. This book has influenced many well-known leaders, such as Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler. This essay will discuss the past behaviours of Machiavelli to prove that this book, The Prince, is a decidedly unMedieval piece of work which does not follow the idea of living life so that it is worthy of respect and honour, as stated in the Medieval Code of Chivalry.

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In addition, Machiavelli didn 't take the traditional route for supporting his argument of advice. He didn 't bother using any ethical or philosophical principles as the base for his advice he was trying to give. Instead, he used his own political program on real-life examples as his foundation to his treatise. Which is probably one of the reasons why "The Prince" got so much negative criticism. Machiavelli is practically stepping out of line by explaining what a prince should or should not do in pursuit of his

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