Niccolo Machiavelli: The Prince

                Why do we read the prince? What is the main objective of Machiavelli when he wrote Il Principe?

 Niccolo Machiavelli's "The Prince", written in 1532, is in essence a leadership manual. It consists of advice on how to gain and maintain power.

 The precepts set out by Machiavelli are not restricted to the time they were written - they are instructions on dealing with people and organisations - and they are as relevant to a modern captain of industry as they were to a renaissance lord.

For practical reasons, Il Principe was written to Lorenzo di Medici who had recently risen to become ruler of Florence with the help of his cousin who was currently pope. This abolished the pre-existing Republic in which Machiavelli held a very high level "cabinet position". As a result of this association, Machiavelli was forced out of his position and moved into a farmhouse outside of the city limits. The prince is written in order to curry favor with Lorenzo by attempting to write a handbook for rulers. Although he had written extensively in the discourses about the superior nature of republics, the Prince only talks about absolute monarchs and their consolidation and maintaining of power.

      Characters in The Prince:

Francesco Sforza –the primary example of a new prince who acquires his principality by his abilities. He was a soldier who rose through the ranks to become Duke of Milan in 1450 with the help of the Venetians. Machiavelli has high regard for Francesco Sforza because he was a mighty military leader. His sons, however, lost the throne because they rejected the life of military discipline. Machiavelli criticizes the castle Francesco Sforza built in Milan because the family's reliance upon it has kept them insulated from the people. This violates one of Machiavelli's most cherished rules: do not be hated by the people.

Cesare Borgia –the son of Pope Alexander VI who inherited much power and territory from his father, known as Duke Valentino, Cesare Borgia is considered by Machiavelli to have been a most capable leader and the embodiment of what a prince should be. Machiavelli suggests that an ambitious prince looking for a recent model to follow should imitate Cesare Borgia. Machiavelli uses many events of Cesare Borgia's life to illustrate how and why he was successful. Machiavelli believes that Cesare Borgia would have succeeded in uniting all of Italy had he not fallen ill. Examining Cesare Borgia's life, Machiavelli concludes that in order for a prince to ultimately succeed, he needs both ability and fortune.

Pope Julius II – the warrior pope who succeeded Alexander VI. He is noted for his defense of the temporal and spiritual power of the Catholic Church.

Savaronola – the Dominican friar who held power over Florence before the takeover by the Republican government that Machiavelli served under. Savaronola is an example of an unarmed prophet that falls.

King Ferdinand II –the king of Spain at the time Machiavelli wrote The Prince, King Ferdinand established his throne by marrying Isabella, uniting the kingdoms of Castile and Aragon. Known as The Catholic, King Ferdinand was closely associated with the Church, joining the Holy League in order to defeat France. He also succeeded in driving the Moors out of Spain in the name of religion. Machiavelli refers to King Ferdinand throughout the book, using him as an example of a ruler who has, through his shrewd political maneuverings, accomplished great things. King Ferdinand is said to preach peace and faith but his actions clearly betray his words. Yet, Machiavelli considers the king's apparent hypocrisy to be acceptable and even necessary. Machiavelli also praises King Ferdinand for undertaking great endeavors as to arouse awe in his subjects.

King Louis XII –Machiavelli uses the military and political exploits of Louis XII in Italy as examples of what not to do in maintaining power over a newly conquered territory. Louis XII makes several crucial mistakes in his attempts to take Italy. Machiavelli, in describing the king's mistakes, emphasizes one key point: that he who causes another to become powerful ruins himself.

Lorenzo de' Medici –the Duke of Urbino and the grandson of Lorenzo the Magnificent, he is the recipient of Machiavelli's work. Machiavelli originally intended to dedicate the work to Lorenzo the Magnificent's son, Giuliano de' Medici, but he died in 1516. Machiavelli dedicates the book to Lorenzo de' Medici in hopes that the young prince would restore Italy to its former glory. Machiavelli believes that Lorenzo de' Medici is in the best situation to unite the Italians because of his family's great influence in Florence and over the Church-Lorenzo's uncle being Pope Leo X.

Emperor Maximilian II –the meperor of the Holy Roman Empire, he was considered to be a ruler who was not respected because he was given to changing his mind and never being decisive. Machiavelli warns that a prince who is not resolute in his decisions will never gain honor, especially among his advisers.