Machiavellian Machi-a-velli-an adj: A Machiavellian character is one who influences another by suggestive deceit and cunning. Cesare Borgia, Son of Rodrigo, brother of Lucrezia, and is the embodiment of the Renaissance individualism in its sinister form. His father’s favorite, Cesare’s was made archbishop of Valencia in 1492 as well as a Cardinal the following year. He was released from ecclesiastical duties in 1498, and traveled to France as papal legate. He was made duc de Valentinois King Louis XII. He was named Valentino or (Il duca Valentino) ever since. He married the sister of the king of Navarre and returned to Italy to become standard of the church as well as its captain general. Cesare used his military skill and Machiavellian cunning to consolidate the states of the church and carve out a principality for himself among the conquered territories.
Cesare wielded cruelty and treachery for the goal he envisioned, earned the admiration of Machiavelii and was mentioned in his book The Prince. The death of Cesare’s father and his accession to the throne of Peter by the hostile Julius II brought his brief however, climbing career to a halt because he was unable to rally all his forces in the midst of a serious illness and soon found himself ompelled to leave Italy under protection of guard. He managed to free himself from prison in Spain and soon found himself in a skirmish at the age of thirty-one. The Borgias, were a Spanish family who rose to fame in Italy during the Renaissance. The family eventually became a symbol of unbridled power, lust and greed. His legend is filled with plenty of murders, including Order#11111041 English Poetry Pg. 2 those of his own brother, incest with his sister, insatiable greed, and terrible cruelty. Cesare Borgia is what Machiavelli thought a prince should be– ambitious.
He recommended future princes to imitate Borgia. Machiavelli uses many events of Cesare Borgia’s life and illustrated how Cesare became successful and how he failed. He believes Borgia would have been more successful in the uniting of Italy if he had not taken ill so suddenly. Machiavelli concludes that in order for a prince to ultimately succeed, he needs both ability and fortune. 1Machiavelli The Prince discusses principles being ruled by a single man, not democracies, provides policy recommendations. This concept is addressed to Lorenzo De Midici, a duke from a ruling family and closes by advising him to organize
Italian troops against the hostile barbarians. 1 “If you will diligently read and consider it, you will detect in it one of my deepest desires, which is that you will come to the greatness which fortune and your own qualities promise you. And if from your great height your highness will sometimes cast a glance below to these lowly places, you will see how undeservedly I endure the heavy and relentless malice of fortune. ” Dedication, pg. 13. Machiavelli goes on to write in The Prince his belief that heredity rulers benefited from the stability and can more easily etain his control of their state while enjoying public favor. Niccolo’s Machiavelli The Prince is widely known as the most influential book on politics ever written. 2Machiavelli’s observations on the human condition are as relevant now as they were in the past. He writes to gain favor of the ruling Medici family by offering them advice on how a prince may gain power and how Order#11111041 English Poetry Pg. 3 he should keep that power. The modern identification of a prince is a majestic man, who is destined to rule his people and be loved by all.
The princes of Machiavelli’s time were ot romantic figures and were mostly involved with wars and struggling to maintain their power. The ideas expressed in The Prince can still be applied in the twenty-first Century. However, certain principles such as Machiavelli offering advice is intended only to serve the selfish interests of the prince and not the needs of the people. In conclusion Machiavelli’s views expressed in The Prince may seem very extreme by today readers, however the text was written in a period of great turmoil in Florence. Machiavelli believed in stability, and the only government to achieve this stability is a tyrannical one.
The views are often used for a leader to gain and use power to establish and maintain his rule. Machiavelli’s moral principles stop entirely to each unique requisite. 3It is imperative for the prince to be willing to do anything to keep his power, however he also asserts strongly in the text that the prince must not be hated. Machiavelli’s answer to his declaration is if a leader is better off feared is, 2“The answer is, of course, that it would be best to be loved and feared. But since the two rarely come together, anyone compelled to find greater security in feared than being loved. Chapter 17, Pg. 60.
