This essay is a brief analysis of Niccolo' Machiavelli's most famous treatise, "The Prince", written in 1513

Essay by mjustice52University, Bachelor'sA+, April 2002

download word file, 4 pages 3.7 2 reviews

Downloaded 191 times

This essay is a brief analysis of Niccolo' Machiavelli's most famous treatise, "The Prince", written in 1513. The title page presents this work specifically to "Lorenzo The Magnificent", son of Piero Di Medici as a gift of devotion but the underlying reason was to influence the powerful Lorenzo to reinstate NM's employment with this monarchical and despot-ically entrenched Florentine family. Lorenzo continued the governing methods of the Medici in banking, trade and industry. These business interests spread far from Florence into Europe and required control through alliances in order to increase Medici domination at home. This also included the Papacy where much of European power and control was administered. Lorenzo, however, seemed more interested in artistic pursuits and used state money to recoup losses incurred through neglect of Medici business interests. He antagonized Pope Sixtus IV, who supported an assassination plot against the Medici by the rival Pazzi family Lorenzo's brother, Giuliano, was killed, but Lorenzo survived

and restored order by the brutal extermination of his opponents.

None-

theless, he was popular and maintained Florence's important role in Italian politics.

The idea of a political leader remaining popular and in control, regardless of the means, is the subject of NM's treatise. Though personally favoring a republican form of government, NM saw in politics a struggle for power in which the end did justify the means. This defensive rationalization of current political conditions can be viewed as the product of witnessing a struggle for survival among the competing city-states in Renaissance Italy. NM not only lived at a time of upheaval within the states of Italy but had held various diplomatic and administrative posts and had witnessed other ruling entities in Europe. These government posts were held under an interim republican government and NM was put out of office...