The literary work of Niccolo Machiavelli entitled “The Prince”
The literary work of Niccolo Machiavelli entitled “The Prince” is a narration of his personal experience as a messenger of the Florence Republic to the courts of Europe. In its entirety, the book was a series of conversation made by a Counselor to a Prince.
Going deeper, the said work scrutinizes the violent way by which political power is conquered and maintained, and situations by which it may be lost. In as much as this work is a political remark, and not a creation of imagination, Machiavelli had made use of his experience to narrate political and social events, all culled from the world history.
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Through out the story, it is the Counselor who had made the talking, giving advice to the Prince. As to manner for which the story was written, the author engages his audience to actively participate to intelligently uncover his true message. Analyzing and reading between the lines of the letters of the story would reveal that more meaning would be given to the Counselor’s advice.
BODY POSSIBLE AUDIENCE
At first glance, one would think that the Counselor’s advice is solely addressed to the Lorenzo de Medici.
Nonetheless, after reviewing the story, it can be gleaned that the book is also addressed to leaders and to those individuals who want to become future leaders. (Hindman, 2000) One focus of his advice includes the ways of controlling a political organization.
In doing so, he mentioned that giving recognition to the significance of the mass is important. A leader cannot secure his position without their support, aside from the assistance of his military. He also made a straightforward suggestion to future leaders to implement ruthless maneuvers to accomplish a specific political ambition without considering whether if it is for the general welfare.
At some other point of the story, the Author seems also to address his work to the masculine audience. This is due to his way of advocating atrocious and brutish act such as exterminating the kin of the leader he has dethroned, employing an act that injures mortals, and engaging in preemptive war.
Moreover, the idea that the Prince may be generous only with the properties of others, to keep silent if possible, and to try to be feared instead of being loved is an act that may be attributed to virility. The worse suggestion he made which implies masochism was to improve the animalistic nature of the Prince, to learn how to engage against evil, and to know how to be unpleasant.
It is interesting to note that Machiavelli also seems to address anybody who is in a competitive environment and those with hope to move forward. It is because the story of “The Prince” revolves on a leader who seems to have many obstacles and enemies. In the writer’s statements, he presented tactics on how this Prince would remain and still, can conquer people who oppose him.
In the same manner, it also gives advice to those individual who faces many competitors. It presents schemes on how to prevail and find possible road that may lead to success. In effect, this is to say that the Machiavelli maxims are also applicable in every person’s daily activities.
In relation thereto, business leaders may also be possible audience of this book. Take into consideration the case of Bill Gates, owner of Microsoft, who is likewise experiencing many stiff duels in computer world to maintain his power and position. Thus, the point is on how to set the limits on how to achieve power and how to maintain it.
What is impressive in this work is the way Machiavelli communicates to the tyrant while at the same time speaks to lovers of liberty. He made this possible by making a single explanation that may be interpreted in two different ways.
Some events if interpreted possess two different ideas, that is, one is the literal interpretation and the other is extraction of messages by reading between the lines. This novel contains ideas, which at first glance, is addressed to those want to lead tyrannically for their own benefit and, if interpreted, is also directed to those who wants to lead for the benefit of those individuals within their jurisdiction.
In the case of tyrants, he sought to convert the possible tyrants by transforming their personal ambitions into the writers’ public one (i.e. for public good). He taught evil in as much as this is the idea that the tyrant wants to know, however, he made it possible to make said teaching against it and make it to benefit the common good.
On the other hand, it teaches the lovers of liberty on how to fuse together their ambition to stay in power, by not being a good one, and still be loved by the mass.
Thus, in effect, Machiavelli is appealing to tyrant by teaching to be bad, and at the same time, appeasing the lovers of liberty by promoting general welfare.
Taken in a different context, this book may be also considered as a warning to the Republicans, the lovers of liberty, because it seeks to expose disgracefully the princely government by elaborately presenting it principles in an offensive way.
Lastly, it has been told that “The Prince” was written by Machiavelli to express his thoughts not for Lorenzo but to those who deserves to be princes. This is because Lorenzo cannot, in any way, understand the message Machiavelli has conveyed in his twofold statement.
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