Machiavelli The Prince

1. Machiavelli The Prince

2. Big question: What immoral and criminal actions did the princes in the book do to keep their position as prince? • In the book there are two stories about how 2 regular boys become princes through evil. One man became prince by going through all the levels in the army and then created an army with one evil man. Together they started a war in Sicily. Another man became prince almost the same way but a little different. Oliverotto in his early years was sent to Paolo Vitellios military to master all the military arts. When Paolo died Oliverotto fought for his brother and he became commander in Paolo’s brothers army. He thought that his rank wasn’t high enough so he seized the town of Fermo. He made them obey his every command and he was named prince after he slaughtered the real one.

3. To be a prince: • There are a lot of things to become a prince you need to know. If a prince is at his least average ability he can still retain his position in power. A hereditary prince has less cause to be hated and miss treated and more likely to be loved. If a prince wanted to keep his land he must have two things: the bloodline of a former princes extinguished, and that all there taxes and laws stay the same.

4. The army and a prince • People who follow the first path can maintain their position in their state with the blessing of god and a man. A prince must have no other thought or objective nor dedicate himself to any other art but war. No man would be compelled to obey an unarmed man so you must always be armed.

5. Things I learned in the book not about my question • In the book the Prince they talk mostly about the principalities of a prince or to become a prince. They also talk about the army and the wars in those times.