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Who Is Machiavelli's The Prince?

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The Prince illustrates the increasingly secular outlook of the Renaissance by describing the fortunes that were acquired during those times as a result of dubious politics. These fortunes are directed towards Lorenzo Medici, the prince this book is dedicated too, which basically is like a guidebook for how to be the greatest prince in all the land. Not only does The Prince describe the fortunes of the Renaissance, but also how to acquire these fortunes with strength and power. An important aspect of the Renaissance was the introduction of humanism, which is the belief that human beings are worthy of scrutiny and are genuinely good creatures with potential value. By reading The Prince, I felt that the sinister tactics of gaining absolute power …show more content…
Religious texts such as Martin Luther’s 95 theses were copied and spread widely. This type of behavior caused citizens to form their own ideas about religion and if their government is truly being fair to them. Also, the public no longer relied on priests or bishops to interpret the bible for them. This relates to politics because as people are more accustomed to understanding the texts during those times such as the laws of their land, this can give them an edge in politics. By understanding documented laws of their society, one can build relationships with other politicians or bend those laws for ones own self-goals. This is what Machiavelli in fact tries to do. He wrote The Prince primarily to advance himself in politics, to be well known, and to give the populace something to read that no one has ever seemed to write before. This seemed to establish Machiavelli as a reputable person, with so many other people of the Renaissance doing the same thing. For instance, the “Renaissance Man,” Leon Battista Alberti, had many accolades in literature for writing plays, novels, legal treatises, etc. Another renowned “Renaissance Man” was Michelangelo, who sculpted the statue of David. These and other great men had great ideas that led them to gain power and be respected in their society, which is an emergent theme in The Prince. Machiavelli states that “A prince, therefore, must have no other object

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