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Machiavelli The Prince Summary Chapter 18

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Machiavelli The Prince Summary Chapter 18
Chapter 18 of Machiavelli’s The Prince, continues with the author’s version of what constitutes a Prince. Machiavelli ascribed to ancient writers’ teachings and advocate for sets of principles of his own and it is often the case that the teaching of the ancient writers and Machiavelli’s teaching contradict each other. The following essay is interested in exploring the author’s teachings and the distinctions as well as the similarities of his teachings to that of ancient writers. Chapter 18 begins with the praise of an ideal Prince who is honest. Immediately, there was a contradiction. Those praiseworthy Princes of the past have been those who manipulate a man’s brain. His story goes on to a combat, which he puts into two categories 1. Laws …show more content…
He did praise those honest Princes but he immediately indicated that it is very important for a Prince to have the know-how of deception. Another very crucial difference between ancient writers and Machiavelli’s The Prince is regarding religion. In ancient writings, religion seems to be the forefront of their writings. Machiavelli believes that religion is the most important thing for a prince too, but he does not focus on it as much as his colleagues did during their time. It is shockingly alarming how a novel titled the Prince is not as involved in the political matter as one may expect it to be given the title of the novel. There is little to no mention of war, except a mention of the need for a Prince to protect his land. Ancient writers give a lot more power to the royalty. Machiavelli believes in the rights of the govern to do what they please. As a matter of fact, Machiavelli’s ideal Prince is probably slightly more powerful than Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and of Her Other Realms and Territories. This is something unheard of at the time he wrote The Prince. Plato, in Plato’s Republic, said a ruler must do as he ought to while Machiavelli believes a prince must do what he wishes to do to successfully preserve his
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