Machiavellian Characteristics
Machiavellian Character Paper
Lindsey Stehr
Omnibus 5 Primary
Mrs. Hensley
Machiavellian Characteristics in President Snow
“When you disarm the people, you commence to offend them and show that you distrust them either through cowardice or lack of confidence and both of these opinions generate hatred.”
- Niccolo Machiavelli
President Snow of the book Hunger Games is definitely of Machiavellian personality. He keeps his friends close, but his enemies closer. He forces innocent children to kill other children for entertainment. He keeps the people from the districts isolated from each other and always watched. He uses his "own arms,” otherwise known as peacekeepers, to control the districts. All of these actions keep the people in constant, desperate fear while at the same time, he maintains a party of dedicated followers like Effie Trinket. The citizens accept the Hunger Games as a given - free entertainment, celebration, and at no personal cost. He exhibits strength in leadership, because he leads cunningly. While his power over the districts is wrong, he shows that he believes in the wrong of his ways – if only for the power and wealth it give him. He has not invested enough into the districts for them to love him. He has no affection for the common people and the plebeians have no affectation for him. “And so a wise prince must think of a way by which his citizens, always and in every quality of time, have need of the state and of himself; and then they will always be faithful to him.” (Chapter 9 – The Prince) The people were unwilling to accept the propaganda and lies that Snow had fed to them. They realized they no longer needed Panem, the Capitol, or Snow, but Snow needed them. The greatest weakness of any leader is the people whom he leads. Although they don’t realize it, they truly control the power, while he is merely a figurehead to make a political show.
“And so he needs to have a spirit disposed to change as the winds
Lindsey Stehr
Omnibus 5 Primary
Mrs. Hensley
Machiavellian Characteristics in President Snow
“When you disarm the people, you commence to offend them and show that you distrust them either through cowardice or lack of confidence and both of these opinions generate hatred.”
- Niccolo Machiavelli
President Snow of the book Hunger Games is definitely of Machiavellian personality. He keeps his friends close, but his enemies closer. He forces innocent children to kill other children for entertainment. He keeps the people from the districts isolated from each other and always watched. He uses his "own arms,” otherwise known as peacekeepers, to control the districts. All of these actions keep the people in constant, desperate fear while at the same time, he maintains a party of dedicated followers like Effie Trinket. The citizens accept the Hunger Games as a given - free entertainment, celebration, and at no personal cost. He exhibits strength in leadership, because he leads cunningly. While his power over the districts is wrong, he shows that he believes in the wrong of his ways – if only for the power and wealth it give him. He has not invested enough into the districts for them to love him. He has no affection for the common people and the plebeians have no affectation for him. “And so a wise prince must think of a way by which his citizens, always and in every quality of time, have need of the state and of himself; and then they will always be faithful to him.” (Chapter 9 – The Prince) The people were unwilling to accept the propaganda and lies that Snow had fed to them. They realized they no longer needed Panem, the Capitol, or Snow, but Snow needed them. The greatest weakness of any leader is the people whom he leads. Although they don’t realize it, they truly control the power, while he is merely a figurehead to make a political show.
“And so he needs to have a spirit disposed to change as the winds