Top-Rated Free Essay
Preview

Machiavelli’s Condition of a Good Ruler

Satisfactory Essays
302 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Machiavelli’s Condition of a Good Ruler
Essay Question #1

Thesis: Elizabeth I of England and Catherine the Great of Russia both had satisfied Machiavelli’s condition of a good ruler by being both firm and sly policies against the peasants/serfs, foreign countries, and religions.
1. Paragraph 1 TP: Elizabeth I had used merciful and tolerant policies against the peasants in order to avoid the revolts, while Catherine the Great had used force to crush the revolts and suppressed the serfs
a. Elizabeth I
i. Caring, Merciful, Cautious ii. *(1) The Poor Law – distributed the poor in the order of neediness iii. English drama – Shakespeare

b. Catherine the Great
i. Instructions - written guide to the deliberations, questioning the institution of serfdom, torture and capital punishment, advocated the equality of all people in the eyes of law ii. Revolt of Pugachev – crushed by the army iii. Bigger repression against the serfs iv. Expanded Serfdom

2. Paragraph 2 TP: Catherine the Great had used her strong army to occupy Poland and to expand her empire, while Elizabeth I avoided wars on surface but secretly encouraged Francis Drake to plunder Spanish fleets
a. Elizabeth I
i. Cautious about the wars ii. Francis Drake – plundered Spanish fleets loaded with gold and silver from the New World empire. iii. Destruction of Spanish Armada

b. Catherine the Great
i. Expansion of Poland ii. Defeat the Turks

3. Paragraph 3 TP: Elizabeth, even though she was a strong protestant, used her moderate policies against the religion and avoided conflicts, and Catherine the Great used her policies in order to settle the muslim nomadics.
a. Elizabeth I
i. Moderate policies against the puritans ii. Elizabethan religious settlements iii. Avoided conflicts – slightly protestant

b. Catherine the Great
i. *(2) Edict of 1773 – toleration of all faiths ii. *(2) Assimilation of Islamic schools – attempt to settle the nomadic muslims

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    ii) Elizabeth had no children so the crown went to Mary Queen of Scots, a Catholic.…

    • 677 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    When Elizabeth first came to the throne in 1558 she was faced with the difficult task of establishing a new common religion in a country fraught with religious tensions. The first parliament called under Elizabeth convened on 25th January 1559, and its chief business was forming the new religious settlement. The general hatred of the burning of heretics under Mary, the rapid return of exiled Protestants to England, and Elizabeth’s known Protestant sympathies were all factors that led to a distinctly Protestant House of Commons. The…

    • 2650 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    To what extent was Elizabeth’s foreign policy between 1588 and 1603 an expensive failure? (45 marks)…

    • 888 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    After his successful raid in Tierra Firme, Elizabeth I of England sent Drake on an expedition along the Pacific coast of the Americas against the Spanish. After facing storms, a loss of men and ships, serious injuries and a whole winter along the Pacific coast, Drake finally captured a Spanish ship carrying 25,000 pesos of Peruvian gold. Drake also learned of another treasure ship, to which he gave chase and eventually…

    • 850 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Francis Drake, pirate, slave trader, and murderer, was the name the Spanish feared most in the mid-to-late 1500’s. At a time where the English and the Spanish were at war, Drake gave the English a huge advantage by raiding Spanish ships and looting the Spaniards’ treasures at land. His quick temper and willingness to be violent made him a great pirate, his ocean navigating skills allowed him to circumnavigate the globe, and he was the first Englishman to accomplish that feat. He was also related to and taught by some of the most talented and dark pirates of the 1500’s. To Queen Elizabeth I and the English, Francis Drake was a patriotic hero. To the Spanish and the hundreds of slaves he was involved in kidnapping and trading, he was a pirate and a cold, heartless human being. Drake, the first Englishman…

    • 1034 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Queen Elizabeth knew that King Phillip had a big fleet of ships and lots of essential supplies. She sent the Royal Navy to do a surprise attack on the Spanish ships at the harbor in Cadiz. The British attacked and damaged several warships, some very severely. They also destroyed the barrels of food, water, and gun powder on the ships. They had to make new ones but they did not let the barrels dry long enough which caused the…

    • 366 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Elizabeth I of England was able to act as a "fox" by preventing England from being torn apart over matters of religion. By repealing The Catholic Legislation of Mary Tudor 's reign, she was able to make the New Act of Supremacy which dsignated her as the supreme govenor of spritual and temporal affairs. Also she restored the church service of the Book of Common Prayer, but was clever enough to make some revisions to make it more acceptable for Catholics. With keeping her subjects out conflict, she also made sure that her power within England remained preserved. She didn 't marry anyone, because if she did, the real power would then belong to the king. Maintaining her power outside England ment keeping Spain under control. The "Sea Beggars" were an international group of anti-Spain pirates. Elizabeth made a secret alliance with the Sea Beggars, and sent them to the Netherlands to fight the Spainish. To make sure she was exempt from international problems because of her tie with the Sea Beggars, she immediately diassociated England from the doings of the Sea Begggars.…

    • 852 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Henry had taken advantage of the Protestant Reformation to obtain power in the Church of England. While the English Reformation had practically banned the Catholic Church, it also stated that the king was the only leader of the church. Elizabeth I pushed for intense Catholicism and Puritanism in the English church. While in opposition of Elisabeth I, James I and Charles I moved the English church away from puritan ideals, Charles I. revoked the Puritan represented parliament, and Charles also enforced anti-puritan policies. The monarchy once had thought of puritans as a focal point in New England, but latter on they pushed away Puritanism and treated puritans harshly which had upset many of those puritans to make plans to immigrate to either the West Indies, America, or Europe (Roark,…

    • 367 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Machiavelli: The Prince

    • 326 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Throughout my reading of Machiavelli, a particular selection struck me as very interesting. This comes from Chapter 17 when Machiavelli states, “Here a question arises: whether it is better to be loved than feared, or the reverse. The answer is, of course, that it would be best to be both loved and feared. But since the two rarely come together, anyone compelled to choose will find greater security in being feared than in being loved. . . . Love endures by a bond, which men, being scoundrels, may break whenever it serves their advantage to do so; but fear is supported by the dread of pain, which is ever present (Machiavelli 54). I believe this is an interesting question that would be a good topic for debate. Regarding this question, I side with Machiavelli on his reasoning that it is more beneficial to be feared then loved with regards to obedience. Examples of this principle can be seen in our world today. Laws demonstrate this very well. Laws are present to keep society in order, and with disobedience comes penalties. These penalties are what make people obey the law. Without penalties, or using the term pain in an exaggerated sense, most people would continue to break the law being aware that there are no consequences. Fear is what fuels laws to be effective.…

    • 326 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Elizabeth I was intelligent, and would work to keep her reign. In Elizabeth’s speech to the troops before the battle of the Armada she states “…Spain, or any prince of Europe should dare to invade the borders of my realm... I myself will take up arms…” Elizabeth clearly says that she would fight for her country. Being intelligent, she exercised frugality in the expenses of the government and increasing taxation, which showed a sign of a strong and efficient state. She wanted to achieve religious harmony. On the other hand, the Stuarts were stubborn. They refused to extend religious toleration. Like his father, Charles I believed in the Divine Right of Kings (that he was answerable to God alone and could not be tried by any court), and he upset the Scottish citizens of his country, many of whom were Puritans, by insisting that they follow the same religion as his English subjects. The result was the two wars that ruined England’s financial state and that would lead to the civil war and his…

    • 294 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Queen Elizabeth the first has a legacy that has stood the test of time. The impact of her contributions during her reign are still felt throughout the world today. She was never meant to rule. Elizabeth grew up with an often distant father and her mother who was murdered, her childhood was filled with neglect and potential danger. Religious rebellions were started in her name constantly leaving her in a cloud of suspicion and jeopardizing her life She was declared illegitimate at the age of 2 and pushed out of the line of succession like her sister Mary. She came to power during a turbulent time in her country's history. Her sister Mary’s rule before her was marked with numerous disasters. The loss of Calais, the execution of hundreds of Protestants, and an unpopular marriage to Philip of Spain left England in a fragile position. Her moderate position on religion brought peace to her people and…

    • 583 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Elizabeth I Dbq

    • 708 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Considering the fact that a female successor to the throne of England was ascending, there was a tremendous amount of political influence on her reign. The Act of Supremacy (Doc. 3), declared by King Henry VII, assured that Elizabeth would be the rightful heir to the throne of England; this parliamentary act stated that Elizabeth is the most superior being of the realm of her kingdom. Because Henry VIII wanted to break away from the papacy to elevate his status as head of the church and state, the motive for this parliamentary act was to increase the monarchy’s status and establish an independent kingdom of England. Moreover, John Aylmer (Doc. 2) suggests that since Elizabeth does not rule alone, but with the Parliament, there should be no reason to object her rule. Since Aylmer has connections with Elizabeth’s court and a significant influence on the population of the kingdom, he might have written this exert in his pamphlet to soothe the opinions of anti-feminists who blatantly attacked Elizabeth’s reign. Furthermore, Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger (Doc. 8) paints Elizabeth standing on a globe; this shows that her court painter was attempting to win her favor by depicting that Elizabeth had the power in her hands. Similarly, William Clowes (Doc. 10) expresses his devotion to her Majesty. Being that he is her personal surgeon, he might also want to win her favor by praising the queen and gain influence of his own.…

    • 708 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In Elizabeth’s early years she adopted a cautious approach. She knew she had to implement a line…

    • 1239 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Spain repeatedly invaded the United Provinces who repeatedly asked the Protestant queen of England, Elizabeth, for assistance and three developments forced her hand…

    • 1777 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    In 1558 Elizabeth inherited a throne encumbered with various internal and external problems, due to the actions in previous reigns of the ‘little Tudors’. Internal problems referred to predicaments occurring in England and personal issues with the monarch, e.g. the religious settlement of Catholicism in Mary Tudors reign and rebellions posed a significant problem of domestic policy at the beginning of Elizabeth’s reign. External problems refereed to dilemmas occurring outside of England, e.g. Mary’s loss of Calais in 1558 produced the external possibility of French invasion during Elizabeth’s reign. Along with debasement of the coinage and inflationary pressures, it is evident that Elizabeth was presented with formidable problems at the beginning of her reign.…

    • 2462 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays