“The Qualities of the Prince”
Niccolò Machiavelli
Machiavelli presents his thoughts logically and clearly. Dividing the text with bold phrases makes following his transitions between points easy, and the mini titles help in referencing the essay because the reader can locate the distinct sections easily. His organization evidences the great amount of thought he put into his writing. The ideas are well-developed, objections have been anticipated, and the reader is left with the sense that Machiavelli knows what he is talking about. His seems knowledgeable and trustworthy. I believe that the way he develops his points and subsequently orders those points makes him seem credible.
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2 comments:
Politicians are politicians in everything they do. They are always finding a way to please the people if possible but keep power as long as possible. I loved how his points were made with the favorable action first then followed by the action that may have to be taken to keep control. It was interesting to hear the points he made.
Megan, I also appreciated the specific points being shown in mini titles. It was a good way to break up the topic into understandable parts.
Some of the paper was formal and dull to me, but overall a good read.
I think the headiings he gave were most helpful in the ordering of his arguements. I can forgive his bold and arrogent comments because this was written in the 1500's, but the main point of the essay is a just a tad offending to me.
Because Machiavelli wrote this to the nobility of his time, I can understand why he phrased sentences the way he did. But in the back of my mind, I was thinking the whole time that he is essentially trying to manipulate the general public to the advantage of the upper class. I can say that I appreciate his views on how a prince should act and I am sure if such a politician were to act in such a manner today, we really would love him, wouldn't we? That shows the power of rank.
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