Prince in Machiavelli\'s the Prince, an Unnamed

¶ … Prince

In Machiavelli's The Prince, an unnamed narrator dictates an instruction manual to up and coming members of the monarchy about the correct ways for a royal to behave if he wants to be successful. Many of the pieces of advice provided in the pamphlet seem absurd or even cruel . Among these are the ideas that a leader must be above his people, specifically that a feared ruler will be less likely to be discounted or his rule threatened and that a ruler who is beloved by his people will appear to be weak in the eyes of his enemies. Similarly, "The Ascent of Mount Vertoux" by Petrarch is a letter discussing the exploits of a man and how he is superior to others and the famed character of Don Quixote is a man inferior to many who refuses to see this in himself. These stories all satirize the idea of an allegedly superior man in contrast with his actions.

When first published the book was taken as a serious list of suggestions for influencing a potential leader. It is apparent from the language Machiavelli utilizes and his tone, not to mention the content that makes up the fabula, that what the man writes in his pamphlet is designed to create a feeling of distress, distrust, and dislike in our leaders; his suggestions for how a proper Prince behaves and the decisions he makes are meant to make the ruling class question who their leaders are and whether or not their choices are appropriate for their country and whether that man is the best leader for that country. The syuzhet of The Prince is organized into chapters based on the type of advice being offered to the ruler. It is Chapters 15-19 that are headed with the label "The Qualities of a Prince" that have become the most debated in the years since the story's publication. In Chapter 15 of The Prince, Macchiavelli writes that "It is necessary for a prince wishing to hold his own to know how to do wrong, and to make use of it or not according to necessity" (39). Machiavelli states that no man is able to avoid temptation and so the best leaders will not even try to avoid temptation, rather they will merely present a clean and pure face to the public. In the next chapter of the pamphlet, Macchiavelli tells all potential princes that it is important to be liberal with the people and generous with them as well. However, it is only beneficial to the leader if everyone knows about the good deeds he performs. If they go unknown then they serve no purpose whatsoever to the leader and only benefit the person who is receiving aid. No leader should ever perform an act of kindness, no matter how small, unless it becomes public knowledge.

In Petrarch's work, "The Ascent of Mount Vertoux," the narrator writes a tedious letter to his father relating all the details of his trek up the titled mountain as if it were the grandest of adventures. Indeed he discusses an attraction to a young lady by describing it as, "Three years have not yet passed since that perverse and wicked passion which had a firm grasp upon me and held undisputed sway in my heart began to discover a rebellious opponent, who was unwilling longer to yield obedience. These two adversaries have joined in close combat for the supremacy, and for a long time now a harassing and doubtful war has been waged in the field of my thoughts." He compares himself to many saints, even to Jesus Christ in his letter, and in so doing compares his choice to climb the mountain to the religious martyrdom of those types of characters.

Potentially the most notorious of self-aggrandizers in literary history is Cervantes' Don Quixote. In the story, Don Quixote is only happy when in the throes of insanity and charging at windmills that he believes to be giants. The most mundane of things in the real world become magical and grander through his slanted perception. He is symbolic of the declination of the chivalric system when the knights have no more kingdoms to fight for. When a man who was once powerful is now rendered obsolete and cannot relinquish that former position, he becomes a figure for mockery and not respect.