<p align="center"> “The Prince”</p>
<p align="center">Niccolo Machiavelli</p>
<p align="center">16<sup>th</sup> Century</p>
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<p style="text-align: center;">http://duanegraham.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/the-prince.jpg</p>
Niccolo Machiavelli, an Italian philosopher during the renaissance, was regarded highly for his controversial writings and aggressive stance on political power. To illustrate the issues of government during the renaissance, Machiavelli wrote a book entitled “The Prince” in order to effectively demonstrate the vulnerability of power in the Italian monarchy and promote self reliance amongst the general populace.

<!--more-->The early renaissance consisted of a time that is now exemplified and referred to as one of the first modernistic styles of culture that societies have established and are now regarded for ending the primitive age. During the era, science, religion, politics, business, art and even literature were recorded and preserved in order to be reflected upon in the future (now). Minds such as, Da Vinci or Raphael are part of the main reason that the Renaissance ceases to create an era reckoned for its high relative intelligence and high class.

“The Prince”, by Niccolo Machiavelli is interesting in the sense that it was considered to be one of the first modern political books. As a result, it is not a book typical of its era, although the book is essentially a reference to the present time relative of its release to the public in 1532. The natures of its contents were direct reflections of the monarchy that Machiavelli perceived as a negative impact to the Italian society.

Today’s standards consist of liberal movements that accept most forms of diversity in a broad sense. For instance, “The Communist Manifesto” by Karl Marx was banned during the red scare and partly after, until libertarians decided the book was a symbol of oppressive government. The point is, at the time of publication for “The Prince” it was a controversial centerpiece that garnered advocating a tyrannical style of ruling.

During the 16<sup>th</sup> century, most citizens revered the monarchy as force that was to be feared and regarded as a higher authority. However, since the book was published five years after the death of Machiavelli, the general populace couldn’t direct their aggression toward Machiavelli. Instead the public deemed the book as a form of strategy to attain a government through a personal constabulary. It was a consistent reminder to the general public that the Medici family continued to rule the area, sinceItaly consisted of multiple city sections instead of being one unified single state.

Personally, I think the work is great. It summarized the renaissance era in a way that embellished what was perceived as wrong. The logic behind the work is extremely simplistic, yet these enabled Lorenzo Medici from the Medici family to grasp the concept of sustaining power throughout the sections. It is considered to be one of the most controversial books, however the book itself is ingenious, due to the fact that it laminates what citizens hoped to achieve. The readers of the book understood that the intention of it was not to gain notoriety, instead it was written to evaporate the Medici’s distrust of Machiavelli, which only betters the writing due to the fact that its intention was not to be famous.

A book similar to “The Prince” would be “Oration on the Dignity of Man” by Pico. Pico announced his oration during the late 15<sup>th</sup> century, as opposed to Machiavelli’s in the 16<sup>th</sup> century. “Oration on the Dignity of Man” was essentially an analysis of the human mind authored by Pico della Mirandola, another renaissance philosopher. Both contain appeals to humans, although Machiavelli and Pico differed in the sense that Pico’s was a deliberate denouncement.
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“The Prince” is significant because of the great history behind it. It’s significant because it was one of the first modern political books. It’s significant because it Machiavelli an escape from the hatred of the Medici family. Lastly, it’s significant because it uses thoughts that were perceived to be evil and molds them to create a construct of power. To this day it is still considered one of the top most controversial literary artifacts of history.

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<p align="center">Works Cited</p>
"Niccolo Machiavelli &amp; The Prince." <em>Niccolo Machiavelli &amp; The Prince</em>. A Collection of Wisdom, n.d. Web.24 Sept. 2012. &lt;http://www.rodneyohebsion.com/machiavelli.htm&gt;.

Boyer, Josh, Luca Wilmer, and Edison Jyang. "The Prince." <em>The Literature Network</em>. Jalic Inc., n.d. Web.24 Sept. 2012. &lt;http://www.online-literature.com/machiavelli/prince/&gt;.

"Machiavelli, Niccolo. 1469Â–1527. The Prince. Vol. 36, Part 1. The Harvard Classics." <em>Machiavelli, Niccolo</em><em>. 1469Â–1527</em><em>. The Prince</em><em>. Vol</em><em>. 36, Part 1</em><em>. The Harvard Classics</em>. Trans. N.H Thomson.NEW YORK: P.F. COLLIER &amp; SON COMPANY, 1909–14NEW YORK: BARTLEBY.COM, 2001, n.d. Web.24 Sept. 2012. &lt;http://www.bartleby.com/36/1/&gt;.