The analytical paper on Niccolò Machiavelli’s The Prince is due on Monday, March 25th in lecture. Papers must be printed out and physically handed in at the beginning of class. Any papers turned in after class begins will be considered late. Late papers will be deducted one-third of a letter grade each day that they are late. Answer one of the following prompts. Papers must include an argument (thesis statement) with evidence from The Prince to support it. You can also use information from the textbook, Making of the West, and from lecture, but you do not need to consult other outside sources. A strong essay will present an insightful thesis statement that demonstrates a deep understanding of the text. It will include thorough analysis of the text and fully grapple with ideas and concepts discussed in class. Points will be deducted if the format guidelines are not followed.
Format 5–6 pages, double spaced 12 pt. font, Times New Roman 1-inch margins Include page numbers Parenthetical (Author, page #) citations are acceptable or use Chicago Manual of Style footnotes. Include a cover sheet with your name. Do not put your name elsewhere on the essay. This will help me grade the essays anonymously. Prompts 1. On the 10th of December 1513, Niccolò Machiavelli’s wrote a letter to Francesco Vettori in which he described how, after a day of working at his farm, he would take off his muddy clothes to “put on clothes that are fit for a royal court. Being thus properly clad, I enter the ancient courts of the men of old, in which I am received affectionately by them…There I do not hesitate to converse with them, and ask them why they acted as they did; and out of kindness they respond.” How does Machiavelli use history as part of his argument in The Prince? How does this relate to the development of humanism and the interest in antiquity in the Renaissance? 2. Why is Cesare Borgia such a significant example for Machiavelli in The Prince? What does this example say about Machiavelli’s understanding of religion and the role of the Catholic Church, since Borgia was the illegitimate son of pope Alexander VI? Finally, how does the example of Cesare Borgia relate to Machiavelli’s understanding of the battle between fortune and virtue? In your answer, make sure to relate your discussion of Cesare Borgia to the whole text. 3. In chapter two of The Prince Machiavelli quickly passes over the ease with which hereditary princes can preserve their power. The rest of the book concerns the difficulties of maintaining power in new principalities. Machiavelli begins chapter three with the comment “However, it is in new principalities that there are real difficulties.” Why does Machiavelli believe that political innovation is so difficult? How does this relate to the question of the legitimacy of authority and the relationship between the prince and the people? Finally, how does a new prince’s difficulty relate to Machiavelli’s concept of liberty?
