Reading for Meaning: The Prince
1) According to Machiavelli, what should a leader be an expert at? Explain what you think that means?
2) If a ruler has the skills from #1, what will it guarantee him?
3) Explain this statement from Part I: “And on the contrary, it is seen that when princes have thought more of ease
than of arms they have lost their states.”
4) Explain this statement from Part II: “how one lives is so far distant from how one ought to live.”
5) What does a prince need to know how to do and when to use it?
6) Machiavelli believes that some cruelty is necessary to maintain power, but how does a ruler balance good and evil?
7) Is it better for a ruler to be feared than loved? Explain Machiavelli’s opinion.
8) Why is love not a strong enough bond for loyalty according to Machiavelli?
9) Clarify the delicate balance that Machiavelli describes in the last sentence.
10) Do you believe that this 16th century document is still relevant in politics today? Why or why not?
11) What famous historical rulers might be considered Machiavellian and why?