The Prince

Niccolò Machiavelli

The Prince — Niccolò Machiavelli presents Lorenzo de’ Medici with a concise inquiry into how principalities are acquired, maintained, and lost in Renaissance Italy. Drawing on history and political experience, he examines rule by law or force, native armies and mercenaries, reputation, fear and love, advisers, fortune, and ability, offering a stark analysis of the tension between political necessity and moral judgment.