Machiavelli and The Qualities of the Prince

Generals and Princes A general is an individual who leads men into battle field. Generals are strong, courageous, smart leaders who lead others in the time of need. A prince is a man with power to a thorn that is wise and feared amongst other men. According to Machiavelli, a general should be the prince because the sense of betrayal could fall into the general?s hands. Thus, a prince should be a general and a prince all in one.

In the article The Qualities of the Prince, the author (Niccolo Machiavelli) states that the qualities of a prince should have great moral principles because of the strengths that come with the power. Machiavelli believes a prince should be the wisest of all the wise men for that he should be feared mostly instead of loved. This gives a sense of sacredness to others who dare to betray a most powerful royal prince. In the other hand, their are generals who can be looked as a leader. The author believes a princes role is to become that general which people love and be scared as they lead their people and soldiers into combat. The author express most clearly that a prince can not be hated. The hatred of the people can lead to a destructible future. According to Machiavelli, a prince must be compassionate, trustworthy, sympathetic, honest, and religious to an extent. These characteristics lie in a prince but never in a general.

I agree with Machiavelli?s views of qualities of a prince. I prince should be a noble who is wise and understanding. He is to be the leader, powerful wise man that can be looked upon in times of trouble and need. These qualities lie in a prince rather than a general. A general leads individuals but still lacks the few importance of life; honesty, trustworthy, compassionate and sympathetic. A general can not be successful as a ruler of a country because of the blindness of his eyes when it comes to understanding and communicating other ideas. For Example, during a fifth grade class activity, a teacher (Mr. Cukar) had me stand up in front of a class and play a leader role in the group activity. My other friend (Deryk) was playing the role of the loved king who was generous by giving other kids candy. As I was telling other people what to do, I had noticed that most of the kids started to hate me because of my bossiness to the other children. Then, my Mr. Cukar asked Deryk if he needed me to boss people around and he said no. This is an example of a activity which relied on a some sort of a leader but yet became more effective when the ruler did it himself.

A prince will always be more of a successful leader than a general because his willingness to understand and learn new things. Being willing to understand others can open your mind and thoughts so you can a better choice. For example, my father is a very open minded individual who understands me when I ask to do not so good things like partying. My m other in the other hand does not tolerate of any partying by me., I truly think my father is a better parent because of his willingness to understand and be open minded. In the world of generals and princes, generals seem to thing one way and only do things their own way. They are not open minded individuals unlike princes, thus making them a bad leader. The qualities of a prince are a leader that is loved and feared. Doing what you want to do without think about other is what generals do which make them a hated leader. This brings an unsuccessful society when generals are unwilling to be loved.

The most important aspect of a leader is having control of their territory. The controlling of a piece of land shows a sense of power and responsibility. With having a controlled environment, many dysfunctions can accrue. As for a prince, controlling a general who has thousands of army men is not an easy task. This can bring a threat to a society when a general has too much power. The uprising of a power can be very greedy.

Controlling pieces of territory is a difficult task for a prince. That is why the qualities of a prince needs to be a general and prince in one.

Machiavelli?s ideas symbolize strength and power in a prince. These qualities are only found in a prince rather than a general. The inability of a general to become a ruler of a nation should educate those who do not understand the value and ethics of being a noble prince. Thus, it is a prince who stands firm in a society under pressure and leads men as a leader in the presents of a battlefield. The understanding a communicating differs a general than a prince in time of a controlling society. So, there is only one idea which needs to be remembered. A general generally never works, but a the qualities of a prince is never forgotten.