The Prince: Critical Attributes and Issues of Concern In 1513, Italian politician Niccolo Machiavelli wrote the book The Prince. The book was written as a handbook for princes. It is written in short, concise paragraphs. According to Machiavelli, he did not use “fine phrases, with swelling, pompous words” (12). It is more instructional than theoretical. Machiavelli simply states what the different types of principalities are and what attributes are needed in order for a prince to achieve …showed first 75 words of 1223 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1223 total…must possess, and things they must concern themselves with in order to be powerful. Machiavelli successfully summarized this information, however his ultimate goal, to see de’Medici read the work, utilize its suggestions, and lead Italy into a period of prosperity, failed. Lorenzo de’Medici was not impressed with the gift from Machiavelli and died in office shortly after receiving The Prince. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ **Bibliography** All citations are from the text The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli.