THE PRINCE
Machiavelli
The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli is a book full off history about rulers of the past in Asia and Europe. Three of the subjects are the different ways to become a prince, keeping control once a prince, and the reputation of the prince is also quite an important topic.
The four different ways to become a prince are by being born into it, being chosen to take the position, working one’s way up to it, or taking it by brute force. According to Machiavelli the best is to be born into it and the worse to take it by force. These two ways are also the ones that are most easily kept. The former because the people respect the prince and his family and are more willing to trust him and his methods. The latter is kept only by fear. This means that the people will listen to their ruler because they are afraid of what will happen if they don’t.
The other two ways are pretty simple. Working ones way up and being elected for the position. These two are the harder to hold for many things can happen to get them taken away. This is because the people may change their minds and then the prince is without people on his side so he loses. Of the two, however, the first is more easillily held because the person in that postion is used to power in some degree and the one simply elected is not used to have power and may not have planned to get any more than he already had and if he disappoints those who elected him then he is plum out of luck for then he has no help in staying prince.
Keeping the throne used mostly throw their followers. Starting from those the prince needs most. A captain, for example, if he chooses to flee at the last moment then the prince is in quite a lot of trouble. Also, the villagers are also an essential part of keeping the throne because without them the prince will have no money or any way to feed his troops and without the villagers help and support the kingdom will go to ruin for the people will go to a prince...