us,” the prince is keeping his citizens in the cave, away from the true reality of his nature (Machiavelli 18). Essentially, the citizens should only see an image of the prince which he purposely projects to demand fear, respect and power, which may not necessarily be his true form. Machiavelli states that “A prince cannot observe all those things for which men are considered good, for in order to maintain the state he is often obliged to act against his promise, against charity, against humanity, and against religion” (Machiavelli 18). The best thing that a prince can do is take on whatever qualities he needs to suit his own purposes for the time being, changing the projections of these qualities as need be. It is very interesting to note that while The Prince is advocating seeming rather than being, it appears that seeming is exactly what Machiavelli is doing in writing this work. The work is dedicated from “Niccol Machiavelli to Lorenzo de’ Medici, the Magnificent” (Machiavelli Dedicatory Preface). It would seem that Machiavelli is trying to help Lorenzo gain power. However, it is rather odd that Machiavelli, a Republican, would write and dedicate a guide to politically take over Italy to a man who wants a very different type of government for Italy than Machiavelli does. Therefore, the reader can only assume that Machiavelli is writing The Prince in an attempt to regain his job and get out of exile. Or, maybe it is possible that there is an even deeper meaning. When closely examined, one realizes that The Prince is not at all a guide to success. Rather, if the instructions within it were adhered to, it would mean a sure death for Lorenzo. Machiavelli encourages the prince to be deceitful, callous and cruel. He says that it is better to be feared than to be loved. In order to gain power, the prince must kill off the members of the existing government which would, in turn, upset the pe...
