Questions by Chapter

Question Set A

Chapter 1

1. What is an acquired kingdom?

Chapter 2

1. What reasons does M. give that hereditary States are easier to hold?

2. What does a Prince have to do to lose this sort of State?

Chapter 3

1. Why is there always trouble after a prince conquers a new land? (2 main sources are given)

2. Why is it that rebellion is actually useful to the prince some times?

3. Why does M. say that, “For, it is to be noted that men must be either treated well or annihilated…”?

4. What does M think of using soldiers to garrison a captured land? What we he say about the present occupation of Iraq?

Chapter 4

1. Why would it be hard to conquer the Turk, but easy to hold Turkey once it was conquered?

2. Why would France be exactly the opposite situation?

3. Which is more important to determining the history of a conquest, the man who conquers it or the country conquered?

Chapter 5

1. How hard is it to hold a land what was previously free in its politics? Give examples?

2. (KEY QUESTION) What does M’s view of holding previously free cities hint about his own judgment of the value of democracy or of the common people?

Question Set B

Chapter 6

1. Why does M think his readers should imitate “high” persons? What is the point of copying the actions of kings when one cannot probably become one?

2. What allows princes to take advantage of the opportunities that fortune gives them?

3. How well do people deal with change according to M.?

Chapter 7

1. (KEY QUESTION) M. says, “States that rise unexpectedly, like all other things in nature which are born and grow rapidly, have weak foundations and unstable relations with other states.” Why is he bringing nature into the question? What does this say about his belief in historical “law”? Does M. think what he is saying is “law” or just a “suggestion”?

2. How did the Duke, Cesare Borgia, use Ramiro d’Orca? Was this fair? Was it good politics? Why?

3. How does M prove that he knows Cesare Borgia’s plans so well?

4. Cesare Borgia is clearly a nasty human. What is M’s opinion of him. Proof?

Chapter 8

1. What are the steps by which Agothocles gains power?

2. Do you think M. is being completely honest when he says that, “Yet, it cannot be called talent to slay fellow-citizens, to deceive friends, to be without faith, to be without mercy, and to be without religion?” Do you think M. secretly thinks this is exactly what talent is? Explain? Do you think it is talent? Why or not?

3. (KEY QUESTION) Of all of the statements that got M. in trouble, the following is the most important: “I believe that this depends on whether cruelty is used well or ill. It may be said to be well used (if we may speak of using well a thing in itself bad) when all cruel deeds are committed at once in order to make sure of the state and thereafter discontinued to make way for the consideration of the welfare of the subjects. Bad use of cruelty we find in those cases where the cruel acts, though few to begin with, become more numerous with time. “ Restate it in your own words. Why is this quote so controversial? Does it make sense?

Chapter 9

1. Why does a prince who has the support of the people have an easier time?

2. Why does M. disagree with the proverb that, “he who builds on the people, builds on the mud?” Give a detailed description of M’s opinion of the stability of the people as a foundation.

3. How is the behavior of people different in times of peace than in times of war?

Chapter 10

1. Why don’t the citizens of a surrounded in a city with their prince abandon him?

Chapter 11

1. Why are principalities of the Church different from all of the others?

Question Set C

Chapter 12

1. What are the sorts of arms that a prince may use?

2. Sum up M’s feelings about mercenary troops.

Chapter 13

1. Why are borrowed troops even worse than mercenaries?

2. If a prince wants good troops, what should he do?

Chapter 14

1. Why is the study of war so important for princes?

2. Why do you think M. calls war an art? Do you agree that it is an art? Why?

3. How do preparation and luck go together? Which is more powerful?

Chapter 15

1. Why does M. put down all of the previous writings on how princes should act towards their friends and subjects?

2. When should a prince do bad things?

3. What is the difference between greed and miserliness for M.?

4. Should a prince always avoid vices? Why or not?

5. Should a prince always do virtuous things? Why or not?

Question Set D

Chapter 16

1. Why does generosity not work for a prince?

2. Why does stinginess actually turn out to be generosity in a prince?

Chapter 17

1. Which is better, fear or love? Why.

2. What is M’s view of human nature. Give a quote that proves your statement.

3. Do you agree with M. that, “Men more quickly forget the death of their father than the loss of their inheritance.” Why or not?

Chapter 18

1. Why should a prince be both a fox and a lion?

2. Should a prince keep his word? Why or not?

3. Which is more important for M., appearing to be something or actually being something? Do you agree with him?

4. Do you agree with M. that, “the end result is all that counts.” Do the ends justify the means?

Chapter 19

1. Why will the support of the people make a prince immune to conspiracies?

Chapter 20

1. Why should a prince arm his own people? Doesn’t he endanger himself?

2. Why should a prince sometimes make enemies intentionally?

3. What does M’s position on fortresses say about his respect for the power of the people?

Chapter 21

1. When two powerful neighbors are fighting, why should a prince choose sides and jump in?

2. Why is it bad to bring a person more powerful than yourself into a fight as an ally?

3. The last paragraph looks at how the prince should act in regards to the economy of his state. What is M’s advice?

Question Set E

Chapter 22

1. What can observing the servants of a prince tell you about that prince?

2. M. says, “[t]here are three kinds of minds: one which understands by itself; another understands that which others explains; and a third which does not understands by itself or even when it is taught by others.” Which sort of mind do you think you have? Which sort of mind do you think most other people have?

3. Say you have a prince who is not terribly smart, but who can choose good advisors and judge their advice well. Does M. respect that sort of prince?

4. What does M. see as the most important characteristic of a good advisor?

Chapter 23

1. What happens to a weak prince who lets his state be run by an extremely capable advisor?

2. Why does M. think that good advisors cannot make a stupid prince seem wise? Do you agree that this is true? This is a tough Q, so explain your answer well.

3. (KEY QUESTION) M. says that, “ unless they are forced to be good, men will always turn out to be bad.” What does this say about his view of human nature? Do you agree with him?

Chapter 24

1. What are the things that will lose a prince his state?

2. Is M. correct when he says that, “it is a common defect in man not to prepare for a storm while the sun still shines?” By the way, what does he mean by this?

Chapter 25

1. How much of a person’s actions are controlled by luck, and how much of his actions does he himself control?

2. M. uses the preposition “she” when he speaks about fortune. What does this say about his view of women? Do you agree that luck is female?

3.M. is clearly uncommitted to patience, caution, impulsiveness, force, or any other strategy to gain power. He says that all strategies may work. However, he does think that a strategy does have to “conform to the times”. What does he mean by that?

4. An extremely hard Q… M. says that, “[i]f human nature could be changed to fit the conditions at any given time, fortune would not change.” Or, in the original Italian: “ché se si mutassi de natura con li tempi e con le cose, non si muterebbe fortuna.” What does he mean by this sentence. What does this say about the interrelationship of luck and human nature?

5. Out of nowhere, M. says, “[f]or my part, I think it is better to be adventurous than cautious, because fortune is a woman, and if you wish to control her it is necessary to beat and ill-use her.” What is he saying about luck? Even more importantly, what does his saying say about Renaissance Italian views of women and their rights?

Chapter 26

1. Who are the barbarians of M’s title? Who else from Italy would have used that phrase to describe outsiders?

2. (KEY QUESTION) In whose name does M. beg Lorenzo to act? Why is this interesting? (Hint: It isn’t God.)

3. M. explains why Italian armies have sucked since the Romans. What is his explanation?

4. In the end, what sort of advice does M. think is most crucial to the prince he hopes Lorenzo will become? What does this say about what M. sees as the most crucial tool of power?

5. (KEY QUESTION) Is M. calling for Italian freedom? What exactly is he calling for?