The Prince - Machiavelli

Engage

• Spiritual leader of a group of people; leader of spiritual leaders
• Captain of an athletic team
• Teacher of a class of students
• Principal of a school
• Superintendent of a school district
• President of the student body
• General of an army
• President of a college
• CEO of a corporation
• Leader of a labor union
• Conductor of an orchestra
• Mayor of a city; governor of a state

• Decisiveness
• Fairness
• Ability to bring out the best in people
• Willingness to work as hard as the followers
• Strong speaking and public relations skills
• Honesty

• Control of followers’ grades, promotions, or financial situation
• A threatening personality
• Good connections with others in positions of leadership
• Powers of persuasion
• Trickery
• Competitiveness

Explore

Students read The Prince while taking Cornell Notes on each chapter.

Students are also responsible for assigned vocabulary words as well as any words with which they are unfamiliar. Students are to provide both a definition of the word as well as an illustrated mental picture.

Assigned Vocabulary:

• Pusillanimous
  Inimical
  Cozening
  Munificence
   Effeminacy
   Unanimity
  Affability
  Parsimony
  Rapacious
  Ecclesiastical
  Niggardliness
  Nefarious

Explain

Students now have an opportunity to participate in a Socratic seminar to discuss the novel.  Some leading questions include:

 ·         Machiavellian is often a synonym for evil, how accurate is this and how do you feel about it?

·         Machiavelli said that rivers and men can be controlled, but cannot be trusted. Discuss what this statement means and whether or not you think it is true. Give another metaphor that would express your view on this idea.

·         Give some examples of Machiavellian leaders. What does Machiavelli say these leaders must do to maintain their power?           

Elaborate

Students should read the “Bill Meet Niccolo” article from the US and World Report to familiarize themselves with the idea that Machiavelli is very present in society today.

Now that students have a working understand of Machiavelli’s principles of power have them create a list of “rules” that a Machiavellian ruler must follow.  The list should include the following:

·         NEVER give away power, it will bring about your own downfall.

·         Luck is useless without ability.

·         Punish hard, fast and all at once.

·         It is not important to HAVE great abilities, it is only important to SEEM to have them.

·         People judge you by the company you keep. You are judged by those who work for you.

·         Do not be neutral, pick a side!

·         It is best to be loved AND feared; if you cant be both, then be feared.

·         Cruelty for the state is good, cruelty for the self is bad.

·         Once people have tasted freedom, they will never forget it. The best thing to do is kill them.

·         Timing is everything.

·         See things as they are, not as you would like them to be.

·         Ethics are outside politics.

·         When things are running smoothly, people will stick with their leaders; they will not pursue change.

·         While running for election, spend lavishly. While in office, be stingy with money

.·         Man is wicked and can’t be trusted.

·         Man is easily fooled, be a good liar.

·         Man is weak; only the fear of punishment will keep him in line.

-OR-

Evaluate

Extend

Students can access random Machiavelli Quotes of the day.
Students can research/look for novels that satirize or parody Machiavelli. There are tons!
Students can read The Art of War.