Dante and Machiavelli Essay - 1084 Words

Dante and Machiavelli define opposite sides of the Renaissance in several ways. Certainly the former believes that God will reveal all and call people to account for their behavior, while the latter gives every sign of believing in no God and supposing that scrupulous behavior only makes one a target for ruthless exploitation. This difference in the two could be expressed in terms of religious faith—but they could also be said to have differing views of human nature. Try to get to the heart of the distinction. Why is Machiavelli’s sense of right and wrong so opposed to Dante’s? Written two hundred years apart, The Inferno by Dante and The Prince by Machiavelli both contain examples of society during the late middle ages and also the†¦show more content†¦Dante also shows which sins he sees as the worst of sins, putting betrayers in the lowest circle of hell. Dante employs some common sense while discussing hell, putting obvious sinners in the lower circles and prone to harsher punishments, but he also puts the not-so obvious sinners in hell. Even though one may think he is doing the right thing, all motives are evaluated upon judgment and even a trace of selfishness or greed may threaten one’s chance in heaven. This is why Dante’s hell is rife with politicians and leaders. Although they may have the community’s best interests at heart, politicians become obsessed with fame and glory, often forgetting that they are representatives of the people. In The Prince, Machiavelli explains what a good and successful prince should be like. He advocates a strong, cutthroat authority figure and encourages the winning of power by any means necessary. The main theme in The Prince is that mob rule is dangerous, for people know only what is good for themselves and not what is good for the whole. The common people, in Machiavelli’s view, â€Å"are ungrateful, fickle, liars, and deceivers, they shun danger and are greedy for profit; while you treat them well, they are yours†. He believes that these commoners should beShow MoreRelatedWho Has More Power : The Pope Or A King?1657 Words   |  7 Pagesof nations came into fruition around the eleventh century and lasted for hundreds of years afterward. As Popes tried to gain power, their decisions were seen as corrupt by numerous Europeans. Dante Alghieri, through his book The Inferno, establishes his negative opinion by his portrayal of Popes. Machiavelli does the same in The Princ e, often pointing out the shortcomings of Popes. At the time, Popes portrayed themselves as leaders of political and spiritual issues throughout Christian Europe andRead MoreNiccolo Machiavelli : Virtues And Virtue1122 Words   |  5 Pagesend due to non-prudent behavior or a deadly mistake. The truth will uncover to whether the prince was virtuous or faking virtue. When a mistake appears, and the true self reveals. A prince could achieve complete virtue only through a sinless life. Dante depicts a soul as being virtuous by living a pure life and avoiding eternal death in the afterlife. To reign profitably, it is necessitating for a prince to have virtue. Virtue in return, will benefit him in the current and afterlife. Virtue is theRead MoreMachiavelli And Humanism930 Words   |  4 Pagesposition after shifts in the unstable Florentine republic. Machiavelli argues that people, particularly political leaders, should have flexible moral codes so that they can bend them when necessary. For him, betraying allies or betraying one’s own beliefs is acceptable, even beneficial, because it aids in making tough political decisions to maintain power. Machiavelli would not feel the need to fully align with one societal group, like Dante did with the White Guelphs or More did with Catholicism.Read MoreAnalyzing Dante and Machiavelli ´s Characteristics of a Good Leader1796 Words   |  8 PagesDante and Machiavelli were both writers who felt that society and leaders were greatly mislead in their approach of operating the state. Yet even they had very contrasting beliefs in their view of what was ideal for a society to function properly. Machiavelli judges religious or political leaders is based there’s ability to maintain order and unity, regardless of whether one or not need these leaders put there morality and ethics aside for this greater benefit of one’s state. This differs greatlyRead More Machiavelli Essay1597 Words   |  7 Pages quot;The term Machiavellian refers to someone who is unscrupulous, cunning, cynical, and unprincipledquot;(Goods 1998). 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Throughout the text he provides tips on how to achieve this thinking throughRead MoreThe Consequences Of Patriotism As Moral Justification1456 Words   |  6 PagesJoshua Soifer Ms. Pultz English 9B 12 June 2017 Et Tu, Machiavelli – The Consequences of Patriotism as Moral Justification Civil rights activist Malcolm X once claimed that â€Å"You re not supposed to be so blind with patriotism that you can t face reality. Wrong is wrong, no matter who says it†. Patriotism plays a principal role in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. In Julius Caesar, Shakespeare uses the actions of Brutus in order to demonstrate the immorality of taking patriotic duty to be an absolute