Prominent Person in the Renaissance Machiavelli

741 Words3 Pages
Prominent Person Essay Wilmington University Samantha Conley Prominent Person Essay: Week 7 During the Renaissance many things were changing. People from lower classes were speaking out against the power and control of others. People were becoming more creative and developing the abilities to do things other than what was deemed allowable. Politics and warfare were shifting. There were many changes that occurred during the Renaissance as a result of many things, but one prominent person contributed a lot. Machiavelli contributed to the politics, ethics, control, and warfare of all future generations especially those of western civilizations. One of the most influential creators of change was Niccolo Machiavelli. Machiavelli was a statesman in Italy and a Florentine patriot. When the republic was overthrown he was imprisoned and tortured. After being released from prison he decided to work on his writings. He is most known for his political works and writings. Machiavelli’s most famous work was the political philosophies in “The Prince”. The book was concerned with how one ruler governs and rules a mass of people. The book became a handbook for rulers. He also wrote many other works such as Discourses on the First Ten Books of Titus Livius, The Art of War, Mandragola, and History of Florence. The Prince changed the future of politics, ethics, and warfare. It is an analysis of how to acquire and maintain power. During the time Italy was divided by many individual state rulers. Machiavelli believed that the country would appear weak to others which would invite warfare. He thought the country should be unified with one ruler. He believed that rule could be acquired in four different ways and maintained by four types of armies. He also described how a perfect ruler should rule. Machiavelli believed the ruler should be stern rather than merciful. He should rule by
Open Document