Machiavelli's Prince

Why did Machiavelli write the Prince - and why did Church and political authorities find it so threatening? Five hundred years after Machiavelli first told friends that he had written a little work" on principalities, this book tries to answer these questions. It offers a chapter-by-chapter reading of the Prince as a masterwork of ironic writing with a moral purpose: to teach readers how to recognise hidden dangers in political conduct that appears great or praiseworthy, and in misleading promises of quick and easy solutions to their troubles. The Prince uses irony to hint at the problematic character of many princely actions it seems to praise. At the same time, it provokes readers to work out more prudent ways to gain political power and build effective defences. Far from eroding ancient contrasts between good and evil, tyranny and freedom, Machiavelli's unjustly infamous 'little book' suggests that dire consequences ensue when our language and practices fail to distinguishthem. In this lively and engaging new reading, Erica Benner helps readers see beyond surface appearances in the text by learning to identify signs of ironic dissimulation. The book outlines Machiavelli's most important ironic techniques, including the use of normatively coded words to signal praise or blame. Once recognised, these methods provide clues to the Prince's less obvious messages - and help explain why Rousseau and other early readers considered it "the book of republicans.""