Machiavelli and Castiglione

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that contemporaries Machiavelli and Castiglione, who wrote about the Italian courts in the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries, still influence today's politics and society. The author points out that Machiavelli's "The Prince" examined the exigencies of politics and political maneuvering as they applied to the rulers of Italy's endlessly warring city-states; whereas, Castiglione, in "The Courtier" investigated the talents required of individuals, who served under the ruling princes and comprised the courts of these small states. The paper relates that Machiavelli's "The Prince" became a byword for intrigue and for "the ends justifying the means" as a cynical version of politics and political control; however, Castiglione emphasized the intellectual and social accomplishments of an individual, which were required to become a successful and productive member of the ruling class.

From the Paper:

"In the eyes of Castiglione, the courtier's personal qualities must necessarily fit within the larger picture of the court performance. Courtiers are nearly always participating in some larger events, some function that demands the presence of many individuals around the ruler or rulers. Court ceremonial and pageantry was especially important to the author of "The Book of the Courtier". A significant aspect of court pageantry of the time was the performance known as masking, in which the courtiers themselves assumes other roles while wearing masks."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Machiavelli, Niccolo. The Prince. Trans. Peter Bondanella and Mark Musa. Ed. Peter Bondanella. Oxford: Oxford University, 1998.
• Rebhorn, Wayne A. Courtly Performances: Masking and Festivity in Castiglione's Book of the Courtier. Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1978.
• Richards, Jennifer. "Assumed Simplicity and the Critique of Nobility: Or, How Castiglione Read Cicero." Renaissance Quarterly 54.2 (2001): 460>.

More papers on Machiavelli and Castiglione:

• Comparison Essay # 73507 : "The Prince and The Courtier"
• Analytical Essay # 140214 : "Machiavelli and Hobbes"
• Analytical Essay # 134493 : "Machiavelli and Leadership"

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