Abstract
This essay discusses Machiavelli's views of the strengths of a prince as expressed in chapters 6 and 13 of his work "The Prince." The essay outlines Machiavelli's discussion of two types of princely characters: Agathocles, who becomes royalty by fate, and Hiero, a man who becomes royalty by ability. It finds that Machiavelli treats each of these types of men with a practical assessment of their abilities as leaders and that Machiavelli argues that though the two types of men gain power through different means, both men bring the same results.

From the Paper
"Hiero, Machiavelli says, was a man suited to being king, and a man whose ability to assess a situation and make decisions was in part how he created opportunity to for himself. Hiero was pursued by the citizens of Syracuse, who were oppressed, and saw in Hiero the ability of a man who could face the challenge of their oppressors, and bring together the army of Syracuse as an army that would fight and bring about the needed changes for the citizens of Syracuse. They measured Hiero accurately, and Machiavelli says that Hiero won the loyalty of the army, and, as the citizens rightly saw in Hiero's character, Hiero was a man who won the loyalty of the army."

Tags:character, leadership, fate, ability

Abstract
The paper begins by examining how Machiavelli portrayed the characteristics of a true leader in his book, "The Prince", which was meant to offer sound advise to those in power. The paper then looks at Iago from William Shakespeare's "Othello" as an example of how selfishness can sometimes lead to success and how one might use evil powers of manipulation and ruthlessness to destroy the life of one's enemies.

From the Paper
"Iago possesses the genius of Machiavelli's prince. He is ruthless and cares about no one but his own goals and ambitions. Secondly, just like the prince, he is least concerned about morality or ethical aspects of his actions. He simply believes in winning by hook or by crook and that is exactly what Machiavelli wanted his prince to do. Iago is aware of the evilness of his intentions as he says, "To counsel Cassio to this parallel course,/Directly to his good Divinity of hell!/When devils will the blackest sins put on,/They do suggest at first with heavenly shows,/As I do now:" (Act 2, Scene 3)"

Tags:Agathocles, Syracuse, Cassio