Primary Sources: Chapter 17 from "The Prince"

By Niccolò Machiavelli, translated by W.K. Marriott, adapted by Newsela staff on 11.15.21

Word Count 778
Level 990L

Niccolò Machiavelli was a diplomat who wrote about power and political leadership in his book, "The Prince," published in 1532. Art: Santi di
Tito/Wikimedia Commons

Editor's Note: The writer Niccolò Machiavelli was born in Florence, Italy, in 1469. He lived
during the Italian Renaissance, a period in history when new ideas were emerging in art,
literature, science and politics. He drew from his political experience as a foreign secretary in
Florence to write "The Prince." The political treatise was published in 1532, five years
after Machiavelli died. The book does not discuss the virtues of an ideal leader. Instead, it
explains how rulers can gain power, create a state and maintain their power. The excerpt that
follows is Chapter 17 of "The Prince." It is titled "Concerning cruelty and clemency and whether it
is better to be loved than feared."

"Sometimes, Though, It Is Necessary To Be Cruel"

Every prince should want to be considered merciful and not cruel. Sometimes, though, it is
necessary to be cruel. Consider Cesare Borgia, an Italian leader who tried to form his own state.
Although he was considered cruel, his actions brought unification and peace to the historical
region of Romagna. When this is taken into account, Borgia is much more merciful than the
people of Florence. In order to avoid a reputation for cruelty, they permitted Pistoia to be

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destroyed. Therefore a prince, so long as he keeps his subjects united and loyal, should not mind
being considered cruel. In some instances, a prince may even need to execute some subjects in
order to make examples of them. This will keep his other subjects in line and will stop disorders
from arising. A leader who permits disorder makes room for murders and robberies, and those will
probably injure the whole community instead of just a few.

Still, a prince should not act rashly — he should be slow to believe and act. He should not show
fear but instead proceed in a measured way with prudence and humanity. This way, he will be
neither too confident nor too distrustful.

"It Is Safer To Be Feared Than Loved"

So is it better for a prince to be loved or feared? The prince may wish to be both feared and loved,
but uniting these two in one person can be difficult. In the end, it is safer to be feared than loved.

Men are generally ungrateful and greedy, but as long as you are successful, they follow orders.
They offer you their blood, property, life and children when the need is not immediate. However,
once the need becomes more urgent, the people turn against you. Therefore, a prince who relies on
his people's promises and avoids other precautions is ruined. Casual friendships are not secure or
reliable. Men take less issue turning against someone who is loved than someone who is feared.
This is because love is preserved by the link of obligation, which men will easily break. Fear,
meanwhile, preserves you by a dread of punishment, and this never fails.

"Inspire Fear That Is Not Hatred"

A prince should inspire fear that is not hatred, as a prince can endure being feared a long
time. Above all, the prince must keep his hands off the property of others, since men more quickly
forget the death of their father than the loss of their property. A prince who starts stealing from his
citizens will always find new reasons for doing so. He will find it harder to find reasons for
execution. Still, when a prince is with his army and has to control many soldiers, it is necessary be
cruel. Without cruelty, he would never hold his army united or disposed to its duties.

Hannibal, a general who commanded the forces at Carthage, led an enormous army composed of
many races of men. No dissensions arose either among them or against the prince, in good times
or bad. This was because Hannibal's cruelty, combined with his courage, made him revered and
terrible in the eyes of his soldiers. Without that cruelty, his other virtues would not have been
enough to keep the soldiers in line. Some writers admire Hannibal's work from one point of view
but then condemn the principal cause of them. However, his other virtues would not have been
sufficient. Consider Scipio — a most excellent man and military commander whose army rebelled
against him in Spain. The cause of this rebellion was excessive tolerance, which gave his soldiers
more license than is consistent with military discipline.

Returning to the question of being feared or loved, I come to the conclusion that it is better to be
feared. This is because a prince has more control over being feared than being loved. He must only
try to avoid the hatred of his subjects.

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