Machiavelli on Cruelty and Compassion

Niccolò Machiavelli (1469–1527) was interested in self-reliance, self-preservation and self-promotion. These things motivated his writing of The Prince and these were its themes. His aim was to impart to the ruling Prince, Lorenzo dé Medici (1492–1519) what he had learned of these components of statecraft and, in doing so, so impress him that he would return to political favour and to his previous role as a trusted Florentine diplomat. (He had previously fallen from favour when his name had been