Read the passage and answer the following question. Skip to QuestionNiccolò Machiavelli, The Prince“Therefore it is unnecessary for a prince to have all the good qualities I have enumerated [listed], but it is very necessary to appear to have them. And I shall dare to say this also, that to have them and always to observe them is injurious [harmful], and that to appear to have them is useful; to appear merciful, faithful, humane, religious, upright, and to be so, but with a mind so framed that should you require not to be so, you may be able and know how to change to the opposite.”—Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince, 1513TEXT: Marriott, William K., tr. 1908. The Prince. Niccolò Machiavelli. London. J.M. Dent & Co. New York. E.P. Dutton & Co.QuestionAccording to the passage, what does Machiavelli believe is most important about the qualities of a prince?
Question
Read the passage and answer the following question. Skip to QuestionNiccolò Machiavelli, The Prince“Therefore it is unnecessary for a prince to have all the good qualities I have enumerated [listed], but it is very necessary to appear to have them. And I shall dare to say this also, that to have them and always to observe them is injurious [harmful], and that to appear to have them is useful; to appear merciful, faithful, humane, religious, upright, and to be so, but with a mind so framed that should you require not to be so, you may be able and know how to change to the opposite.”—Niccolò Machiavelli, The Prince, 1513TEXT: Marriott, William K., tr. 1908. The Prince. Niccolò Machiavelli. London. J.M. Dent & Co. New York. E.P. Dutton & Co.QuestionAccording to the passage, what does Machiavelli believe is most important about the qualities of a prince?
Solution
According to the passage, Machiavelli believes that it is most important for a prince to appear to have good qualities, even if he does not actually possess them. He suggests that it can be harmful for a prince to always observe these qualities, but beneficial to appear to have them. He also implies that a prince should be adaptable and able to change his behavior when necessary.
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