Individualism in Early Modern Masterpieces

Literature and the Individual in Early Modern Masterpieces

Niccolo Machiavelli’s most famous work of literature, ‘The Prince’ was first published in 1532. The purpose of ‘The Prince’ was to provide sound advice to the reigning leader of Italy. Machiavelli’s advice was based on his own examination of the ancient leaders, (Damrosch & Pike, 2008, p. 1501). At the most basic level, ‘The Prince’ is addressing an individual leader. However, as one digs deeper into it, there exists an idea of individualism throughout the excerpts that were presented in this week’s readings. In these excerpts, evidence can be found that ‘The Prince’ supports ideals such as self-reliance and independence that reinforce the individual. In this paper we will take a look at Niccolo Machiavelli’s response to earlier writers that addressed the same topics as he did. We will also highlight the literary qualities of this masterpiece and examine what modern day society might be able to learn from Machiavelli’s pragmatism.

Response to Earlier Works

Machiavelli studied leaders of the ancient times and based ‘The Prince’ on his understanding of how they got to be the leaders that they were. “But to come to those who, by means of their own ingenuity and not by fortune, have become princes, let me say that the most outstanding are Moses, Cyrus, Romulus, Theseus, and the like,” (Damrosch & Pike, 2008, p. 1504). While this does not directly relate to any earlier work on individualism, Machiavelli is clearly referencing earlier individuals who worked hard to make their own fortunes and get to a position of leadership. These people were leaders that Machiavelli admired for their ingenuity, shrewd ways of thinking, and their self-reliance in obtaining and maintaining their position as a leader. It is evidenced by this that ‘The Prince’ was inspired by these earlier individuals.

Literary Qualities

Throughout ‘The Prince’ there is emphasis on individuality. The way that it is addressed affects...