Machiavelli's The Prince
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Reading and Writing Workshop

Machiavelli – The Prince
Overview:
​This workshop uses The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli as the core text to explore ideas of leadership, power, pragmatism, and political philosophy. Students will analyze Machiavelli’s rhetorical strategies and compare his work with other historical texts and figures.

Session 1: Introduction to Machiavelli and Renaissance Politics

• Reading: The Prince, Dedication and Chapters I–II
  https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1232
• Focus: Historical context, structure, and audience of The Prince
• Writing Prompt: Who was Machiavelli writing for, and why is the dedication important?
• Supplemental Reading: “Machiavelli” from Encyclopedia Britannica (1911)
  https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/37829 (search term "Machiavelli")

Session 2: Principalities and Power

• Reading: The Prince, Chapters III–V
  https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1232
• Focus: Types of principalities and methods of rule
• Writing Prompt: Compare Machiavelli’s treatment of hereditary vs. new principalities. Which does he favor and why?
• Supplemental Reading: Discourses on Livy, Book I, selections
  https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10827

Session 3: Arms and Strategy

• Reading: The Prince, Chapters XII–XIV
  https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1232
• Focus: Military power, reliance on arms, and national defense
• Writing Prompt: Why does Machiavelli distrust mercenaries and auxiliaries?
• Supplemental Reading: Excerpt from Vegetius' De Re Militari (Book I)
  https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/54628

Session 4: The Ideal Prince

• Reading: The Prince, Chapters XV–XVIII
  https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1232
• Focus: Virtù vs. Fortuna, ethics in leadership
• Writing Prompt: “It is better to be feared than loved.” Do you agree? Argue your position using examples.
• Supplemental Reading: Plutarch’s Life of Caesar (compare leadership traits)
  https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/14033

Session 5: Religion and Morality in Politics

• Reading: The Prince, Chapter XVIII and Chapter XXVI
  https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1232
• Focus: The role of religion, appearance vs. reality
• Writing Prompt: Is Machiavelli’s prince moral? Defend your position with evidence from the text.
• Supplemental Reading: Excerpt from St. Augustine’s City of God, Book IV
  https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/45304

Session 6: Rhetoric and Persuasion

• Reading: Review key rhetorical passages in The Prince
  https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1232
• Focus: How Machiavelli uses rhetorical devices to persuade his audience
• Writing Prompt: Identify and analyze three rhetorical strategies used by Machiavelli in his address to Lorenzo de’ Medici.
• Supplemental Reading: Aristotle’s Rhetoric, Book I (selections)
  https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/6762

Session 7: Machiavellian Influence and Legacy

• Reading: Final chapters of The Prince + earlier passages for review
  https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1232
• Focus: Historical interpretations and modern legacy
• Writing Prompt: Has Machiavelli’s name been misunderstood? What does it mean to be “Machiavellian”?
• Supplemental Reading: Thomas Babington Macaulay, Essay on Machiavelli (1840)
  https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2332

Session 8: Final Writing Project and Peer Workshop

• Activity: Revise and expand a previous response into a full argumentative or analytical essay (1000–1500 words).
• Optional Prompts:
  • Is Machiavelli a realist or a cynic?
  • Compare Machiavelli’s The Prince with a modern political figure’s leadership style.
• Workshop: Peer editing, feedback, and final revisions