Question - The best description of Machiavelli’s The Prince is

The best description of Machiavelli’s The Prince is 

A) a satire on sixteenth-century politics. 

B) a call for Italian nationalism. 

C) an outline of constitutional principles for establishing a government. 

D) a handbook on politics as practiced in Renaissance Italy. 

E) a brief history of city-states of Florence.

Answer:

B) a call for Italian nationalism. 

Machiavelli wrote The Prince to describe the competitive politics of the Italian city-states in the sixteenth century. Machiavelli was writing his book at the time when Italy was being invaded by the Spanish and French. He was calling for a strong leader to unite Italy and defeat the foreign invaders who were destroying the country. The Prince is neither a satire nor a plan for constitutional government. The book does not describe the politics of the Renaissance and does not provide a detailed history of Florence. Machiavelli calls for a strong leader who will use whatever means necessary to achieve success and help Italy restore its greatness.