Short Synopsis
Drawing upon his own experiences of political office in the turbulent Florentine republic, Machiavelli wrote what would become his celebrated treatise on statecraft.

Full Synopsis
The Prince has long been both praised and reviled for its message of moral relativism and political expediency. Although a large part is devoted to the mechanics of gaining and staying in power, Machiavelli's end purpose is to maintain a just and stable government. He is not ambiguous in stating his belief that committing a small cruelty to avert a larger is not only justifiable but required of a just ruler.

Machiavelli gives a vivid portrayal of his world in the chaos and tumult of early-sixteenth-century Florence, Italy, and Europe. He uses both his contemporary political situation and that of the classical period to illustrate his precepts of statecraft.