Rhetorical Criticism, Essay Example

Introduction

Audience, the author’s background information and the genre-speech

The birth of Niccolo Machiavelli took place during the era of a heavy politics that took a centre stage in Italy. He was born on 3rd of May the year 1946. His interest in politics came when the regime of Savonarola’s power failed from his mother land. He had luck of being nominated to serve as the second chancellor of Florentine Republic. This came as a result of the influence of the Italians who needed the education in humane discipline of moral philosophy. He says, “Since there cannot be good laws without good arms, I will not consider laws but speak of arms,” (Machiavelli). This diplomatic post gave him a chance to travel around the world which also gave him an opportunity to write a story concerning his military and political career. Niccolo is trying to write to the politicians of France and Italy concerning how power is difficult to gain and retaining it is not an easy work. For a powerful person to retain power there must be some tactics to use. There must be the involvement of the public and some private issues to retain power which happens even in today’s life. He takes these politicians to be his common audience.  Later, he played his role when he met with Cesare Borgia who had a threatening military power and was demanding an alliance with the Florentines.

Ethos

During this heavy political error, Machiavelli gave his meaningful lessons from the observation of contemporary statecraft. He was happy with the leadership of Borgia. Borgia was courage who was able to act with swift execution concerning his power. Although Machiavelli disliked Borgia’s confidence, but he admired his leadership. In his writing, Machiavelli referred Borgia as an example of irrational reliance n chance and good fortune which is a great theme in his philosophical works. Machiavelli had learned that truly effective leadership required taming fortune and empowering oneself to be the master of one’s own destiny. Machiavelli tends to appeal familiarity and example in the place of meticulous reasonable analysis. This analysis seems to be an understandable to other people who qualify to be philosophers.

Machiavelli’s appeal to Emotions (Pathos)

The terms that are found in the text and teachings are widespread and lasting. In the other sense, Machiavellian may mean political, ethical and psychological issues even though Machiavelli was not much concerned on those issues. His work needs much attention which demands considerations and response. His work puts fortune as a river which gets angry and widens into a lake, combines the earth and makes one to cross to the other side. It is clear from the book that no human being can act the same when approached with goddess. It continuous by analyzing that the success of politics depends how the principle of fortune operates. This is better than to say that fortune is like a woman and it is necessary, in order to keep her under, to beat and to mangle her. Fortune responds violently on those who misunderstand it. To win against Fortuna one needs to prepare on how to pose an extreme response to the vicissitudes. Therefore, Machiavelli is sad on how takes politics like something that they can use to harass people with.

Reasons for Machiavelli’s writings (Logos)

Machiavelli has made people understand that what happens is a form of real things. This comes out from the story of the prince which concentrates much it power. Following this, we can note that politics is real and people need tactics to survive in power. When he talks about the prince, he says that the prince, who has inherited power, finds no difficulty in ruling since people are used to their ruling. Even though the prince has amoral issues to retain the state goals, he therefore participates with the public to ensure that things run hand in hand without any complain. This is real even from what happens nowadays in most of our political states. We can say that Machiavelli has withdrawn the theme of realism to people. Some of the critics say that Machiavelli has illustrated the theme of satire in all aspects of life. For example if we look at the story of the prince, people can conclude that it is the story for republican depending on how the prince uses the powers. Others like Gramsci argued that Machiavelli had the common people since the rulers had already known concerning the methods through their education. Even though the author is regarded to be realistic many of the heroes that belong to his side are mythical and his goal fundamentally utopian at the time of writing. The use of the adjective of Machiavellian, mostly used in the introduction of political tracts giving more than government by reasons of state frequently noticed by those of Bodin and Botero. Contemporary use of Machiavellian is a misnomer illustrating people who deceives and manipulates others of gain. Machiavelli asserts that the greatest virtue of the French kingdom and its king is the dedication to law. “The kingdom of France is moderated more by laws than any other kingdom of which at our time we have knowledge,” Machiavelli declares .The explanation for this situation Machiavelli refers to the function of the Parliament. “The kingdom of France he states lives under laws and orders more than any other kingdom. These laws and orders are maintained by Parliaments, notably that of Paris: by it they are renewed any time it acts against a prince of the kingdom or in its sentences condemns the king. And up to now it has maintained itself by having been a persistent executor against that nobility,” (Atkinson).These passages of the Discourses seem to suggest that Machiavelli has great admiration for the institutional arrangements that obtain in France. Specifically, the French king and the nobles, whose power is such that they would be able to oppress the populace, are checked by the laws of the realm which are enforced by the independent authority of the Parliament. Thus, opportunities for unbridled tyrannical conduct are largely eliminated, rendering the monarchy temperate and civil. Machiavelli adopted this position on both pragmatic and principled grounds.

Conclusion

During his career as a secretary and diplomat in the Florentine republic, Machiavelli came to acquire vast experience of the inner workings of French government, which became his model for the secure polity. Although Machiavelli makes relatively little comment about the French monarchy in The Prince, he devotes a great deal of attention to France in the Discourses.

Bibliography

Atkinson, J.B. and D. Sices (eds.). Machiavelli and His Friends: Their Personal Correspondence, DeKalb: Northeastern Illinois University Press, (1996).

Machiavelli, N. The Chief Works and Others, A. Gilbert (trans.), 3 vols., Durham: Duke University Press. (1965).