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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does the wise prince do to maintain the loyalty of the people?

2. What historical example does Machiavelli give to show how a military should be organized?

3. Why should a prince declare himself as for or against two warring factions?

4. Why should a prince keep down factions in his princedom?

5. Who does Machiavelli cite as an example of generosity that ended badly?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Machiavelli say a prince should be like a fox and a lion?

2. What does Machiavelli say is the first estimate of a prince as a ruler? Why?

3. Why does Machiavelli maintain that it is not possible for a prince to embody only good qualities?

4. Discuss Machiavelli's discourse on flattery.

5. How can a prince gain a reputation for great accomplishments and generosity without bringing about his own ruin?

6. Why does Machiavelli caution against disarming the people of a conquered principality?

7. Describe the two main reasons that a prince may be secure one day and lose his dominion the next.

8. Outline Machiavelli's position of honesty in a prince.

9. Explain how Machiavelli sees the weakness of using auxiliary forces as a military for a princedom.

10. Describe Machiavelli's position on fortresses.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write an essay on the Medici family returning to power and what it meant to Machiavelli.

Essay Topic 2

Write a story about how you imagine Prince Lorenzo de Medici reacted to THE PRINCE.

Essay Topic 3

Write a short story about an imaginary meeting between Machiavelli and the Godfather.

(see the answer keys)

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