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The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli and Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare Comparative Essay

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A comparative piece of writing which answers the following question: "Text with similar content inevitably reveal similar messages. Discuss this statement with reference to The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli and Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare”

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Uploaded on March 27, 2021
Number of pages 2
Written in 2016/2017
Type Interview
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the prince
julius caesar
essay
the renaissance
power
analysis
william shakespeare
english
niccolo machiavelli
comparison
caesarean rome

Institution Secondary school
Course
English
School year 8

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By Luke Banicevic

“Text with similar content inevitably reveal similar messages. Discuss this statement with
reference to your two prescribed texts”

Texts which can be disparate in form but similar in content are shaped via similar contextual
influences, communicating values and ideas which are contemporaneous reflections of society.
Niccolo Machiavelli’s political treatise The Prince and William Shakespeare’s Elizabethan drama
Julius Caesar both explore the consequences surrounding pretentious leadership and at what cost
stability must be achieved. For Machiavelli, this commentary represents the blueprint for uniting a
divided nation the feudal states of 16th century Italy, where Machiavelli links cause with action in a
sophisticated essay. Likewise, Shakespeare’s works can be seen as reflections of religious and
political turmoil cultivated through The Tudor Reign, along with his own reinterpretation of
Caesarean Rome to create a suspenseful Elizabethan drama adapted to theatre. Thus, both composers
reveal the objective truth that political idealists will ultimately fail in a world where principle and the
divine are seen as stubborn illusions.
Both texts affirm the need for amorality to attain control. Immersed in the war struggles of his time,
Machiavelli spent much of his professional career under indecisive leadership which undermined
Florence’s power as a military force. As such, the Italian diplomat was captivated by Cesare Borgia,
being deeply impressed by his decisive and cutthroat approach to political activities. It is evident that
Borgia’s success and truculence influenced much of Machiavelli’s reasoning, as he didactically
affirms that “if a ruler wants to survive, he’ll have to learn to stop being good”. This idea that men
must consider only what is effective rather than what is righteous reveals Machiavelli as a moral
relativist, who believes the willingness to become amoral “when the occasion demands” is a valued
trait for the accomplished leader. Shakespeare presents similar commentary, with the didactic aim of
reaffirming England’s need to maintain a formidable monarchy amidst future uncertainty. With
Elizabeth’s reign nearing completion, along with the absence of an heir to resume the throne, 16 th
century England became increasingly fearful of social unrest. In response, Shakespeare raises a
surreptitious social comment that closely resembles the Machiavellian perspective, relating
Elizabeth’s astute political skills from which she constructed her state and the civil order that
inevitably followed. The man who ascends to victory above all others in Julius Caesar is indisputably
Mark Antony, the perfect Machiavellian figure who uses ruthlessness to achieve his ends. This is
implied when Antony schemes with Octavius over the lives of his rivals: “These many, then, shall die.
Their names are pricked”. Even when it is his own nephew’s life in question, Antony effortlessly
replies, “He shall not live. Look, with a spot I damn him”. Emphasised via his highly modal and
decisive tone, Antony’s disregard for the human cost of victory reveals him as a political opportunist,
whose desire for power overthrows moral aptitude with a single thought. In the Machiavellian view,
these qualities are necessary in avoiding political and social disorder, a view shared by Shakespeare
evident via these examples.
To justify their controversial views, Shakespeare and Machiavelli supply generalisations that the
public are greedy and self-centred. For Machiavelli, these justifications are critical in demonstrating
the rationality behind his incentive for brutal leadership. His assessment of the public reflects his view
of 16th century Florence that people “are ungrateful and unreliable: they lie, they fake, they’re greedy
for cash…”. Here, Machiavelli’s forthright cynicism toward humanity reflects his society’s shift
toward barbarity and violence in the politically unstable environment of Italy, touching on the core
concerns dictating the lives of his Italian audience. Moreover, Shakespeare in Julius Caesar links the
dangers of social unrest with humanity’s enduring quest for greed. This is observed through the
idealist character Brutus, whose admiration for Elizabethan values such as decency limit him from the
political insight that, for example, Mark Antony’s character represents. These values are portrayed
when Antony falsely pledges friendship in order to destroy Brutus and the conspirators. With the
falsity of Antony’s intentions ignored, Brutus blindly offers him the chance to strike the first blow at
Caesar’s funeral: “Mark Antony, here, take you Caesar’s body… you shall speak”. In turn, Antony is

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