The quote, derived from Machiavelli’s thoughts; “it is better to be feared than loved,” is supported by Beowulf in Beowulf and by Hrothgar in Grendel through their actions. Leaders have many choices to make; one of the most important choices is to decide if he prefers to be loved or feared by his followers. The main purpose of being a leader is to lead your followers into victory, rule your subjects and have a prosperous kingdom. So the question appears; is it better to be loved or feared.
According to Niccolo Machiavelli “if you have to make a choice, to be feared is much safer than to be loved” (225). Machiavelli was the first philosopher of the Renaissance, and wrote The Prince which argued that leaders must do anything necessary to hold on to power. The main reason it is better to be feared is because men are evil, rotten and will only do things that benefit themselves. Men only think of themselves and it is for this reason fear can control them and keep them loyal to a leader. Since loyalty through love can be easily broken because it involves no punishment, loyalty through fear is the better choice because it involves the “dread of punishment, from which [the subjects] can never escape” (Machiavelli 226). Machiavelli goes on to say that the great leader Hannibal took control of his immense army, because the soldiers saw Hannibal as a fearsome and cruel person, thus, making them loyal to him. Machiavelli in addition gives an example of a leader who chose not to be feared and cruel: “Scipio, an outstanding man not only among those of his own time, but in all recorded history; yet his armies revolted in Spain, for no other reason than his excessive leniency in allowing his soldiers more freedom than military discipline permits”(226). Failure to be cruel and fearsome will cause a leader to lose control of his soldiers, and it will cause the leader’s soldiers to revolt. Hannibal was the better leader; even though he was cruel, he was more merciful in reality than Scipio because he did not allow any disorders to happen.
Another leader who found success because he chose to be feared was Hrothgar from the novel Grendel. He organized his tribe and started to conquer and destroy any tribe who did not want to join him. Soon Hrothgar became powerful and when he had shown the other tribes his “strength of his organization… instead of making war on them, he sent men to them… with heavy wagons… to gather their tribute to his greatness” (Gardner 37).
Machiavelli’s advice to a prince who wanted to hold power is that they have to instill fear into the people. He believes fear is important because it restrains men, as they fear being punished. Love will never help you hold power because it attaches people to promises. Machiavelli believes that since humans are wicked, they will break these promises whenever their interests is at stake. Men will devote everything to you if you serve their interests, but as soon as you need help, they turn on you. Therefore, creating fear in them is the perfect strategy. I feel like Machiavelli is being sarcastic and did this to get attention. He knew his way of thinking was different and would get the attention of the people.
...llectually superior leaders. Quintus Fabius Maximus Verrucosus Cunctator was a Roman general that helped during the second Punic war. As a child he was known as being very slow to learn. This made the other children think that it made him inferior, but in all actuality i think that this helped him. I think this because he learned and then remembered what he learned. He was promoted from counsul to dictator when Hannibal was approaching Romes gates and Rome was in panic because two counsul members were killed. He came up with the strategy to slowly wear Hannable out instead of meeting him head on in battle. This strategy eventually saved Rome.
William Shakespeare’s play Hamlet is the dramatic story of a son who felt betrayed by both his mother, and the woman that he loved. Written in the Elizabethan era, around 1600, “Shakespeare's focus on Hamlet's intellectual conflicts was a significant departure from contemporary revenge tragedies… which tended to dramatize violent acts graphically on stage” (Hamlet). The play depicts Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark, who it visited by the ghost of his father, King Hamlet. The ghost reveals how he was murdered by his brother Claudius, who then claimed the title of King, and married Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude. Hamlet vows to avenge his father’s untimely death. Hamlet is in love with Ophelia, but her brother, Laertes, and father, Polonius, warn her that Hamlet can never really love her. Ophelia, following her father’s wishes, is unwittingly enlisted to spy on Hamlet, which leaves him feeling betrayed. Hamlet rejects Ophelia, accidently stabs and kills Polonius, and then hides the body. Ophelia becomes so distraught over her father’s death, that she ultimately drowns herself. Hamlet is devastated when he learns of Ophelia’s death. The play culminates with a sword fight between Hamlet and Laertes. Hamlet’s mother dies from inadvertently drinking poisoned wine that was intended to kill Hamlet. Laertes and Hamlet are both stabbed with a poison-tipped sword, but before dying, Laertes confesses that Claudius was the mastermind behind everything. Hamlet forces Claudius to also drink the wine and the irony is that everyone dies in the end. One of the most controversial topics in history is the relationship between Hamlet and Ophelia. Hamlet’s letters express his sincere feelings, and reveal that he was very much in love with Ophe...
Throughout Macbeth, Shakespeare illustrates Macbeth’s journey to becoming a ruthless and tyrannical man who will do anything and everything to gain more power. Macbeth’s actions of killing prove Machiavelli’s theory that men are cowardly and dishonest, which leads those similar to Macbeth, to believe being feared is safer than being loved. Macbeth has demonstrated Machiavelli’s theory by his actions of murder and betrayal towards individuals, such as Banquo, under his ruling. Macbeth believes that being feared is safer than loved by his people, which causes citizens under his ruling to think he is a bad king. Since individuals believe Macbeth is a negligent king due to his cowardly and dishonest actions, individuals won’t put their trust or
“An individual cannot maintain power if he is not well-liked.” This statement has truth. Yes? While being well-liked can help you jump over some small bumps in the road, intelligence and good survival skills used by a disliked leader, is better in the long run.
In the course of man's life he will have to make many decisions, and some will decide his future. Power, loyalty, and trust, are essential, yet obtaining them is only the beginning, managing them is a much harder task. For one to succeed he must realize how much power is beneficial and how much is dangerous. Loyalty helps one's cause immensely, yet one must not take the loyalty of his followers to the extreme. Trust is one of the most important assets a man can have, he must be careful, and not take it for granted. Man must always be prepared for these times when a decision must be made, because, as seen in Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar", one irrational decision can be man's last.
Lao-Tzu wants a good relationship with the people. A leader should be loved and not feared. Machiavelli thinks that it is best that the leader have fear over the people. Machiavelli says, “I reply that one should like to be both one and the other, but since it is difficult to join them together, it is much safer to be feared than loved when one of the two must be lacking.” (Machiavelli 44). If you rule in fear, people will not respect you nor will they like you. The people are just doing what the leader wants because they fear the consequences of not doing it. If I was in a relationship with my boyfriend, I would want to have a good relationship with him. If my boyfriend abuses me and threatens to hurt me if I ever leave him, of course I would listen to him and do what he says. I do not want to get hurt. I don’t want my boyfriend to physically abuse me or mentally abuses me in any way, so I would listen to him. He put that fear into my mind so I would do as he says. If someone told me if I left my boyfriend and they are sure that no harm will come my way, I would definitely leave him. I do not want to be around or associated with some who abuses me. I rather be with someone that I respect and have a good relationship with.
Throughout history rulers have used force in the pursuit of the acquiring more power and wealth, regardless of the consequences. The use of force may lead to the fulfillment of ones current interests or goals, but continued abuse of this power in pursuit of ones own interests has historically lead to the downfall of those in power. In the text The Prince Machiavelli says, “It is much safer to be feared than loved, if you cannot have both”. This quote suggests that when given the choice it is better for a ruler to use his power, through force if necessary, and be feared than to do what is right for the people and lose everything. In Sophocles’ Antigone, Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War, and Sophocles’ Republic the analogy of the double-edged
Ambition can consume leaders, nonetheless some leaders can handle the pressure that comes with having to lead individuals like Abraham Lincoln. However some leaders like Adolf Hitler and Macbeth allowed their ambition to get the best of them and cause harm. Hitler allowed his ambition to drive him to make catastrophic decisions such as trying to conquer other (stronger) countries, make dangerous weapons, torturer, and kill millions of innocent people. Whereas Macbeth allowed his ambition to kill the people that loved and supported him the most in order to gain control of the kingdom. Both Macbeth and Hitler illustrate leadership, but turned mad in order to consume more power.
In his book; The Prince, he states, “Upon this a question arises: whether it be better to be loved than feared or feared than loved? It may be answered that one should wish to be both, but, because it is difficult to unite them in one person, is much safer to be feared than loved” (Machiavelli). He explains that it is safer to be feared then later continues to say, “For love is preserved by the link of obligation which, owing to the baseness of men, is broken at every opportunity for their advantage; but fear preserves you by a dread of punishment which never fails” (Machiavelli). Clarifying that instilling fear in others guarantees their commitment it is understandable, for your benefit, you would rather be feared than loved. Correspondingly, Biggie smalls shared this principle in his song; You’re Nobody, when he raps, “So don't you get suspicious I'm Big Dangerous you're just a Lil Vicious as I leave my competition, respirator style climb the ladder to success escalator style hold y'all breath, I told y'all – death controls y'all” (The Notorious B.I.G.). Biggie portrayed himself as someone to be feared then explains that death controls people, as to say that threatening death on people will give you control over them. The two pathfinders understood the importance fear has over others and therefore knew how to take advantage of
One major example of Machiavelli's attitude is when he states, "I shall depart from the methods of other people" proving he conjures up new ideas about how a prince can be successful and also makes apparent his cocky demeanor (330). Another strong example of Machiavelli's outlook is when he states, "how one lives is so far distant from how one ought to live" showing he believes people are not getting their fair share (331). This proving Machiavelli's well-rounded attitude by thinking people deserve more than what they get. Finally Machiavelli states, "it is much safer to be feared than loved" making apparent his idea of being feared is a solid trait a prince must acquire to be successful (334).
During his reign, Cesare set out to conquer four fears that ultimately solidified his position and brought him success as a ruler. Cesare Borgia wanted to win over the people by eliminating blood of lords he had despoiled, win over the gentlemen in Rome, make the College of Cardinals more known, and acquire enough empire to resist the attack on his own (Machiavelli 30-31). Machiavelli praised Borgia for conquering his fears, “For with his great spirit and high intention, he could have not conducted himself otherwise…” (Machiavelli 32). Cesare accomplished three out of his four fears before the death of Alexander, and if he would have conquered all four he would have lengthened his time as a prince. One downfall he made was “…the creation of Julius as pontiff…” because he appointed him to this position after he had previously offended him (Machiavelli 33). Machiavelli believes that “…whoever believes that among great personages new benefits will make old injuries be forgotten deceives himself” (Machiavelli 33). The choice of putting the pope he offended into place led to his ruin in the eyes of Machiavelli. Also, it was the only decision that he made that negatively affected him because other situations were out of his control and due to
For hundreds and hundreds of years, we, as humans have yearned for companionship; sharing our life’s with one another in an intimate, and special way. For some, this is extremely difficult, the feeling of being loved and loving somebody doesn’t happen as easily, quickly, or frequently as they would like, struggling their entire life to find that person who they are meant to be with. These are the people who are desperate for even the slightest bit of affection, the people who will do and give up about anything to feel wanted in this world. For others, this comes rather naturally, adopting the characteristics and behaviors of their parents, people or the environment around them. These people, who are experts at the art of being vulnerable and loving others, are presented with their own problem of being susceptible to get taken advantage of and heartbroken by others. To love is to be vulnerable, although that may seem like an obvious statement; the trick is the perfect amount of vulnerability. Love is a great, outstanding creation, but if somebody is too vulnerable or not vulnerable enough, it can come to a screeching halt where people get hurt or worse. Throughout history other pieces of work by various authors portray love to be a questionable thing that is untrustworthy and that vulnerability is a concept with hidden evils.
A tall man in a long black coat is seen walking past the window of an elementary school with a large brief case. That sentence is enough to make almost any American’s skin crawl for a moment. Change the word man to woman, and all of those uncomfortable feelings change to normal and nothing out of the ordinary. How can this be? Everyone has experienced that unpleasant sensation of fear creeping into their bodies at least one time in their life. Maybe it was watching a horror movie or walking through an unfamiliar part of town at night, but this sensation is unlike any other feeling that humans can produce. It can become the most important survival instinct that a person can rely on. Although, in our day and age, as Dr. Karl Albrecht states, "Fear seems to have gotten a bad rap amongst most human beings." Fear is certainly not the most popular feeling and emotion that occurs in humans. People today view fear as a nuisance, and it tends to be regarded as a quality of the weak and helpless. With the education of knowing that fear is essential, people would discover that fear can quickly become any human’s most valuable resource. An analysis of fear, and recognizing its importance, confirms why fear is still needed in humans for survival today.
A great leader expresses unbreakable confidence in even the most extreme circumstances. People are naturally attracted to leadership because it signifies assurance. For this reason, leaders are great at gathering people into their cause. When a great leader stands up for something he or she believes in they send others into a state of awe. A great example of expressing pure confidence would be the daring Martin Luther King Jr. when he stood up for civil rights. Although his life was