Biography

Born into a time of extreme political upheaveal, Niccolò Machiavelli was a member of the old Florentine nobility. He received a proper humanistic Renaissance education, and as a young man began the climb up the perilous political ladder of Italy. In 1502 he was sent to Romagna as an envoy to Cesare Borgia, the infamous papal prince and despot who would later influence Machiavelli's political philosophy. The return of the Medici dynasty in 1512 resulted in Machiavelli's downfall. He lost his office and was imprisoned and tortured before finally being banished from Florence. It was during his exile that Machiavelli wrote his most famous work, "Il Principe (The Prince)", a handbook of sorts for autocratic rulers. Though his sympathies lay with republicanism, he was first and foremost intensely pragmatic, a quality which did not endear him to later, more idealistic, generations.
- IMDb mini biography by: Nichol

Though the later centuries have viewed him unkindly as the manifestation of evil itself, Machiavelli did little to earn this nasty reputation. He was a good citizen, an upright man, and an affectionate husband. Despite this, he was considered so immoral that his name became a synonym for the devil ("Old Nick" is derived from his given name, and "Machiavel" from his surname; both are found in Renaissance literature as names for Satan). Harvey Mansfield, in his book "Machiavelli's Virtue", indexes the word "Machiavellism" as "See also: evil."

There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things.

A wise lord cannot, nor ought he to, keep faith when such observance may be turned against him, and when the reasons that caused him to pledge it exist no longer. If men were entirely good this precept would not hold, but because they are bad, and will not keep faith with you, you are not bound to observe it with them.

If you only wound your enemy, ensure he cannot pursue you.

An unarmed man is not only defenseless, but also contemptible.

There are three classes of intellects. One which comprehends by itself; another which appreciates what others comprehended; and a third which neither comprehends by itself nor by the showing of others; the first is the most excellent, the second is good, the third is useless.