Evaluate Niccoló Machiavelli's opinions about the ideal ruler
             Over the course of history there have been many rulers who have ruled over various lands. Some excelled, others just did the job, while many have failed miserably. The rulers have good and bad traits. Niccoló Machiavelli analyzed rulers and picked out the traits he saw as ideal. He wrote these traits out in his book The Prince. The historically important book is about rules for being a ruler that Machiavelli picked out through his own observations. Machiavelli's views on rulers are correct, but extreme. This is shown in his views of spending, fear, and qualities needed to be an ideal ruler.
             Machiavelli's view on spending money is right, but is somewhat extreme. He says, "miserl[iness] is one of those vices which enables a prince" (pg. 95) to rule his land. It is a good quality for a ruler to be wise about how he spends his land's money, but he can't be too miserly. He certainly can't use his money for his personal gain or his people will hate him for it. The ruler must use money to better his lands and defend it. However, rulers must also not "impose heavy taxes and do everything possible to obtain more funds"(pg. 94). This will anger the people and they will ridicule and criticize the ruler. Being too miserly can be bad, but economic stability is needed for a ruler to control his land.
             In Machiavelli's time it was better for a leader to be feared than loved. To be an ideal ruler "it is much sager to be feared than loved"(pg. 95). When a ruler is feared his people will not revolt and will be wiling to do things for him, but it is not a good for a ruler too feared. If he is too feared his people will not tell him things of dire importance because of the fear of him punishing them for it. This fear can also be horrible to a ruler if it "make[s] men hate him"(pg. ...