Machiavelli Prince & Le Cid
It may not always begin as a conscious decision, but it remains clear that there are strong influences on works stemming from previous writings that manifest themselves in major concepts that have undergone changes across time. We can see multiple instances of these influences between Nicolo Machiavelli's The Prince and the French play, Le Cid by Pierre Corneille. These influences can be analyzed to determine the social changes that have taken place in the interim between the creations of the two works. This can prove to be a difficult task as the author often times conveys a problem they may currently have with the social or economic structure of their native lands outright. The author may also present a double-edged argument, seeming to point towards one conclusion while leaving the hint of another lingering on each word, or the most self-defeating argument of them all, where the author is making a statement they never intended to make. Some very interesting topics presented in one form or another in both works includes the role of women, aspects of power, aspects of honor. By examining the different arguments and methods used to present them, it can be suggested that the writings of Machiavelli may have had an impact on C
In summation, it is possible to state that the "conscious" Corneille agreed completely with Machiavelli's ideas, and there is indication of influence within the pages of Le Cid, however; a "subconscious" Corneille saw that there were issues with placing all the power into the hands of a single human being which could severely damage the socioeconomic structure of a society. Don Arias states all of these things in great detail as Count Gomas disregards all of the warnings. While it appears on the surface that Corneille supports the concept of absolute monarchy, he presents a hidden counter-argument, which some would argue Corneille subconsciously introduced into Le Cid. Still, without Corneille's full knowledge, the words of the Count would ring true in some ears and stir up a force that would later help cause a revolution to dethrone the king in power. The analysis of both works in terms of women, power, honor, and appearances strongly suggest that Corneille brought a lot of what he read in The Prince into his own works. This is expected due to the simple fact that we as a species subconsciously retain everything we ever hear, touch, or see. He shows his strong sense of honor in the overall discussion of the dilemma faced by numerous characters in the play. My choice is whether to betray love's flame, Or live in shame. In terms of attaining power, Machiavelli appeared to have a simple solution that involved rushing in, eliminating all competition that was more powerful than you while befriending all the competition that was weaker. This indicates that women were not frequently in a position of importance during this time period, and for a woman to reach such a position, it would have to result from dire straights where female rule was the only way out. After the altercation between Don Diego and Count Gomas, Don Rodrigue is torn apart by duty and desire:"It pits my honor against my love; to obeyA father, I must throw love away.
Common topics in this essay:
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