Readers from all walks of life have revered Niccolo Machiavelli's masterpiece of political and social thinking, The Prince, since it was published in the sixteenth century. The influence of this piece has shaped politics, as we know it. Almost all of the provisions written by Machiavelli are in some form still in existence today. Reading through the piece and putting it in your own words helps you come to a fuller understanding of The Prince.
             In Chapter One, Machiavelli lets it be known that all states that have ever held power over others have either been republics of monarchies. These monarchies are either hereditary, or are new monarchies. These states that are taken are either accustomed to rule of a monarch, or are former free states that are taken by force of arms, or obtained through good fortune. But we still need an explanation of what these monarchies really are.
             In the second chapter Machiavelli goes into detail on hereditary monarchies. A hereditary monarchy is much easier to maintain than a new monarchy. With a hereditary monarchy a lot of rules have already been set. You simply step in and maintain them. You don't want to go past boundaries set by family in the past, and because your family has been in power for a long time you can look and see what problems may be ahead, and protect yourself accordingly.
             In the Third Chapter the subject is mixed monarchies. This entails those countries you overtake and then intend to rule. When you overtake a land you most certainly will make enemies. People are never fond of having themselves hurt. However at the same time you must keep a distance from those who helped you obtain the land because you can not guarantee that you will be able to fulfill your obligations to them. You can go about remedying these problems by either planting colonies in the states, or by living there yourself. Both are great alternatives. And there are some examples of how takeo...