In "The Prince", Machiavelli discusses various political and military figures. How does the Cid from "The Poem of the Cid" compare with some of these specific men?
There are some similarities and differences when it comes to the readings of the poem of Cid and The Prince of Machiavelli. The readings of Machiavelli in the prince has discussed a lot regarding the various political and military figures the poem of Cid it can be observed that it has some similarities with the prince of Machiavelli. He talks about the political system through the eyes of the prince. According to Machiavelli, he believes that the power of the prince comes from being loved by the people and not hated (Machiavelli). He believes that a prince should rather be feared than hated by people. The idea that seems to come out from the works of Machiavelli is that a prince should not be merciful or generous. This statement means that they are supposed to be cruel and stingy to the people. He is also states that in order for the prince to solidify his reputation it is better if he surround himself with good advisors who tell them as it is rather than giving him flattery.
Machiavelli believes that the military affairs should be paid more attention to because it is the backbone of power for a prince or a leader. The military people are the ones responsible in keeping peace and increasing the territories therefore, they are supposed to be treated with care (Machiavelli). In looking at the poem of Sid, it is clear that the political is that the king was the ultimate ruler. In the poem of Cid states how Cid was banished from the kingdom of Spain. In looking at the poem of Cid and the prince of Machiavelli there is many similarities because in Machiavelli it claims a leader has to be feared in order to succeed.
This can be seen from the way Cid was banished and the harsh penalties that were imposed for anyone who tried to help him. This caused people to fear helping Cid and the powers of the king could be felt. The only way that Cid could get back on the good side of the king was to fight harder in order to increase the territory of the kingdom. The poem of Cid shows how important the military officers are for the kingdom (Chasca). It shows how the military is the one responsible in ensuring that the territory is protected and increased. The military personnel they go to wars without thinking about whether they will live or die for the sake of their country.
Cid on the other hand is doing his level best only to get on the good side of the king. He ends up achieving many things and conquered many battles but still it was never good enough for the king to remove the banishment. This all changed when Cid was able to conquer the king of morocco (Chasca). In looking at the poem of Cid and the prince of Machiavelli, it is a fact that the two have some differences. The differences come in when the prince is the one who has to please the military people while in the poem the military are the ones who have to please the king. The king is not fazed by the attempts to be pleased by Cid, therefore; he does not forgive him that easily even after Cid achieves many conquests. The King only forgives him when he got morocco under his control.
What conclusions about leadership qualities can be drawn from this comparison?
There is a major difference between the leadership of the two leaders from the poem of Cid and the prince by Machiavelli. The prince according to Machiavelli is stated to want the approval of the people therefore; he does not want to be hated by people (Machiavelli). On the other hand, the king from the poem of Cid is perceived to be a very harsh person who does not want care if people hate him or not (Chasca). This can be seen when he banishes people from the nation and enacts harsh rules that ensure that those people who have been banned are not helped. Cid the main character from the poem seems to be the one who was banished from the kingdom but he never gave up and eventually he was able to get back on the good sides of the king.
In the prince by Machiavelli states that the prince of the nation should prove their leadership or power by making sure that the people I the nation fear him (Machiavelli). This fear will cause the people to respect him and not do anything that will undermine his rule. This is the reason why he believes that the king should implement rules that seem cruel. The reason for doing this is so that the people will be able to bow down before him with respect and not hate. In the poem of Cid, we see that the king is very harsh and therefore, people fear him more than anything else in the country (Chasca). It can also be said that he might be hated by the people. In this case, the king does not show sense that he cares about the hatred that the people might have towards him especially the main character.
How does this fit with the emphasis found in other Medieval and Renaissance texts on remembering tradition and history?
The two reading were both done during the medieval and renaissance period therefore most of the events that occur have similarities to the kingdoms of that period. During the medieval and renaissance period, the political system was made up of monarchy. The monarchy states seem to also exist in the prince of Machiavelli. The reason for stating this is that the according to Machiavelli he believes that the rulers of the nation should be hereditary. This was something that was practiced by most of the kingdoms such as that of the ancient Rome. The military personnel’s are very important people in both of the readings.
Machiavelli claims that military personnel are what make up a kingdom or the prince. This is because the military are what determines the power of the ruler (Machiavelli). This can also be seen from the story of Cid who worked as a military man that conquered many nations during the wars (Chasca). The military is also very useful in securing the protection of a nation or kingdom, therefore; they tend to be treated with care. During the medieval and renaissance period the military people were respected by all the people in the kingdoms.
There were rules that only the noble men’s sons were the ones who were eligible to be the soldiers. This can also be seen from the prince where Machiavelli states that the soldiers in the military come from desirable people in the nation. In those times, the military men were the ones who went to wars and therefore, were able to conquer places, which caused the increase of the territory of the people. This can also be seen from the two readings where the Cid in the poem of Cid conquers many regions that get him to be pardoned by the king. In the prince by Machiavelli, it states how the military were very useful when it came to battles.
Work cited
Chasca, Edmund De. The Poem of The Cid. Twayne Publishers, 1976. Print
Machiavelli, Niccolò. The Prince. London: Penguin, 1961. Print
