How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
Having recovered credibility, and not wanting to have to put the loyalty of the French or anyone else to the test, Borgia turned to trickery. He was so good at disguising his intentions that even the Orsini made peace with him, sending Paulo Orsini as mediator. (7.7)
Machiavelli's right hand man, Cesare Borgia, teaches us that sometimes you have to "turn to trickery." Since Machiavelli says over and over again that we should imitate him, we can only assume that we should turn to the dark side, too. The trick is, don't get caught.
Quote #2
Borgia was extremely generous to Paulo, reassuring him with gifts of money, clothes and horses, until the ingenuous Orsinis eventually responded and accepted an invitation to Senigallia, thus delivering themselves into the duke's hands. Having killed the Orsini leaders then and forced their followers to become his allies, Borgia had laid solid foundations for his power: he held Romagna and the Duchy of Urbino and, what's more, he felt he had won the support of the local people who were beginning to enjoy some prosperity. (7.7)
This is how you do it. Lure your enemy in with sweet candy, and then bam! Massacre. Remember guys, this isn't bad behavior. This is what you need to do to keep power. Plus, Borgia's people weren't complaining, were they?
Quote #3
And since, he wrote, he'd been working hard for nothing but the prestige of his position, he wanted to ride into town in style with a hundred mounted friends and servants beside him; that way his fellow citizens would see that he hadn't been wasting his time. (8.4)
Agathocles must be subscribing to Cesare Borgia Daily, because this pattern of trickery seems awfully familiar. Who's going to assume you want to kill them when you just say you want to have a parade and a party? Any Shmoopster, after this.
Quote #4
Everyone will appreciate how admirable it is for a ruler to keep his word and be honest rather than deceitful. However, in our own times we've had examples of leaders who've done great things without worrying too much about keeping their word. Outwitting opponents with their cunning, these men achieved more than leaders who behaved honestly. (18.1)
Honesty is overrated. Sure, if you somehow can manage to rule and be honest, too, more power to you. But, despite what those other books say, it's not necessary.
Quote #5
Since a ruler has to be able to act the beast, he should take on the traits of the fox and the lion; A ruler who just plays the lion and forgets the fox doesn't know what he's doing. (18.2)
Here, Machiavelli pulls out his favorite beasty trope to drive home his favorite point: lies are integral to being a good ruler. Not just violence. Never forget.
Quote #6
Anyway, a ruler will never be short of good reasons to explain away a broken promise. (18.3)
It's okay to lie, but you have to make up a better excuse than "I'm washing my hair," or things might get ugly.
Quote #7
Those best at playing the fox have done better than the others. But you have to know how to disguise your slyness, how to pretend one thing and cover up another. (18.3)
The most important part of lying is making sure that no one knows that you lied. You have to be as slick as a fox.
Quote #8
There's a certain king today—I'd better not call him by name—who never stops preaching peace and trust and is actually sworn enemy to both; and if he had ever practised either he would have lost his authority or his kingdom many times over. (18.6)
This almost sounds like a roast, where you praise someone by saying how horrible he is. We all know that the "certain king" is Ferdinand of Spain. He doesn't practice what he preaches, and that seems to be working out pretty well for him.
Quote #9
So he introduced an independent body, parliament, that could keep the nobles in their place and protect the people without the king's being responsible. There really couldn't be a better or more sensible institution, nor one more conducive to the security of the king and the realm. This prompts the following reflection: that a ruler must get others to carry out policies that will provoke protest, keeping those that inspire gratitude to himself. (19.7)
It wasn't me, it was the one-armed man! Always have a scapegoat, Machiavelli says. Always have someone else to blame.
Quote #10
Albinus was taken in, but as soon as Severus had defeated and killed Niger and got control of the eastern empire, he went back to Rome and complained in the Senate that Albinus, far from being grateful for everything Severus had given him, had set a trap to kill him; as a result, he, Severus, would have to go and punish his ingratitude. In fact he went to France, stripped Albinus of his power and had him killed. (19.15)
Yawn.Where have we seen this before? Didn't Agathocles and Cesare Borgia just do the same thing—deceit and trickery—a few pages ago?
Quote #11
Hence many people reckon that when the opportunity presents itself a smart ruler will shrewdly provoke hostility so that he can then increase his reputation by crushing it. (20.6)
Like leveling up in video games, you have to fight mini wars before you have enough mana to face the final boss.