A Leader: Love and Hatred, Fear and Love Essay example -- Literary Ana

Many philosophers have discussed, written, and influenced the implementation of their ideas of the perfect qualities of a leader, and the techniques that one must use to improve and perfect their leadership abilities. Majority of these philosophers conclude that a leader must demonstrate favourable traits, which will in turn generate the public in which he is ruling over to love him. This will result in a successful leadership. These philosophies are also devised as if the real world was a perfect world. However, Niccolo Machiavelli wrote a book, named, The Prince, which introduced the realistic idea that the world is not perfect and people do bad things. Because of this, leader must act differently to take charge of the naturally bad behaviour of the human race (The Prince 1). In Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, there are numerous leaders who apply these ideas, and many who don’t. Although The Prince discusses many dark and relentless ideas of the perfect leader, his philo sophy is proven true by the characters from Shakespeare’s playwright, Julius Caesar, and the cause and effect of their actions. Brutus is a perfect example of a leader who did not follow Machiavelli’s advice, and did not succeed as a leader. For instance, Brutus’s main concern was pleasing the public and doing what was best for Rome. He did this by killing Julius Caesar (3.2.23-28). â€Å"If you want to acquire a reputation for generosity, therefore, you have to be ostentatiously lavish; and a prince acting in that fashion will soon squander all his resources, only to be forced in the end if he wants to maintain his reputation†¦to impose extortionate taxes.† (The Prince 2). Machiavelli stated that to be generous will have damaging effects on the leader. The damaging co... ...owed Machiavelli’s idea and as a result, killed anyone that was a threat to him (the conspirators). Machiavelli said that this was a good technique for a leader to use, because if a man does this, then everything that could possibly put him out of leadership is out of his way, leaving his leadership roll open to only him (Fears). Killing the conspirators was a great advantage to Antony because it gave him the opportunity to become a leader in the second triumvirate. Weather the characters of Shakespeare’s playwright, Julius Caesar followed or did not follow Machiavellian traits, each of the previous examples prove Machiavelli’s philosophy in The Prince true. Even though many philosophers conclude that a leader should have all positive traits such as kindness and generosity, a leader can be cruel and feared and be a better leader than one that is kind and loved.