Question

Read the passage from chapter 17 of The Prince.

And of all princes, it is impossible for the new prince to avoid the imputation of cruelty, owing to new states being full of dangers. Hence Virgil, through the mouth of Dido, excuses the inhumanity of her reign owing to its being new, saying:

"Res dura, et regni novitas me talia cogunt
Moliri, et late fines custode tueri."(*)

Nevertheless he ought to be slow to believe and to act, nor should he himself show fear, but proceed in a temperate manner with prudence and humanity, so that too much confidence may not make him incautious and too much distrust render him intolerable.

. . . against my will, my fate
A throne unsettled, and an infant state,
Bid me defend my realms with all my pow'rs,
And guard with these severities my shores.


Which type of evidence does Machiavelli use in the story of Dido to show that a ruler should be cruel in certain circumstances?

A. Machiavelli uses historical evidence to point out that many new rulers have used cruelty.
B. Machiavelli uses empirical evidence to makes points about the use of power.
C. Machiavelli uses logical evidence to assert that it is acceptable for new princes to use cruelty.
D. Machiavelli uses anecdotal evidence to show that new rulers need to be cruel.

Answer 1

C IS CORRECT ON ENG.

C. Machiavelli uses logical evidence to assert that it is acceptable for new princes to use cruelty.

Answer 2

The correct answer is C. Machiavelli uses logical evidence to assert that it is acceptable for new princes to use cruelty.

Indeed, the author is using the common knowledge of his time and that includes a literary quote from the Latin Poet Virgil, about the myth of Dido, which does not really have historical value since according to most historians she did not exist. His reasoning is not based on a fact but rather on an “expert opinion” based on logical reasoning.