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Read the passage from chapter 17 of The Prince.

Coming now to the other qualities mentioned above, I say that every prince ought to desire to be considered clement and not cruel. Nevertheless he ought to take care not to misuse this clemency. Cesare Borgia was considered cruel; notwithstanding, his cruelty reconciled the Romagna, unified it, and restored it to peace and loyalty. And if this be rightly considered, he will be seen to have been much more merciful than the Florentine people, who, to avoid a reputation for cruelty, permitted Pistoia to be destroyed. Therefore a prince, so long as he keeps his subjects united and loyal, ought not to mind the reproach of cruelty; because with a few examples he will be more merciful than those who, through too much mercy, allow disorders to arise, from which follow murders or robberies; for these are wont to injure the whole people, whilst those executions which originate with a prince offend the individual only.

How does the repetition of the words cruel and cruelty affect the tone of the paragraph?

User Lucian Thorr
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2 Answers

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8 votes

Answer:

The repetition of the words "cruel" and "cruelty" results in a manner of insistence and places a heavy emphasis on these characteristics deemed less detrimental than certain others (such as mercy). It highlights the importance, value, and role of this quality according to Machiavelli. This repetition also serves to counterpoise the negative connotations one may instinctively associate with the word "cruelty" and render it neutral. It brings a certain intensity to Machiavelli's tone.

Explanation:

User Shantanu Banerjee
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19 votes

Answer:

find a balance between kindness and cruelty is the first answer historical examples is the second answer

Step-by-step explanation:

It's all about trust folks

User Hara
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