Question

Read the passage from chapter 17 of The Prince.

Nevertheless a prince ought to inspire fear in such a way that, if he does not win love, he avoids hatred; because he can endure very well being feared whilst he is not hated, which will always be as long as he abstains from the property of his citizens and subjects and from their women. But when it is necessary for him to proceed against the life of someone, he must do it on proper justification and for manifest cause, but above all things he must keep his hands off the property of others, because men more quickly forget the death of their father than the loss of their patrimony. Besides, pretexts for taking away the property are never wanting; for he who has once begun to live by robbery will always find pretexts for seizing what belongs to others; but reasons for taking life, on the contrary, are more difficult to find and sooner lapse. But when a prince is with his army, and has under control a multitude of soldiers, then it is quite necessary for him to disregard the reputation of cruelty, for without it he would never hold his army united or disposed to its duties.

What impact do the words feared and hatred have on the meaning of the passage?

They suggest that a ruler who is feared can retain power, while a ruler who is hated is less likely to do so.
They suggest that hatred is more powerful than fear, allowing a ruler to take power from people by taking their possessions.
They suggest that, if a prince has to put someone to death, he will be hated rather than feared.
They suggest that both fear and hatred can be useful, depending on the situation.

Answer 1

A. They suggest that a ruler who is feared can retain power, while a ruler who is hated is less likely to do so.

Step-by-step explanation:

You can never put your faith in a human being because they are too unpredictable. They're in love today, but they'll hate you tomorrow. What this means is that you should not put your faith in us.