The Prince in English

Niccolò Machiavelli

originalC2year1532genrePhilosophyvibeBleakPowerAmbitionaudioUSUK

A former Florentine official explains, in plain and unsentimental terms, how rulers actually win and keep power. Whether that is advice or a warning is still debated.

The book is made of short chapters, each answering one question about power: what kinds of states there are, how conquests are held, what makes a ruler respected or hated. Machiavelli supports every point with examples, often from Cesare Borgia or from ancient rulers. There is no plot, so the structure is an argument that builds step by step. The English is formal and abstract, with very long sentences that carry several clauses and conditions at once. The translation is from 1908, so some phrases sound old-fashioned, but the vocabulary is mostly general.

What kind of book“The Prince” is

Versions of “The Prince” in English: C1

Same book, adapted to a level you can read without stopping

levelA1–A2B1–B2C1–C2pagesaudiobook

Vocabulary by level

A1 63%
A2 16%
B1 8%
B2 6%
not in dictionary 3%

A sample from “The Prince” in English

One passage, the way each version writes it.

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Original · C2230 words

Nicolo Machiavelli, born at Florence on 3rd May 1469. From 1494 to 1512 held an official post at Florence which included diplomatic missions to various European courts. Imprisoned in Florence, 1512; later exiled and returned to San Casciano. Died at Florence on 22nd June 1527.

Nicolo Machiavelli was born at Florence on 3rd May 1469. He was the second son of Bernardo di Nicolo Machiavelli, a lawyer of some repute, and of Bartolommea di Stefano Nelli, his wife. Both parents were members of the old Florentine nobility.

His life falls naturally into three periods, each of which singularly enough constitutes a distinct and important era in the history of Florence. His youth was concurrent with the greatness of Florence as an Italian power under the guidance of Lorenzo de’ Medici, Il Magnifico. The downfall of the Medici in Florence occurred in 1494, in which year Machiavelli entered the public service. During his official career Florence was free under the government of a Republic, which lasted until 1512, when the Medici returned to power, and Machiavelli lost his office. The Medici again ruled Florence from 1512 until 1527, when they were once more driven out. This was the period of Machiavelli’s literary activity and increasing influence; but he died, within a few weeks of the expulsion of the Medici, on 22nd June 1527, in his fifty-eighth year, without having regained office.

C1.0242 words

Nicolo Machiavelli was born in Florence on 3rd May 1469. From 1494 to 1512 he held an official post in Florence. This work included diplomatic missions to various European courts. He was put in prison in Florence in 1512. Later he was sent away from the city and returned to San Casciano. He died in Florence on 22nd June 1527.

Nicolo Machiavelli was born in Florence on 3rd May 1469. He was the second son of Bernardo di Nicolo Machiavelli, a lawyer with a good name, and of Bartolommea di Stefano Nelli, his wife. Both parents belonged to the old noble families of Florence.

His life divides naturally into three periods. Each one, remarkably, marks a separate and important time in the history of Florence. His youth happened while Florence was great as an Italian power, led by Lorenzo de’ Medici, Il Magnifico. The Medici fell from power in Florence in 1494. In that same year Machiavelli entered public service. During his official career Florence was free under the government of a Republic. This lasted until 1512, when the Medici returned to power and Machiavelli lost his post. The Medici ruled Florence again from 1512 until 1527, when they were driven out once more. This was the time of Machiavelli’s writing and his growing influence. But he died only a few weeks after the Medici were forced out, on 22nd June 1527, in his fifty-eighth year, without ever getting his post back.

The same passage at different levelsContinue in the reader

The original language of “The Prince” and what it gives you

How hard the language is C2

The difficulty is in the sentences, not the words. The average sentence is about 38 words, which is very long, and one sentence may contain a condition, an example and a conclusion. The vocabulary is fairly common: roughly 64% of words are A1 and 16% A2, only 5% fall beyond the 5,000 most frequent words, and 3% are outside the dictionary. The text has about 49,574 words. We estimate the original at C1; this is not a measurement. A B2 adaptation is available.

What this means in practice: A short but demanding text: the words are manageable, but the sentences ask for patience and a second reading.

What to be ready for

Very long sentences. Many sentences run to thirty or forty words with several clauses joined by if, since, and therefore.

Abstract argument. The words are mostly general ones, such as power, fortune, cruelty and prudence, used in a formal, reasoned way.

1908 translation. Marriott's English belongs to the early twentieth century, so some phrasing sounds formal and old-fashioned.

How to read it and not quit

Find the main verb first. In a 40-word sentence, cut away the 'if' and 'since' clauses and read the main statement, then add the conditions back one by one.
Use the structure of each chapter: the title names the question, and the chapter then argues for one answer and backs it up with examples.
Learn the repeating abstract nouns (fortune, virtue, cruelty, prudence). Their meaning here is close to the usual one, but they appear in every chapter and carry the argument.
Practise paraphrasing one sentence per chapter in your own words: this is the same skill that formal reading tests ask for.

Contents of “The Prince” · 35 chapters

The Princepage 1
The Prince (continued)page 1
INTRODUCTIONpage 1
YOUTH — Æt. 1-25—1469-94page 1
OFFICE — Æt. 25-43—1494-1512page 3
LITERATURE AND DEATH — Æt. 43-58—1512-27page 7

All 35 chapters

THE MAN AND HIS WORKSpage 10
DEDICATIONpage 15
THE PRINCEpage 17
CHAPTER II. CONCERNING HEREDITARY PRINCIPALITIESpage 17
CHAPTER III. CONCERNING MIXED PRINCIPALITIESpage 18
CHAPTER IV. WHY THE KINGDOM OF DARIUS, CONQUERED BY ALEXANDER, DID NOT REBEL AGAINST THE SUCCESSORS OF ALEXANDER AT HIS DEATHpage 29
CHAPTER V. CONCERNING THE WAY TO GOVERN CITIES OR PRINCIPALITIES WHICH LIVED UNDER THEIR OWN LAWS BEFORE THEY WERE ANNEXEDpage 33
CHAPTER VI. CONCERNING NEW PRINCIPALITIES WHICH ARE ACQUIRED BY ONE’S OWN ARMS AND ABILITYpage 35
CHAPTER VII. CONCERNING NEW PRINCIPALITIES WHICH ARE ACQUIRED EITHER BY THE ARMS OF OTHERS OR BY GOOD FORTUNEpage 39
CHAPTER VIII. CONCERNING THOSE WHO HAVE OBTAINED A PRINCIPALITY BY WICKEDNESSpage 49
CHAPTER IX. CONCERNING A CIVIL PRINCIPALITYpage 55
CHAPTER X. CONCERNING THE WAY IN WHICH THE STRENGTH OF ALL PRINCIPALITIES OUGHT TO BE MEASUREDpage 60
CHAPTER XI. CONCERNING ECCLESIASTICAL PRINCIPALITIESpage 62
CHAPTER XII. HOW MANY KINDS OF SOLDIERY THERE ARE, AND CONCERNING MERCENARIESpage 65
CHAPTER XIII. CONCERNING AUXILIARIES, MIXED SOLDIERY, AND ONE’S OWNpage 73
CHAPTER XIV. THAT WHICH CONCERNS A PRINCE ON THE SUBJECT OF THE ART OF WARpage 78
CHAPTER XV. CONCERNING THINGS FOR WHICH MEN, AND ESPECIALLY PRINCES, ARE PRAISED OR BLAMEDpage 81
CHAPTER XVI. CONCERNING LIBERALITY AND MEANNESSpage 83
CHAPTER XVII. CONCERNING CRUELTY AND CLEMENCY, AND WHETHER IT IS BETTER TO BE LOVED THAN FEAREDpage 86
CHAPTER XVIII.[1] CONCERNING THE WAY IN WHICH PRINCES SHOULD KEEP FAITHpage 90
CHAPTER XIX. THAT ONE SHOULD AVOID BEING DESPISED AND HATEDpage 94
CHAPTER XX. ARE FORTRESSES, AND MANY OTHER THINGS TO WHICH PRINCES OFTEN RESORT, ADVANTAGEOUS OR HURTFUL?page 107
CHAPTER XXI. HOW A PRINCE SHOULD CONDUCT HIMSELF SO AS TO GAIN RENOWNpage 113
CHAPTER XXII. CONCERNING THE SECRETARIES OF PRINCESpage 118
CHAPTER XXIII. HOW FLATTERERS SHOULD BE AVOIDEDpage 120
CHAPTER XXIV. WHY THE PRINCES OF ITALY HAVE LOST THEIR STATESpage 123
CHAPTER XXV. WHAT FORTUNE CAN EFFECT IN HUMAN AFFAIRS AND HOW TO WITHSTAND HERpage 125
CHAPTER XXVI. AN EXHORTATION TO LIBERATE ITALY FROM THE BARBARIANSpage 129
DESCRIPTION OF THE METHODS ADOPTED BY THE DUKE VALENTINO WHEN MURDERING VITELLOZZO VITELLI, OLIVEROTTO DA FERMO, THE SIGNOR PAGOLO, AND THE DUKE DI GRAVINA ORSINIpage 134
THE LIFE OF CASTRUCCIO CASTRACANI OF LUCCApage 143
THE LIFE OF CASTRUCCIO CASTRACANI OF LUCCA (continued)page 157
THE LIFE OF CASTRUCCIO CASTRACANI OF LUCCA (continued)page 171

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The story of “The Prince”

1513
Written in exile
Machiavelli wrote the core of the work in the second half of 1513, after he had lost his post in the Florentine government and been forced onto his country estate. He described it in a letter as a small work on how principalities are won and kept.
Machiavelli's letter to Francesco Vettori, 10 December 1513
1532
Published after his death
The book was not printed in Machiavelli's lifetime. It appeared in 1532, five years after his death, and circulated in manuscript before that.
1559
Placed on the Index
The Catholic Church put Machiavelli's works on its Index of Prohibited Books.
Index of Pope Paul IV
1740
Frederick the Great's reply
Frederick, then Crown Prince of Prussia, wrote the Anti-Machiavel to refute the book chapter by chapter; Voltaire helped to see it into print.
1908
The Marriott translation
W. K. Marriott's English translation appeared in 1908 and became one of the most widely reprinted English texts of the work.

In culture “The Prince”

9 adaptations and mentions, 1970–2009

1970
In the language Machiavellianism in psychology
Psychologists Richard Christie and Florence Geis built a personality scale for manipulative, cynical behaviour and named it after him.
Christie and Geis, Studies in Machiavellianism (1970)
1996
Music Makaveli
The rapper Tupac Shakur recorded his last album as Makaveli, after reading the book in prison.
2009
Game Assassin's Creed II
Machiavelli appears as a character among the Renaissance Italians the player meets.
In the language Machiavellian
The adjective now describes anyone who schemes cynically to get or keep power, a meaning more narrow than the book itself.
In the language "Better to be feared than loved"
The book weighs which a ruler should aim for and concludes it is safer to be feared if you cannot be both; the line is quoted far more than the argument around it.
In the language The lion and the fox
The prince should have the strength of a lion and the cunning of a fox; the pair is shorthand for the two kinds of power in politics.
In the language "The ends justify the means"
The most popular summary of the book, though it does not appear there in these words. Whether Machiavelli really says it is still argued.
Stage Machevil in Marlowe
Marlowe's The Jew of Malta opens with the ghost of Machiavelli speaking the prologue, which shows how quickly he became a stage villain in England.
In the language Gramsci's "modern prince"
Antonio Gramsci reused the title to argue that in modern politics the ruler is a party, not a person.

Questions and answers about “The Prince” in English

Does Machiavelli really say that the ends justify the means?

No, that exact phrase does not appear in The Prince, although it is often attributed to him. He does argue that a ruler judged by results will be forgiven for harsh methods, and that is where the idea comes from.

Is it better to be loved or feared, according to the book?

Machiavelli says it would be best to be both, but if you must choose, safer to be feared. He adds that a ruler should avoid being hated, because that is the thing that destroys power.

Was The Prince written for a particular person?

Yes, it is dedicated to a Medici ruler of Florence, and Machiavelli hoped it would help him return to political service. It was written in 1513 and only published after his death.

Is The Prince a satire?

Some readers, including Rousseau, have argued that it is a hidden warning to the people about how rulers behave. Most scholars take it at face value as practical advice, but the debate is still open.

Do I need to know Italian history to read it?

A little background helps but is not required. The book gives enough context for each example, and Cesare Borgia, the model for many of its arguments, is introduced in the text.

Which chapters are the most famous?

Chapters 15 to 19, where Machiavelli discusses the qualities a ruler is praised or blamed for, cruelty and mercy, and keeping one's word. If you only have time for a part, start there.

Is it hard to read?

Yes, mainly because of the sentence length. The ideas are straightforward once you break the sentences up, and most chapters are short.

Is it good practice for IELTS Reading?

It trains you to follow a long argument and to find the main point in dense paragraphs, which IELTS Reading rewards. The 1908 phrasing is older than modern exam texts, so use it for practice and not as a model of modern style.

Did Machiavelli write anything else I should read?

His Discourses on Livy shows a different, more republican side of his thinking and is a good partner to The Prince. You do not need it to follow this book.

In brief about “The Prince”

17 fields of imprint data and measured text characteristics. All of it checkable.

Original title: The Prince
Author: Niccolò Machiavelli
First published: 1532
Original language: English
Genre: Philosophy · Essays
Mood: Bleak
Themes: Power · Ambition · Society
Setting: Renaissance Italy, with examples from Florence, Milan, Naples, Rome and other states · Written in 1513, during the Italian Wars; the English translation is from 1908
Distinct words: 4,536

Words per sentence: 38 words
Level of the original: C2
Versions: C2, C1.0
Length of the original: 38 ch. · 49,574 words
Reading time: ~4 h 40 min
Source text: Project Gutenberg
Rights: Public domain in the USA (Project Gutenberg™ trademark terms)
Download: EPUB