Whether it is Better to be Loved and Feared (Essay Sample)

Whether it is Better to be Loved and Feared

In Chapter XVII, Concerning Cruelty and Clemency, And whether it is better to be loved and feared, numerous stances have been put forward to determine the better approach out of the two, Love and Fear.
Initially, the text states that every Prince wishes to be perceived as one that is loving, and goes down in history as one of the gentle. However, it must be noted that this “clemency” is not taken advantage of. Counter argumentatively, one would state that it isn’t possible for a person in power to be taken advantage of (Internet History Sourcebooks Project). In numerous historical instances, leaders with a sense of “gentleness” have most often been labeled as weak and unreliable. As the tale of Gilgamesh seems to present, the primary purpose of the being of any element is to bring about equilibrium (Mark). A polarity on any side is deemed to bring about destruction, be it the presence of power, or the lack thereof.
Similarly, in another instance within the text. The necessity of equilibrium is once again mentioned, in the lines-
“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.”