Machiavelli View of Creon from Antigoneis as Good Prince
Would Machiavelli say that Creon from Antigoneis a good prince? Why, or why not?
Please make sure that you look at the essay guidelines and follow them accordingly
Winter Essay Assignment
**Final assignment due March 21 by 11:10 a.m.**
POL 200Y Political Theory
Prof. Emily Nacol
Winter 2019
Machiavelli View of Creon from Antigoneis as Good Prince Instructions
Please choose one of the following questions and write a response to it. Your response should take the form of an argument, with a thesis statement. You should support your argument with evidence chosen from our course texts. Be sure to engage a good counterargument as part of constructing your own argument!
- Would Machiavelli say that Creon from Antigone is a good prince? Why, or why not?
- Does Antigone belong in the City of Ladies that Christine de Pizan is building? Using Christine’s account of the core virtues—reason, rectitude, and justice—explain why you think Antigone does or does not belong in Christine’s allegorical city.
- How does Machiavelli’s account of political virtue in The Prince compare to that of the classical thinkers we have studied? Why does he think his account of political virtue is superior to the ones they offer? How might they respond to him? Which account is more convincing to you, and why? To answer this question, please choose one of these classical thinkers and compare him to Machiavelli: Plato, Aristotle, or Confucius.
- In The Prince, Machiavelli famously argues that princes should cultivate and maintain a certain image or appearance in the eyes of their people—even if this requires some hypocrisy or deceit. Explain how and why Machiavelli makes this argument. Would Socrates agree with this argument about political leadership? Do you agree with it?
Why, or why not?
- Many political theorists suggest that the family is our first ‘school,’ where we learn the virtues and habits that can make us into good citizens. This year we have read and discussed texts that give some attention to the household and its place in the just political order: Sophocles’ Antigone, Plato’s Republic, Aristotle’s Politics, Confucius’ The Analects, and Christine de Pizan’s Book of the City of Ladies.
Machiavelli View of Creon from Antigoneis as Good Prince
Choose two texts from this list and compare their ideas about the structure and purpose of family life. How do your chosen thinkers’ accounts of the family or household shape their respective arguments about a just political community? And, what do you find of value /or concern when you compare their ideas on the family and politics?
- In Aristotle’s Politics, he argues that “the relation of male to female is that of natural superior to natural inferior, and that of the ruler to ruled” (1254b13-14). This year, we have 2 read two texts that challenge this idea of gender-based hierarchy: Plato’s Republic and Christine de Pizan’s Book of the City of Ladies. Choose one of these texts and explain how they understand gender relations.
- How does your chosen author’s view on the “natural” relation between men and women shape his or her views on the capacity of women to govern /or participate in political life? Do they present a convincing argument against more traditional views like the one Aristotle embraces?
- In the Discourses, Machiavelli argues that people can rule themselves and that there are certain advantages to putting political power in their hands. What are his arguments in favor of popular rule? How does his account compare to the criticisms of popular rule that Socrates makes in Apology and Republic, in reflections on democracy as a corrupt form of government? Who’s right, in your view?
Machiavelli View of Creon from Antigoneis as Good Prince Guidelines
The final draft of this assignment should be 2400-3000 words (roughly 8-10 pages). Your paper should be written in 12-point font and double-spaced. Please number your pages.
For this assignment, we ask that you use only our course readings. We do not expect or require any additional source materials. The purpose of this assignment is for you to engage with our course readings.
Please cite your sources using the Chicago author-date format, with in-text citations. Here is a link to an online guide to Chicago citations:
https://www.chicagomanualofstyle.org/tools_citationguide/citation-guide-2.html
Machiavelli View of Creon from Antigoneis as Good Prince
Attached to this assignment are two documents that will help you with your essay: the rubric we will use to mark your final assignment, and a checklist.
1 Adapted from a rubric by Marshall Eakin, Dept. of History, Vanderbilt University.
Before you turn in your final assignment, a checklist:
- Does your paper have a thesis statement? Do you tell us straight away what you plan to argue and why, in a concise introductory paragraph?
- Do you have a clear argument that flows from and supports your thesis?
- Does each paragraph serve a purpose? Does it have a topic sentence that lays out what you plan to show in the paragraph?
Machiavelli View of Creon from Antigoneis as Good Prince
- Do you support the different pieces of your argument with evidence from our course materials
- Do you cite evidence from the texts to back up your claims?
- Do you explain why this evidence supports what you are arguing?
- Do you consider a good counterargument and address it?
- Do you cite your sources properly using the (Author-Date Page #) format?
- Do you have a bibliography that includes all of your sources?
- Have you proofread your paper for spelling and grammar mistakes?
- Is your paper formatted properly?
- Double-spaced?
- 12-point font?
- Pages numbered?
- Your name is on the paper?
- In your one-page revisions memo, do you acknowledge in your own words the major the feedback you received, and do you explain how you used that feedback to improve your paper?
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