Italian philosopher Niccolò Machiavelli is best known for writing political, philosophical discourses such as The Prince, an analytical treatise on the nature of human morality in juxtaposition with the political world and the sacrifices it demands in order for one to thrive in its competitive realm of power. Although Machiavelli puts forth many proposals pertaining to the acquisition and conservation of authoritative status (especially the relationship between the abstractions of virtù and Fortuna), his underlying words provide insight into his perceptions of gender designations in accordance to how they reflect the societal norms of 16th century Italy. From a modern interpretation, Machiavelli's words may hold a rather misogynistic view towards women, but it is also important to consider the instances in which he hints at the admiration he holds for individual female figures within his writings — from his wide-spread political treatises within the public eye, to intimate love letters from the private spheres of his personal life. It is impossible to formulate all of Machiavelli's claims into one synonymous definition, but by contextualizing the assertions made outside of his official treatises, one will realize that his patriarchal statements are but a mere a product of his time and thus do not epitomize nor encompass the diverse claims he makes about women. |
Despite its popularity among ambitious male figures aspiring to attain power, Machiavelli’s most popular work The Prince (1532) was a catalyst of religious upheaval because it clashed with the dominant ethical principles of Catholicism at the time due to the abrasive morals it promoted. The notion that immoral acts are justified in the precedence of survival and protecting one’s honor was not well received by the Roman Catholic Church. Such a backlash is ironic, however, as the ideological persona (i.e. the “Prince”) which Machiavelli exemplifies within his treatise was modeled after Cesare Borgia, the illegitimate son of Pope Alexander VI, who had once occupied the rank of Cardinal. One of the most prominent topics that Machiavelli discusses within The Prince is the concept of fortune (or, Fortuna) and how it is established and sought after through ambitious individual action rather than a conscious hope for success. If, for instance, two individuals both apply the same methods towards achieving the same objective, why is it that one will often succeed while the other fails? To Machiavelli, the answer is a bit complex — but the answer becomes even more complex when bringing gender polarities into the picture. | C E S A R E B O R G I A |
The feminine personification of the term "Fortune" (Fortuna) comes to a more comprehensive understanding near the end of The Prince. Up until then, Machiavelli conceptualizes Fortune as a flood which can be restrained with dikes, but only for given amount of time. He then shifts this interpretive image to that of a human woman (Cavallo, Jo Ann, et al., pp. 123-148). Interestingly enough, Machiavelli makes it noted that he himself is subjected to Fortune's authority, as "her natural power for all men is too strong and her reign is always violent if prowess still greater than hers does not vanquish her." He also emphasizes the negative forces that of which she is capable of relinquishing — a realm of dominance of which there is no escape: "Over a palace open on every side she reigns, and she deprives no one of entering, but the getting out is not sure." Finally, Machiavelli personifies Fortune as a woman who is, in fact, not an enemy of men, but rather an abstract of their image: "She [Fortune] is a friend of young men, because they are less cautious, more spirited, and with more boldness master her." |
Fortune has the ability to be destructive, yes, but also persistent as she "has the power to do what she wishes…She [Fortune] is able to build upon her power and change the world of men leaving them only to attempt to pacify her. This is a strong power that a man claimed to be misogynistic bestows upon a woman" (Valedon-Morciglio, Sarimer). The means in which Fortuna exerts her authority is an exemplification of virtù – the same goal that which Machiavelli pushes his male readers to strive after. Fortuna does not concern herself with "the consequences or the people that suffer from the actions; Fortuna is only concerned with what she wishes. This is reminiscent of how Machiavelli urges the Prince to do what is necessary to achieve his goals, even if it means doing bad deeds" (Cavallo, Jo Ann, et al., pp. 123-148). Although the connotations of all of these quotations are an often a cause for ambiguity, they do promote the fellowship and empowerment of women nevertheless. |
"Fortune is a woman and it is necessary, in order to keep her under, to cuff and maul her." |
The criticisms Machiavelli pits against women overall are seemingly the opposite when discussing his own confrontations with individual female figures. What makes a woman worthy of acknowledgement within a treatise catered towards an ambitious male audience? While on the subject of The Prince, Machiavelli does not abstain from mentioning individual women, many of which he outwardly conveys his admiration for. This is especially the case for Caterina Sforza, a noblewoman whom he emphasizes to great lengths within his work, especially within The Prince and The Discourses on Livy (1531). Sforza may often be defined as a "virago" — a woman who possesses and exerts male attributes in order to obtain her own authority. Yet, it is also evident that she utilizes and embraces her own means of femininity to ward off the diplomatic dangers which invade her life. Perhaps the most iconic depiction of Sforza among 16th century writers is the event at Forli - a siege in which the Orsis (a noble family of Forli) attempt to persuade Sforza into surrendering her palace and her family. Her conspirators are convinced that they have the upper hand in this situation: they hold her children hostage, and therefore are under the assumption that she will give in to her maternal instincts. However, little do they know this is not the case. Sforza's response is as follows, according to Machiavelli: | C A T E R I N A S F O R Z A |
"Madonna Caterina [Sforza] promised the conspirators that if they let her enter it [the fortress], she would deliver it to them and they might keep her children as hostages. Under this faith they let her enter it. As soon as she was inside she reproved them with every kind of revenge. And to show that she did not care for her children, she showed them her genital parts, saying that she still had the mode for making more of them." |
A prominent woman who dominates most of Machiavelli’s private letters is that of La Riccia, a Florentine courtesan present within his letters dated between 1510 and 1520. Although Machiavelli eventually becomes enamored with a few other individual women (many of whom far less is known in comparison to La Riccia), his bond and companionship with La Riccia remains eternal. She, along with the other affiliating women, serve as a form of creative, blissful escapism from the everyday pressures that taint Machiavelli’s life, a “consolation in the face of repeated disappointments and injustices suffered at the hands of his fellow men.” In many quotations such as the following, he does not refer to these relationships as a “conquest” but rather that love has overtaken him instead: “Everything seems easy to me: I adapt to her every whim, even to those that seem different from and contrary to what my own ought to be.” (August 3, 1514; Letter 238) It is evident that Machiavelli admits to the sheer authority and influence these women have over his private life, including his own decision-making.
- Atkinson, James B., et al. “Niccolò Machiavelli: a portrait.” Seeking Real Truths: Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Machiavelli, Brill, 2007, pp. 14-30.
- Clarke, Michelle Tolman. "On the Woman Question in Machiavelli." The Review of Politics 67, no. 2 (2005): 229-55. pp. 242.
- Cavallo, Jo Ann, et al. “Machiavelli and Women.” Seeking Real Truths: Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Machiavelli, Brill, 2007, pp. 126-127.
- Machiavelli, Niccolò. The Prince. Oxford: Oxford University Press, UK, 2005, 1:92.
- Spackman, Barbara. “Machiavelli and Gender.” Chapter. In The Cambridge Companion to Machiavelli, edited by John M. Najemy, 223–38. Cambridge Companions to Literature. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2010.
- Valedon-Morciglio, Sarimer. 2016. "Feminism in Machiavelli: The Symbiotic Relationship between Virtu and Fortuna." Order No. 10300610, Webster University. Chapter V: Analysis. pp. 26.
- Viroli, Maurizio. Niccolò’s Smile: A Biography of Machiavelli. trans. Antony Shugaar. New York, Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2000.