IB History A
2015 Summer Assignment
Due August 31st
The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli is a remarkable document. It can be read as evidence of new thinking about
politics in Renaissance Italy. And, on another level, it is often cited as a foundational text of political science.
We will use The Prince as a touchstone for investigating the virtues and vices of leadership as we trace the
development of modern states across the junior year. What insight can The Prince provide into the changing
politics of Renaissance Italy?
Part I
Prepare fifteen seminar discussion questions.
For each question, cite the beginning of a phrase and a specific page number. [e.g. (The greatest danger with
mercenaries, p. 78)]
You should try to distribute your questions evenly throughout the 26 chapters of the text. Don’t miss the
intriguing dedication or the thrilling twist of a conclusion! The introduction is not required but might be
worth your time as well.
A word on seminar questions: Close-ended questions that have a correct answer in the text seldom generate
rich discussion. Open-ended questions that require proof and insight to discover an answer make the
best material for seminars. Questions that probe inconsistencies, consider alternate perspectives,
contextualize an event, interpret an author’s point of view, or seek to understand specific aspects of
Renaissance society and politics have the best potential to generate discussion.
Part II
This is a short but difficult book. One reason for this is that Machiavelli illustrates his argument with a panoply
of unfamiliar cases. Choose one of these cases to independently research. For example, you could research a
person like Louis XII, an event like Alexander the Great’s conquest of Persia, or a topic like the organization of
the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century. Your task is to write a two to three-page interpretation and
analysis of Machiavelli’s use of the example. How does your investigation revise or extend Machiavelli’s
interpretation?
SUGGESTED OUTLINE
Paragraph 1: Describe Machiavelli’s use of the example. Then pose a research question.
Paragraph 2: Provide general background on the example
Paragraphs 3-4: Choose several aspects of the example to investigate and analyze.
Paragraph 5: Revise or extend Machiavelli’s interpretation based on your research. Conclude with what
you learned about Machiavelli as an historian, political scientist or Renaissance humanist.
Specs:
Name in top right corner
Title, centered and underlined
2-3 pages, double-spaced
12 pt. Times New Roman
One inch margins
Cite two ancillary sources
Bibliography (MLA format)
Evidence of research
Sharp analysis
Part III
There will be a 15 question quiz assessing your understanding of Machiavelli’s ideas after our seminar.