Machiavellian Villains of History, Literature, and the Screen
Machiavellianism is the concept of doing whatever it takes to achieve a political goal regardless of ethics or morality. The term was coined after Italian political theorist and philosopher, Niccolo Machiavelli. He wrote about this method of achieving power in his 16 th Century work: The Prince . It is where the cultural and literary archetype of a ‘Machiavellian villain’ is formed from. Title Page of a 1550 Edition of Il Principe di Nicolo Machiavelli This list uses examples of Machiavellian figures from history, literature, and the screen to explore the different ways in which Machiavelli’s concept manifests. Some are more emotionally manipulative and deceitful, some are more upfront and ruthless, but all are selfish. Cesare Borgia Profile Portrait in the Palazzo Venezia Rome An inspiration and key case study for Machiavelli in The Prince was Cesare Borgia, a cardinal and member of the infamous House of Borgia as son of Pope Alexanda VI. Machiavelli spent several months ...
