Machiavelli's own concept of virtue, which he calls 'virtù', is original and is usually seen by scholars as different from the traditional viewpoints of other political philosophers. īecause cruelty and deception play such important roles in his politics, it is not unusual for related issues-such as murder and betrayal-to rear their heads with regularity. It would become one of Machiavelli's most notable statements. In one passage of The Prince, Machiavelli subverts the advice given by Cicero to avoid duplicity and violence, by saying that the prince should 'be the fox to avoid the snares, and a lion to overwhelm the wolves'. Some scholars have even asserted that the goal of his ideal republic does not differ greatly from his principality, as both rely on rather ruthless measures for aggrandizement and empire. In a few passages he sometimes explicitly acts as an advisor of tyrants as well. In one area, he praises Romulus, who murdered his brother and co-ruler in order to have power by himself to found the city of Rome. For example, Machiavelli notes that sometimes extraordinary means, such as violence, can be used in re-ordering a corrupt city. However, Machiavelli's more controversial statements on politics can also be found even in his other works. He also notes how advantageous a government by a republic could be as opposed to just a single ruler. Machiavelli noted how free republics have power structures that are better than principalities. While Machiavelli has become widely popular for his work on principalities, his other major work, The Discourses on Livy, focused mainly on republican statecraft, and his recommendations for a well ordered republic.

He has become infamous for this advice, so much so that the adjective Machiavellian would later on describe a type of politics that is 'marked by cunning, duplicity, or bad faith'.

Machiavelli's view that acquiring a state and maintaining it requires evil means has been noted as the chief theme of the treatise. The book would become infamous for its recommendations for absolute rulers to be ready to act in unscrupulous ways, such as resorting to fraud and treachery, elimination of political opponents, and the usage of fear as a means of controlling subjects. After his exile from political life in 1512, Machiavelli took to a life of writing, which led to the publishing of his most famous work, The Prince.

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