The Prince

1) What, according to Machiavelli, is the basis of political authority?

According to Machiavelli, the prince needs to be liked by the people, and must deal with people who don't like him in certain ways. This would build a good unity within the people, allowing the prince will be able to guide the people to help him act with less resistance. Another aspect of authority is the ability to command the army under the prince. With this, the prince can use the army to press, or prevent certain movements to help rule adequately.

2) How does this theory differ from the others of his day?

Machiavelli believes that the consequences of actions are more important than their morality. This means that the prince shouldn't try to do good works because it is good, but instead because he needs the help of the followers in order to work at his best capacity. Another way of looking at this is pragmatism. The prince should act out of practicality rather than morality.

3) When he claims that a prince must assume many guises, what is Machiavelli saying about his understanding of human nature?

He is basically saying that human nature can't please everyone, so you must be a different person to different people in order to do just that. Another way of putting it is that human nature cant fill everything you must fill, so you must wear different hats to do that. It is more about survival as a prince than about being good to the state.

4) What is the role of artifice in political authority?

The role of  artifice in political authority is to be used when force doesn't work. Machiavelli uses the analogy of the prince having to be both a lion and a fox. The lion can protect itself from wolves, but will get ensnared in traps, and vice versa for the fox. Therefore, in order to overcome both, the prince must use both force in certain situations, and artifice in the others.

5) What might Machiavelli's prince have in common with Castigation's courtier?

Machiavelli's prince and Castigation's courtier both talk about how the prince/courtier should lead their life in order to be the most influential and successful with the resources they have.