Question

Read this paragraph from chapter 5 of The Prince.

Which option best states the main idea of the passage?

Former republics are more difficult to rule than hereditary states, and they will rebel if they are not tightly controlled.
The strategies for controlling hereditary states and former republics are the same.
Hereditary states come with a history that must be deeply understood if a new prince is to control them easily.
Hereditary states never forget their former loyalties, so they are hard to control.

Answer 1

Option 1.

Machiavelli’s point is that states accustomed to freedom (former republics) are harder to hold than hereditary principalities and will rebel unless they are tightly controlled (e.g., destroyed, garrisoned, or effectively governed).