Question

Which type of evidence does Machiavelli use in the story of Dido to show that a ruler should be cruel in certain circumstances?

Machiavelli uses historical evidence to point out that many new rulers have used cruelty.
Machiavelli uses empirical evidence to makes points about the use of power.
Machiavelli uses logical evidence to assert that it is acceptable for new princes to use cruelty.
Machiavelli uses anecdotal evidence to show that new rulers need to be cruel.

Answer 1

Machiavelli uses anecdotal evidence. He appeals to the specific story of Dido as an illustrative example—a narrative instance rather than statistical, empirical, or purely logical proof—to argue that new rulers sometimes must be cruel.