Study Questions for More, Machiavelli, and Castiglione

Thomas More, Utopia (1516)

• Who is Raphael Hythloday, and where has he been?
• Why do Thomas More and Cardinal Morton think Raphael would make a good courtier?  
• Why does Raphael think he won't make a good courtier?

Machiavelli, The Prince (1513)

• What does the word virtù mean for Machiavelli?  Does he use this word in different ways?
• What kind of qualities does Machiavelli imagine a good prince to have?  How does this kind of leader compare to those we've encountered in other works this semester?
• How is Machiavelli's ideal prince similar to or different from the courtiers discussed in More and Castiglione?

Castiglione, The Courtier (1528)

• What do you think Castiglione's audience is?  How is that audience similar to or different from the audience for the other works we've read?
• What kinds of people are at the court of Urbino?  What kinds of "games" do they suggest playing?  Which game do they finally decide on?
• According to the interlocutors, what qualities are found in the perfect courtier?  Which qualities do they disagree on?
• What is sprezzatura? 

Go here to read Sir Thomas Hoby's translation of The Courtier (1561).