Unit 5 Lesson 9

1. The sentence at the end of the fifth paragraph on page 54 is a complex one, so let’s break it apart to see what it conveys. What does the first part of this sentence, “There never was a man more effective in swearing that things were true,” mean?

Answer explanation

It means that the man Machiavelli wrote about, Pope Alexander VI, was very good at convincing people something was true.

1. What does the last part of this statement, “and the greater the oaths with which he made a promise, the less he observed it,” mean?

Answer explanation

It means that the more strongly he promised something, the more likely he was to ignore his promise.

Read page 56

What did Machiavelli mean when he said, “I give myself completely over to the ancients”?

Answer explanation

1. He meant that he admired the writers and historians of ancient Greece and Rome, and that his writing of The Prince was greatly influenced by them.

What clue does the text provide to help you determine who “the ancients” were?

Answer explanation

1. When a word or phrase is used in a text that may be unfamiliar to the audience, it is often followed by a comma and a word or phrase that defines the unfamiliar text. In this text, in the third line of the paragraph, the words “the ancients” appear in quotation marks followed by a comma and the phrase “the classical writers of Greece and Rome.”

What does Machiavelli mean in the second passage when he says that the greatest princes are those “who have taken little account of their promises”?

Answer explanation

1. He means that the greatest princes are those who don’t always keep their promises.

1. What view of human nature is represented in these four passages?

Answer explanation

1. These four passages indicate that Machiavelli thought people were both good and bad, and that a leader might need to be dishonest to stay in power.

1. What words or phrases from these four passages support the view of human nature presented in the passages?

Answer explanation

1. Answer should include "anyone who determines to act in all circumstances the part of a good man must come to ruin among so many who are not good” and “men are wicked and do not keep their promises to you.”

1. Read pages 57-58

2. In the third paragraph, the author uses an exclamation point to end the sentence, “And he should be a remarkable athlete: he should excel in jousting, wrestling, tennis, and spear-throwing!” An author’s use of punctuation can help to set the tone of his or her writing. What tone does the author set here by using an exclamation point?

Answer explanation

It sets a tone of surprise or amazement. The author seems to be surprised that Castiglione would expect anyone to be able to do all of the listed things well.

What are some antonyms for the word conceited in the fourth paragraph?

Answer explanation

1.  Answers may include modest, humble, and reserved.

Some antonyms for the word conceited are in the same paragraph as conceited. What clues do you see that show those words are antonyms?

Answer explanation

1. The word but indicates that the information that follows that word will be different from, and the opposite of, the information that comes before it. If necessary, direct students to specific sentences on the page.