Odysseus the Prince: An Analysis of The Odyssey Through a Machiavellian Lens

Though Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince is well known as a text that discusses leadership, the common perception of the type of leader Machiavelli espouses as effective and why has been distorted, resulting in a skewed and skeptical view of this text. The work examines and evaluates the character and leadership qualities of the famous Greek figure Odysseus in light of The Prince, demonstrating not only that he fits Machiavelli’s conception of an effective leader, but that the Machiavelli type, as demonstrated by the king of Ithaca, is truly effective in positions of authority. By viewing Odysseus as a whole person, seeing the different aspects of his character and personality play out through various difficulties, the work demonstrates that when a person possesses the traits praised by Machiavelli, these traits work together to form the person into a strong and effective leader. Thus, the research serves a twofold purpose of showing why the character of Odysseus is seen as a good ruler and championing the use of Machiavelli’s The Prince as a text through which to examine the effectiveness of historical and literary leaders.