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Niccolò Machiavelli’s The Prince is undoubtedly one of the most influential political works in the history of western culture. Read and discussed in many ways, the early-sixteenth-century booklet has been the object of controversial interpretations, which have fueled its myth. Who is Machiavelli’s prince? Is he a tyrant, a good ruler, or a demagogue? How does Machiavelli’s prince move between ethics, politics, and rhetoric? Often evoked in contemporary political discourse and popular culture, Machiavelli’s prince embodies a flexible idea of power that is most difficult to pin down. Moving from a close reading of the text within its original context, this course will consider not only the classical sources that inform The Prince, but also the presence of Machiavelli in today’s political culture and fiction. Special attention will be given to the contribution of Italian philosopher Antonio Gramsci, whose interpretation of Machiavelli’s thought is one of gateways to the reception of The Prince in the 20th and 21st centuries. The course is taught in English. Italian Majors and Minors should register for section 02.