Machiavelli and his contemporaries offer a window into the nature of power in the history, literature, and art of the Italian Renaissance with a focus on politics, morality, religion, and gender. Topics include the Medici family in Florence, war, pagan Antiquity, the gendered self in society, and religious extremism, magic, and witchcraft. We will also be discussing Machiavelli鈥檚 enduring relevance to modern business practices and social relations, as shown in Robert Greene, 48 Laws of Power (1998), which has influenced a generation of entrepreneurs and 鈥渟uccessful鈥 people. As an upper year seminar, the class requires active participation. Major assessments include short oral presentations, Powerpoint creation, and live readings/performances of dialogues and debates from the texts of Machiavelli, Castiglione, and other Renaissance writers.
