IS Richard III a good machiavellian prince?

Question

..What do you think?

Answer 1

I assume that you're talking about the character in Shakespeare's play, not the real one (there's far too much dispute about whether the real Richard III actually murdered anybody or what he was really like).

I would say no. In his book Machiavelli was describing the brutal realism of the policies that a "good" and legitimate prince had to employ to rule his state effectively. He nowhere suggests that a prince should murder his opponents, for example, just that once he has them in his power he shouldn't hesitate to crush them ruthlessly, which is rather different.  Shakespeare's Richard III is an outright usurper and murderer, and enjoys it too.

Answer 2

I think the traits atributed to Richard are fabricated. It was all Tudor propaganda to make him look bad.

I think he was very misunderstood.

- But I do tend to favour things that the majority do not - I don't expect people to agree with me.