Consider the following quote

Consider the following quote: “And furthermore, one should not care about incurring the reputation of those vices without which it is difficult to save one’s state; for if one considers everything well, one will find something appears to be virtue, which if pursued would be one’s ruin, and something else appears to be vice, which if pursued results in one’s security and well-being” (Machiavelli, The Prince). How does Machiavelli’s concept of modern virtue contribute to his understanding of attention to appearance? How should a prince act?

Guidelines for Papers

Your paper is supposed to be an interpretation of some aspect of the work(s): in other words, an argument concerning some aspect of the work based on analysis of relevant textual evidence. Your paper is not supposed to be a summary of the work, a statement of your opinion about the work, or a discussion of its historical significance or relevance. Frame your paper as an investigation of why and how the author makes the argument he or she does rather than simply saying what is said. Turn your topic into an argument.

2. Give a clear statement of your argument at the beginning of your paper.

3. Unify your paper with a single argument with a logical development from one step of the argument to the next. Do not make your paper a collection of separate points or examples.

4. Every time you state that the author states or argues something you should have evidence to support your statement, either in the form of a quotation or a specific textual reference. Only quote what you need for your purposes. Try to look at your quotations as something more than mere evidence, and instead as material that you can analyze (break down into its parts in order to interpret it) in order to make your argument.

5. Use clear and simple language, but a formal style. Obscurity is not profundity. Make sure that you know the meaning of the words you use. You are writing a formal paper, not an email message. Avoid colloquial or chatty language. Do not use contractions: not using them reminds you of the appropriate level of discourse for your paper.

The paper cannot be a summary of the work rather it should be an interpretation of it. Also, it cannot be a statement of your opinion about the work or a discussion of its applicability or relevance.

Practical matters:

State your prompt
Double-spaced
12 point font
1-inch margins
Cite the works by page numbers in parentheses after the relevant reference or quotation. If it is clear what work you are referring to or quoting from, simply put the page number in parentheses. If you need to clarify which work you are using, simply add the author. You do not need to cite the specific edition of these works or include a bibliography unless you are using a different edition from the one assigned.
If you do use (consult or cite) any sources, add a bibliography.
Please put a word count at the end of the paper