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Read the passage from chapter 17 of The Prince.

Therefore a prince, so long as he keeps his subjects united and loyal, ought not to mind the reproach of cruelty; because with a few examples he will be more merciful than those who, through too much mercy, allow disorders to arise, from which follow murders or robberies; for these are wont to injure the whole people, whilst those executions which originate with a prince offend the individual only.

What meaning is emphasized by the use of the words merciful and mercy in the passage?

Machiavelli suggests that the cruel prince would like to be more merciful.
Machiavelli forces readers to carefully consider the meanings of the words merciful and mercy.
Machiavelli forces readers to decide whether executions and robberies are acceptable.
Machiavelli is giving both mercy and merciful a more negative connotation.

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The answer is:

Machiavelli forces readers to carefully consider the meanings of the words merciful and mercy.

In the passage from "The Prince," the author Niccolò Machiavelli mentions the words mercy and merciful intending to make readers contemplate their meanings with special circumspection. Thus, mercy is compassion towards somebody one can hurt or punish, and merciful means benevolent. In that respect, Machiavelli suggests that an unsympathetic ruler can preserve power rather than a compassionate one.

The meaning that is emphasized by the use of the words is B. Machiavelli forces readers to carefully consider the meanings of the words merciful and mercy.

  • It should be noted that a word can have different meanings based on how it's used in a particular context.

  • In this case, the meaning that is emphasized by the use of the words is that Machiavelli forces readers to carefully consider the meanings of the words merciful and mercy.

In conclusion, the correct option is B.

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