Loyalty in The Prince and Paradise Lost
...y on what he observes when citizens have need of the state. Because then people agree with him that they promise loyalty, and when death is far distant they all wish to die for him. It is difficult for prince to deal with loyalty, and need to pay attention to how to deal the loyalty. A common ethical law that Machiavelli feels princes do not need to keep that people should be believable. “Everybody knows how laudable it is for a prince to keep faith, and to live/ with integrity and not guile, everyone perceives: nonetheless,…and in the/ end have surpassed those who grounded themselves on loyalty” (1716, 14-19). Machiavelli’s idea explains his opinion of loyalty on the nature of men because he views them as selfish and lacking in both loyalty and honesty. Machiavelli’s opinion that men are selfish contains truth to the human nature essentially. Every human being, there is a sense of selfishness that a man has unconsciously until given cause to awake. The subject which I suggest is that loyalty is primarily a function of trust, and that trust is usually given if loyalty is perceived in the object of one’s trust. On the other hand, in Paradise Lost, idea of loyalty focuses on a God and human. Milton’s God is a God of reason but his creations, Milton asserts, were totally innocent. Adam’s loyalty shows itself to be misplaced: he is more loyal to Eve than to God. He is turbulent with Eve for disobeying God, and he disobeys himself in order that Eve should not die alone: "against his better/ knowledge, not deceived, but fondly overcome with female charms" (p2241, 998-999). Adam holds the Eve, God’s gift, perhaps even his power over Eve, higher than God and his loyalty to God. Adam, in his conversation with angels, shows inherent power of God before eating the forbidden fruit. Eve also convinces Adam to eat of the fruit. Eve argues with Adam and leaves his side, resulting in being tempted by Satan and eating the forbidden fruit....