The French term “renaissance” translated into English literally means “rebirth”. This is precisely what was happening in Europe at the end of the 14th century, when the old dark days of the Middle Ages were gradually coming to an end. There was a desire to get rid of the old superstitions, illiteracy, primitiveness and general backwardness of the Middle Ages, and a thirst to return things to the way they once were. A desire to return to the ancient classical culture of ancient Greece and Rome. The Prince, published in 1513 during the decline of the Renaissance and written by the Italian statesman and humanist thinker Niccolo Machiavelli, explains how to successfully, some would say amorally, use power politics to rule successfully. In chapter eighteen of this influential Renaissance literary work, Machiavelli gives practical, realistic advice on how to successfully rule and unify a group of people at a time when his city-state of Florence was collapsing. His advice is to use cunning and trickery to achieve a good goal rather than doing things in a morally correct way. His humanist thinking is further manifested in his allusions to Greek mythology and classical literary works. During the Middle Ages in Europe, things remained stagnant and daily life centered on Christianity and God. From the Renaissance, at the end of the 14th century, the orientation shifted and became more secularized. The focus was more on man's achievements and the enjoyment of spending time on earth rather than just seeking salvation in the afterlife. This revival of antiquity and new focus on individual achievement and creativity became known as humanism and resulted in many wonderful cultural advancements in art,...... middle of paper ......to achieve the end goal you desire. The end justifies the means. In medieval times, it was important that a good king was honorable and actually possessed all of the qualities mentioned above. During the Italian Renaissance, people were suddenly free to question the way things had always worked, including government management, politics, and morality in general. Machiavelli, being the Renaissance man, makes this very clear in the advice he gives. To conclude, the Italian Renaissance was a time of immense change. The emphasis was on self-improvement and becoming a well-rounded and cultured person. Niccolo Machiavelli, in chapter eighteen of his book "The Prince", displays his realistic thinking through his references to ancient literature and Greek mythology and through his realistic advice on how to become an effective leader using trickery and deception..