Democracy, Acquiescence, and Machiavelli’s La Mandragola

Abstract

The “democratic turn” in the scholarship on Niccolò Machiavelli has yet to consider the personal qualities or traits that sustain collective action and facilitate the plural interests of a majority. Should democratic actors adopt princely virtù, or does Machiavelli’s corpus offer traits more suitable for democratic politics? This essay interprets Machiavelli’s comedy, La Mandragola, to show how his characterization of the oft-neglected priest, Brother Timoteo, positions acquiescence as a uniquely democratic trait. An analysis of Timoteo’s three soliloquies traces how his initial princely behavior transforms into acquiescence, and how this trait serves the interests of all characters, including Timoteo’s own abiding interest in the reputation of his institution and collective action. This interpretation enriches our understanding of Machiavelli’s democratic thought and challenges us to rethink the role acquiescence may play in contemporary politics.