When you think of virtue, the definition in Merriam-Webster's dictionary might come to mind: "a conformity to a standard of right (morality)." However, if you break the word down into its Roman roots, vir and tu, a whole new definition comes to light. In Latin, vir means "man" and tu essentially means "essence of." Together, virtu or virtus, means "the essence of being a man" and held connotations of manliness, courage, valor etc. This definition of virtue has been explored and characterized in the works of writers and artists since Roman times. In the 1500's, Machiavelli and Michelangelo both portrayed their idea of virtue in their works.
Both Machiavelli and Michelangelo agree that part of being a man is to aspire to greatness. For Machiavelli, greatness is achieved when a man has complete control of the state while avoiding the hatred of his people. Machiavelli advises that "the prince should try to avoid anything which makes him hateful or contemptible...(49)." However, he also states that "a prince who wants to keep his state, is often bound to do what is not good (53)." This means that it is more important for a man to appear virtuous rather than actually be virtuous. A prince should "appear all compassion, all honor, all humanity, all integrity, all religion...[but] everyone sees what you seem to be, few know what you really are (49)." In order for a prince to stay in control of his state, and thus keep his greatness, he must appear virtuous to appease the people, but act in whatever manner benefits his rule. Machiavelli did not propose using cruelty or other vices for their own sake, but only when the situation calls for it. Therefore, part of "being a man" is knowing when it is beneficial to be virtuous and when to pursue vice. He must "learn how not to be good, and use that knowledge, or refrain from using it, as necessity requires (42)." Men must use their own intellect and cleverness to achieve greatness. Using force is not enough.
Michelangelo's art also portrays that greatness is part of "the essence of being a man." For instance, in his sculpture of David, the statue's physique is muscular and athletic--a visual representation of greatness. This shows the importance of appearance, just like Machiavelli's prince had to appear great to his people. David could not appear to be anything less than perfect. However, Michelangelo also placed importance on intellect. Instead of depicting a victorious David after his battle with Goliath that would emphasize the use of force, Michelangelo chose to sculpt David before the battle. The sculpture shows David thinking, the slingshot held almost unnoticed in his hand. Michelangelo wanted to attribute David's victory to his own cleverness and not to physical prowess. Like Machiavelli's prince, David had to use his intellect to achieve greatness.
However, Machiavelli and Michelangelo also have differing ideas about virtue. According to Machiavelli, princes should "have no other object, no other thought, no other subject of study, than war, its rule and disciplines...(40)." While this may just apply to princes, it could be implied that part of being a man is to consistently think one step ahead of everyone. There should be no time for peace or relaxation. Machiavelli states that "the prince should never turn his mind from the study of war; in times of peace he should think about it even more than in wartime (41)." Men should always be honing their cunning intellect and regard all other thoughts as secondary, including any connection with religion.
Michelangelo disagrees that there should be no rest or thought to anything but war or staying ahead of your enemies. In his painting "Creation of Adam", he portrays Adam lounging on his side, languidly reaching his finger to touch God's finger. However, Adam's pose mirrors God's, reminding us that man is created in the image of God. This could hint that if God is relaxed, man should be too. This does not mean that man should be lazy. God is still reaching out his finger to give life to Adam--He's performing His greatest work. However, man can find peace and respite amid the hardships of life. He does not have to be constantly calculating his next move. He can take the time to ponder the meaning of life and what God wants for him. According to Michelangelo, part of being a man is taking the time away from worldly actions and pursuing thoughts about God.
It has been interesting to compare and contrast these two views. Both emphasized the importance of the appearance of greatness and of using your own intellect to achieve greatness. However, Machiavelli wanted to push man to the extreme in that area; devoting a good portion of your time to sharpening your intellect is not enough--you have to obsessively dedicate your life to the practice. Michelangelo, on the other hand, proposed that man should also devote time to spiritual thought, suggesting that man balance his life between self and God.
