Question

ead this passage from chapter 22 of the prince.
there were none who knew messer antonio da venafro
as the servant of pandolfo petrucci, prince of siena,
who would not consider pandolfo to be a very clever
man in having venafro for his servant. because there
are three classes of intellects: one which comprehends
by itself; another which appreciates what others
comprehended; and a third which neither comprehends
by itself nor by the showing of others; the first is the
most excellent, the second is good, the third is useless.
therefore, it follows necessarily that, if pandolfo was not
in the first rank, he was in the second, for whenever one
has judgment to know good and bad when it is said and
done, although he himself may not have the initiative, yet
he can recognize the good and the bad in his servant,
and the one he can praise and the other correct; thus the
servant cannot hope to deceive him, and is kept honest.
how does the text structure help the author convey his
central idea that a prince is judged by the quality of his
servants?
by explaining the prince of sienas reasons for
choosing antonio da venafro as his servant
by suggesting a solution to the problem of princes
having to select intelligent and honest servants
by providing supporting evidence of a prince believed
to be clever because he chose a good servant
by comparing and contrasting the qualities of
pandolfo petrucci with those of his servant antonio da
venafro

Explanation:

The text presents the example of Pandolfo Petrucci (the prince) and his servant Antonio da Venafro. It then discusses the three classes of intellects. By showing that Pandolfo, though not in the first - rank intellect (the one that comprehends by itself), could recognize good and bad in his servant (as per the second - class intellect which appreciates what others comprehended), it provides evidence that a prince (Pandolfo) is judged by the quality of his servant (Antonio). This example supports the central idea that a prince's judgment of his servants (and thus the quality of the servants he has) reflects on him.

Answer:

by providing supporting evidence of a prince believed to be clever because he chose a good servant