Machiavelli as a dramatist the ultimate symbol of virtú in "Mandragola", as a ‘self-portrait’ of Machiavelli. Ligurio assembles the spectrum of schemes in the play, from the Mandrake potion, to Frate Timoteo's assistance, to Callimaco's disguise and capture by Nicia. Though every character in the play participates in some form of a manipulative act, Ligurio stands out because of his impressive adaptability to tribulations. Even more extraordinary is Ligurio's aptitude for judging human character. This comprehension of character is the type of awareness that is necessary for successful acts of manipulation. One of the many places we experience Ligurio's qualitative insight is in his
Machiavelli (board game) Machiavelli (board game) Machiavelli is a strategic board game created by S. Craig Taylor and James B. Wood, and released commercially in 1977 by Battleline Publications, later taken over in 1980 by Avalon Hill, who are currently owned by Hasbro. Set in Renaissance Italy, the board is controlled by the Republic of Florence, the Republic of Venice, the Duchy of Milan, the Kingdom of Naples, the Papacy, Valois France, Habsburg Austria, and the Ottoman Turks. The game shares most of the basic rules of its predecessor "Diplomacy", and introduces many new rules such as money, bribery, three seasons per year,