The impact that the words <em>feared</em> and <em>hatred </em>in the chapter 17 of The Prince have on the meaning of the passage is that they suggest that a ruler who is feared can retain power, while a ruler who is hated is less likely to do so.
In this chapter, Machiavelli establishes an important distinction between 'feared' and 'hatred'. The author argues that a prince should make himself feared by the masses but not hated. Moreover,<u> he states that one way of avoid being hatred is leaving his citizens' property intact</u>. According to Machiavelli, it is important to avoid being hatred because, unlike being feared, <u>a hated prince is more likely to lose his power due to the angry masses</u>.
