The Crusades, Machiavelli and Warcraft

So this is my first year of college (studying History), and I have to hand in two 2,000-word essays, on the "Reasons for the successes achieved by the First Crusade" and the "Extent to which the Values of the Renaissance informed the politics of sixteenth-century Italy", by the 16th of November. The first essay, relating to the First Crusade, is done, dusted and ready to be handed in. The Renaissance essay, on the other hand, isn't going so well.

If a book exists which deals directly with the question of the extent to which the values of the Renaissance informed the politics of sixteenth-century Italy exists, I sure haven't found it. And I've looked. If a book exists which deals even indirectly with the same question, I still haven't found it. I'm beginning to think that this question is deliberately vague, in order to make us work harder, or some rubbish like that. For a start, what exactly are the values of the Renaissance? Are they the humanist values of education and focus on the learning of the ancient world? If so, can we call Machiavelli's values, Machiavelli technically being a member of the humanist camp, "values of the Renaissance"? I asked my lecturer those same questions. He told me that answering them was the whole point of the essay.

I was right. Deliberately vague.

My attempts at research have also been hampered by World of Warcraft. Damn that thing is addictive. Geeky, and a waste of time, but addictive. I should never have renewed my subscription two weeks before these essays were due. Interestingly, I'm starting to draw parallels between World of Warcraft and Machiavelli's The Prince. After all, Machiavelli's ideal leader is one who will do anything necessary to ensure the security and continuity of his state; I'll do whatever is necessary to ensure the security and continuity of my Undead Warrior. Machiavelli calls for a reliance on domestic troops rather than the forces of others; I always play by myself rather than grouping with others.

I should do an essay on "The Extent to which the Values of the Renaissance inform the Tactics of World of Warcraft". I could fucking own that essay.