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The importance of appearances in politics for Machiavelli is widely recognized. This article reflects on this truism, and offers a close study of selected chapters of The Prince to discuss the Lefort’s analysis of the qualities a prince must have. The appearance of goodness is linked to a desire for mystification for Claude Lefort. It is a way for men to escape their own wickedness. In opposition to this interpretation, this article shows that appearances can be explained by the criteria of proximity and distance, according to various modalities that give rise to multiple expressions of appearance.