The Prince, written by Niccolo Machiavelli, in 1513, attempts to explain the role a prince must play. In The Prince, Machiavelli gave advice by referring to leaders of the past to point out how they handled situations and learned from their mistakes so that those mistakes would not be repeated. Machiavelli wrote that "a prudent man must always tread the path of great men and imitate those who have excelled."# In The Prince, Machiavelli discussed how a prince should play his role by defining the actions a prince should take, and the personality characteristics he should have. What are the actions that a prince should take and why must he behave in the manner that Machiavelli described? .
Machiavelli gave advice to princes on how to play their role to achieve success. Throughout The Prince, Machiavelli wrote of specific actions a prince should take in certain circumstances. One of these actions concerned when a prince gains more land to rule. Machiavelli wrote that the prince should live in that newly gained territory and observe their language, laws, and customs. By observing the culture the prince gains insight into the actions he should take to control the people. Also by living on his new territory, he can control the people immediately when a problem arises. Another reason a prince should live in the territory would be to reduce the fear of enemies attacking. Machiavelli wrote that enemies are less likely to attack the territory when a prince is living there.# .
Even though the prince should take this precaution against war, according to Machiavelli, war is inevitable. Therefore, it is necessary to command wisely to remain the ruler of the land. Machiavelli advised princes to protect their land by utilizing armies, moats, walls, and artillery. He wrote that the prince should keep a supply of provisions within the walls, so when under siege, the city could live off of their provisions and survive.
