“The Prince”, by Niccolò Machiavelli, is a series of letters written to the current sovereign of Italy, Lorenzo de' Medici. These letters are a practical guide on what to do and what not to do. He uses examples to further express his opinions on the topic. The main purpose was to inform the reader how to rule effectively and be an acceptable prince. Any ruler who wishes to maintain absolute control of his principality must use not only wisdom and skill, but also cunning and cruelty through fear rather than love. Machiavelli writes this book as a summary of all the deeds of great men. Machiavelli's ultimate goal is to inform the prince how to maintain his principality and secure his place. The Prince needs to maintain power and can do anything to obtain and maintain it, as long as it does not negatively affect his subjects. Some methods can be stealing land, making empty promises, and deceiving people to stay on top. Machiavelli says “The fundamental principles that all States have, whether new, old or mixed, are good laws and good weapons; and why there cannot be good laws where there are good weapons; and where there are good weapons, there must be good laws.” (Letter 12) Without good armies there can be no good laws, but if a state has a strong army, it shows that the state has good laws that are enforced. It's crucial to lay a solid foundation, because after spending so much time climbing to the top, he wouldn't want it all to collapse. This means eliminating rivals and gaining followers. Machiavelli says “Those who by luck only become Princes of private individuals, with little effort to obtain it, but have great difficulty in maintaining themselves in it; and they don't find any difficulty along the way, because they are taken there with... means of paper... what path to take to reach power, maintaining his government and how to maintain his military. A prince's ultimate goal is to maintain his position and his kingdom, and a prince may cheat, steal, and lie to achieve that goal. Machiavelli seems to favor a Principality over Republics in this case because a Prince will be safer in a hereditary Principality as the subjects are more accustomed to the Prince's blood. Machiavelli's direct advice on the art of war is to use one's army and that a prince should always study the art of war. The ideal situation between a Prince and his subjects is to be feared rather than loved, so that there is order. There is a difference between being feared and hated, and as long as the prince does not take a subject's property, women, or execute a subject without proper cause.Works Citedsparknotes