Students may not have read any books directly related to Niccolò Machiavelli and The Prince, but many of the arguments and ideas presented within the work will likely seem familiar to students by virtue of the book's influence.
The teacher can also scaffold off of students' previous readings of books about government, politics, and political philosophy. Books focussing on these themes in a European context are helpful for their illustrative value with respect to the Renaissance Italy that Machiavelli lived in. But books focussing on the ancient and medieval world, and especially on political philosophy during these time periods, are likely to be most helpful of all.
