Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is the sixth book in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. In this novel, Professor Snape makes an unbreakable vow to protect Harry Potter's rival, Draco Malfoy. Harry and Dumbledore look into memories in an attempt to learn more about Voldemort, and it is unveiled that he has been placing parts of his soul in objects called Horcruxes that must be destroyed if Voldemort is to be defeated.
Pericles is a Shakespearean play about the Greek, Pericles, who flees by ship from Antiochus, who presented him a riddle that would have resulted in his death either way. Pericles shipwrecks near Pentapolis, marries the king's daughter, Thaisa, who, after giving birth to Marina, is accidently thrown overboard in a storm, survives and becomes a priestess of Diana. After beautiful Marina is kidnapped, sent to a brothel, maintains her virginity by becoming a tutor instead, Pericles finds her and, later, Thaisa.
The Prince is a 16th century treatise by Niccolo Machiavelli advising rulers how to gain and maintain their kingdoms. The document outlines different strategies for conquering societies and dominating their political systems. Machiavelli's outlook is notoriously pragmatic and hard-hearted. The second half of the document describes favorable qualities for rulers, claiming that it is safer to rule by fear than by love, to withhold rather than to be generous, to be cautious and crush power-hungry flatterers and conspirators.