Books One, Two, and Four discuss how the male courtier should be a heroic
warrior, a principled man, and learned academic. Outside of the arena of war,
he should exemplify grace in all his actions. The Count of Canossa affirms the
Renaissance archetype of the male courtier. He maintains that the male courtier
must be proficient in hand-to-hand combat and in handling weapons of war
(whether on foot or on a horse). The courtier must also not be overly "soft" or
"effeminate"; certainly, he should refrain from using cosmetics to bolster his
own attractiveness. Interestingly, the Count asserts that the perfect male
courtier should neither be too tall or too short. He claims that these extremes
serve the courtier poorly.
The count maintains that effeminate male courtiers are nothing more than
"public harlots" who should be "driven not merely from the courts of great
lords but from the society of honest men." His words affirm the traditional
masculine stereotypes of the Renaissance. Since men are the leaders of the
human race, they must exhibit all the virtues commensurate to their station in
life.
Castiglione even argues that the male courtier has a grave responsibility
towards his prince. In fact, the latter is obligated to use his intellectual
gifts to guide the affairs of the state, particularly if his prince is in need
of such guidance and will be open to it. In a conversation, messer Frederico
maintains that a male courtier must leave the employ of a wicked prince before
he sullies his own good name. He argues that integrity should guide a male
courtier's actions, whether he serves a principled or wicked prince.
At this point, Lord Ludovico questions whether a courtier should obey every
wish of a prince who treats him well. Frederico answers that every courtier
must obey his prince in all things that are honorable and advantageous while
refraining from those that bring "injury and disgrace." Yet, he maintains that
every courtier should decide for himself whether disobeying his prince is worth
the risk. In other words, a courtier can only guide his prince if the latter is
open to guidance.