Fortune is defined as "A hypothetical force that unpredictably determines events and issues favorably and unfavorable; success that results for luck."(Landoll pp.141) This broad definition leads us to believe no man can control fortune. Machiavelli believed otherwise saying to some extent fortune could be controlled. (Wootton pp. 54)

Fortune is something that we are born into but can only hold onto through strength (virtue). It is possible to determine a part of one's fortune and that is through strength (virtue).

Machiavelli believed fortune determines one half of our actions, but on the other hand acknowledged that one half of our actions were left for our personal control. He believed the one half of our actions that weren't controlled by fortune could in a way work towards our fortune. Fortune is very powerful and demonstrates it's power whe

This leaves us to talk about the power we have in the face of fortune. When one discusses of fortune, it seems to many people that we have no power over it. Machiavelli believes that we do have some extent of power over fortune. He believes if you can see problems in the future and be headstrong you can help determine your fortune. He concludes that it is better to be headstrong than to be cautious, because " Fortune is a lady. It is necessary, if you want to master her, to beat her and strike her. And one sees that she submits more often to those who act boldly that to those who proceed in a calculating fashion." (Wootton pp.55) This powerful statement says that humans do have power in the face of fortune, but they can only get that power if they are willing to act in a bold manner to get what they need to change their fortune.

When Machiavelli discusses rulers and fortune he wants the reader to know that rulers who depend on fortune will fail. To those rulers who acquire power through fortune, he emphasizes, that they will have a hard time holding onto power. He states "goodwill and good fortune are totally unreliable and capricious."(Wootton pp. 19) This is because rulers who gain power through fortune are private citizens and do not have experience. They also need support from citizens to build their own army, because a ruler without his own army will have no one to depend upon in times of adversity. A ruler who gains power through fortune does not have the support of the people. The support is left behind when the previous ruler steps down and another gain

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Approximate Word count = 1065
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)