Machiavelli believes fortune and virtú are the two main forces guiding the success of a prince, virtú being the ability of a leader and fortune representing fate or God's influence. While "dominions...are acquired either by fortune or by ability" (Machiavelli 13), he writes, the "degree of difficulty" that a prince encounters bases itself upon "the degree of ability" he possesses (Machiavelli 25). Machiavelli's ideal leader is one with the skill to take advantage of any opportunity and reap its benefits. He rei

After carefully recounting the political philosophy Machiavelli expresses in The Prince, it seems unreasonable and oversimplified for people to claim that Machiavelli is advocating the idea that "the ends justify the means." There is only one sentence in the novel that could in any way resemble this statement, that being one stating "in all men's acts, and in those of princes especially, it is the result that renders the verdict when there is no court of appeal" (Machiavelli 64). However, this continues to say, "Let the prince conquer a state, then and preserve it; the methods employed will always be judged honorable" (Machiavelli 64). These words express the idea that when the ends are noble and the means are at worst, questionable, it is acceptable to do what is necessary for the good of the state. When there is no clear-cut right or wrong, sometimes it is the result that will finally decide whether the action was acceptable. From studying Machiavelli's ideas throughout the rest of his book, it is illogical to conclude that he would condone any activity or allow people with their own interests at heart to use his book as an excuse for their actions. From witnessing his ongoing belief in adaptability, it is obvious that Machiavelli has no one axiom that can apply to every situation. "The ends justifies the means" is a blanket statement that in no way gives justice to the complexity of Machiavelli's political concepts.

terates that those who "depend on their own resources" "rarely fail" (Machiavelli 26). Machiavelli argues mainly that without initial virtú, any good fortune will go to waste. He admires men such as Moses and Cyrus because they owed to fortune "only the opportunity" to shape their ideals into reality (Machiavelli 26). He admits that the prince will need some fortune, but Machiavelli expects him to have the virtú necessary to capitalize on any good chance. To Machiavelli, fortune and virtú are two integral parts of the successful creation and maintenance of a strong principality.

Machiavelli also urges a policy of adaptability for the prince, defending the opinion that each situation requires a different response. According to him, if the prince "were able to adapt...to changing times and circumstances", his "fortune would not change" (Machiavelli 86).This flexibility makes sense, showing that Machiavelli does not intend for his word

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