Whilst he identifies that political leaders should take note of historical lessons, he also acknowledges that a prince should be aware of fortune. To achieve political success, Machiavelli argues that ability to rule and the fortune of a prince must be aligned. In The Prince, Machiavelli depicts fortune to that of an element of force. He notes that whilst a raging river runs free, it is possible to coerce it by constructing dykes and banks. Here, Machiavelli argues that whilst fortune can not be ultimately controlled by the individual, it is possible to change ones" character to suit changing circumstances.
For a prince to coerce fortune, Machiavelli argues that he must first recognise that it is powerful and unpredictable. Because of this, a prince must prepare for when fortune turns against him. Due to changing circumstances, Machiavelli argues that the prince should only be as good as circumstances allow him. By this, he suggests that the prince should be good whilst fortune is with him, but when circumstances change; the prince should be willing to resort to evil, in order to protect his principality.
Owing to changing fortune, Machiavelli notes that the prince must be prepared to protect his principality using whatever means it takes. To Machiavelli, the purpose of politics was not to create Aristotle's good man, but to establish law and order within his state. .
"Someone is considered a giver, someone rapacious; someone cruel, someone merciful; the one humane, the other proud; the one honest, the other astute it would be a very praiseworthy thing to find in a prince all the above mentioned qualities that are held good" .
Whilst Machiavelli suggests that a prince should exhibit the common virtues, he also argues that the prince should not be bound by them. To Machiavelli, virtues such as liberty, kindness, integrity and honesty should form part of the princes" image, but in times of misfortune, the prince must also have the ability to commit amoral acts.