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Machiavelli The Prince Rhetorical Analysis

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Machiavelli The Prince Rhetorical Analysis
Throughout The Prince, there is a certain academic tone to Niccolò Machiavelli's writing, and the presentation of his theories and observations is extremely pragmatic. In consequence, it was surprising when, in chapter 25, Machiavelli began to speak, quite frankly, about the role of fate and fortune in a principality, saying that, "...fortune is arbiter of half of our actions, but also that she leaves the other half, or close to it, for us to govern" (98). This at first glance appears to be a far more fanciful notion than the ones that Machiavelli had previously maintained. However, as we delve deeper into Machiavelli's work, we are soon able to realize that there are underlying connections to fortunes role – as well as what our own reprisal ought to be – all throughout the text. …show more content…
Machiavelli asserts that, "...for if one governs himself with caution and patience, and the times and affairs turn in such a way that his government is good, he comes out happy; but if the time and affairs change, he is ruined because he does not change his mode of proceeding" an act that he indisputedly condemns Pope Julius II for (100). We can easily deduce from this that Machiavelli is not referring to fortune as a being who commands every action of the human race, but rather, it is the spectrum of things that we are not able to
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