Why is fortune a woman

It has allowed us to study her ways, to learn how to interact to her. Fortune is a powerful woman , and requires virtu to resist her. Machiavelli uses this picture to help people understand more simply the nature of Fortune so they might be able to react more appropriately when Fortune comes to its opposition. Fortuna's fickleness is her greatest trait; no sooner are you at the top of her wheel than it turns, and you end up at the bottom.

Drawing on this symbolism, Machiavelli closes the chapter by saying that a man who wants to subdue fortune must treat her like the woman she is, and approach her with boldness and roughness. While Machiavelli's metaphor may be offensive to some modern readers, it would not have been shocking in its own day.

Even in modern times, the saying "fortune favors the bold" can still be heard. Julius the warlike pope's remarkable career as a military leader was cut short by his sudden death in Previous Chapter Next Chapter Removing book from your Reading List will also remove any bookmarked pages associated with this title. Are you sure you want to remove bookConfirmation and any corresponding bookmarks? The Convert. Stefan Hertmans. City of Light.

Lauren Belfer. John Larison. The Glorious Cause. Colum McCann. Welcome to Hard Times. North and South. Mary Doria Russell. The End of War. David L. Brigid of Kildare. Heather Terrell. Wayne Caldwell. James A. Frank Delaney. Courage, My Love. His Fortune represents the weaker descendant of the Roman goddess Fortuna, or Fate. Unlike Fortuna, Fortune affects but does not guarantee the final outcome of events. Laying aside the misogyny inherent in the image Machiavelli presents, his metaphor of impetuousness knocking Fortune about makes sense: By making sudden, unexpected movements and changes of plan, a prince can potentially evade bad future outcomes—not so much by surprising Fortune per se, but really, by surprising his enemies.

SparkTeach Teacher's Handbook. Quotes Fortune.