Reread the last two sentences of the second excerpt. Many people find Machiavelli’s advice about the need to “have a mind ready to
turn itself accordingly as the winds . . . of fortune force it” and the need to
“diverge from the good” in order to maintain the state to be refreshingly honest
and accurate. Others believe he is wrong to suggest that a ruler should ever “act
contrary to faith, friendship, humanity, and religion.” Choose one position and
write a statement that expresses your beliefs about it.