The Man of Destiny (Shavian: 𐑞𐑩 𐑥𐑨𐑯 𐑪𐑝 𐑛𐑧𐑕𐑑𐑦𐑯𐑰) is an 1897 play by George Bernard Shaw, set in Italy during the early career of Napoleon.

After his victory at the Battle of Lodi, Napoleon eats his meal, works on his plans and talks with the innkeeper Giuseppe Grandi.

Napoleon says he has been outwitted by an Englishwoman, and makes a series of comments about the English ability to constantly have things both ways ("As the great champion of freedom and national independence, he conquers and annexes half the world, and calls it Colonization").

The play was written for Ellen Terry and Richard Mansfield, but was first performed, on 1 July 1897, at the Grand Theatre, Croydon, with Murray Carson and Florence West in the principal roles.

[1] The play was the first Shaw work performed in the German language when it was given in a translation by Siegfried Trebitsch at the Schauspielhaus in Frankfurt on 20 April 1903.

A BBC TV version was broadcast on 5 May 1981,[8] with Simon Callow as Napoleon, Delphine Seyrig as The Lady and David Troughton as The Lieutenant.