Final answer:
The voyage of Ferdinand Magellan can be seen both as a 'failure' due to his death at the battle of Mactan, and a 'success', as his crew was the first to circumnavigate the globe, proving the earth's round shape and opening new routes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The voyage of Ferdinand Magellan indeed had its ups and downs. Regardless of his death in the battle of Mactan, one can also consider his voyage successful as his crew, under the command of Juan Sebastian Elcano, managed to complete the first circumnavigation of the world. This was a huge achievement as it validated the idea of a spherical earth, opened new naval routes and brought useful information and exchanges between cultures, which crucially impacted the world of that epoch
Ferdinand's death does mark a moment of failure on the personal level for Magellan but his mission, seen from a more comprehensive perspective, was historically significant and successful. Therefore the classification of Magellan's voyage can be subjective and depends highly on the perspective one takes to analyse the events.
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