These are what we call the 'YMMV items.' Things that some people find in this work. We call them 'your mileage might vary' because not everyone sees these things in the same way. This starts discussions in the trope lists, a thing we don't want. Please use the discussion page if you'd like to discuss any of these items.
YMMV: The Prince
Alternative Character Interpretation: One theory holds that Machiavelli was actually a satirist. This is not a crackpot theory held solely by humorists; The Prince is the only work of Machiavelli's that overtly argues for despotism, in contrast with his others, which deal with the administration of republics. Several scholars and Rousseau agree; Rousseau writes, "Machiavelli's The Prince is the book of republicans....The court of Rome has sternly prohibited his book. I can well believe it; it is the court he most clearly depicts."
Fair for Its Day: With the state of Italy (and most of the rest of Europe the world for that matter) anything else would be hopelessly idealistic.
Magnificent Bastard: What you should become if you take this book as your guide.
So much so that the adjective "Machiavellian" is used to describe the highest quality of Magnificent Bastardry.
