The questions Machiavelli asks, and the answers he gives, are often surprising. When we listen to his own voice, instead of trusting too much in his ‘Machiavellian’ reputation, we begin to see a strong character, irrepressibly friendly yet often at odds with his fellow citizens, with a steely determination to change the corrupt world he lived in – and a belief that any individual, however weak or downtrodden, could do their bit to change things for the better. Throughout his life, he urged people to see themselves as free agents who could always hope to influence the course of events. ‘Never
