Stratagem has more a positive connotation than a negative one based on the fact that it is used to defeat an enemy after analyzing the situation.
Explanation:
Stratagem is a concept that is viewed from two very different strong points of view. The first one is a bad one or negative one because it relies on to emphasize the fact that the user of the stratagem deceived or misled someone else to achieve an advantage over him or her. Nevertheless, a stratagem is not particularly bad because the user misled his or her enemy. Because it is used to achieve a victory against him or her. Without a conditional clause that it has to be an unjust cause. Therefore it is more positive than negative. Because even though hiding information or misleading could be perceived as a bad thing. In the case of misleading a murderer or kidnapper to fall into a trap, well it is good. So, it is more positive than negative, because it is inherent to the cause. It is just a tool, also it goes into a moral debate about doing what is wrong or right, while something bad can be good in other to survive or save someone else. Like misleading Hitler to saver the world. So it is just a tool inherent of intention.
Well, given that connotation refers to the imaginative meaning behind a Word while being used to call someone in a certain way, and stratagem is a word used to talk about a clever scheme or trick or trap, the obvious answer is that it has a positive connotation because as its not referring to a person it’s a polite-like way to call a trick or strategy.
I was safe in my tree, and the men who fought were nothing to me, except of course that they talked in something akin to my language, which meant that we were, incredibly, related.
