Napoleon is seen as a dictator because he effectively was a dictator. Upon taking seat of the French government, Napoleon effectively created a government that worked only with him. He effectively stripped the French Senate of any role other than creating laws for a small part of the year that he alone could put into effect. With a hindered Legislative branch and a sole power of the Executive Branch, Napoleon effectively controlled France.

With supreme executive power, Napoleon was a dictator in our common usage. With his power, he was able to steer France any direction he wanted. He did limit France with a wide censorship program that was common in most Continental kingdoms. He did limit the rights of women through his legal code and undone the legal freedom that was gained through they Revolution and what women had before. As other dictators, he spent lavishly on architectural projects and art, funding the Empire style of Architecture that he and Josephine popularized, building numerous buildings and bridges that stand today. As supreme executive, he had power to change nearly every aspect of French society, and did.

The problem isn't that he was a dictator but rather how he as an individual is perceived. We are quick to deny mercy to dictators because they are often destructive, narrow minded, and focused on keeping their regime stable; something Napoleon did on all three accounts. However Napoleon is also the start of a modern France that stepped away from the static nobility that held her back. Napoleon did some had to France but was much more important to France than any King was.