I'm fairly certain that most everyone has read Harry Potter, but if you haven't you should probably stop reading. The books are just too good to ruin! Even if you've been watching the movies – stop now before I give away the ending. I'm not kidding.
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For those who have read the books, we can probably all agree that Severus Snape has been a pivotal character in the Harry Potter series since the very beginning. However, even from the start, there was always some sense of mystery surrounding Snape. Early on in the series, J.K. Rowling crafted him in a way that lead readers to instantly dislike and distrust Snape – portraying him as dark, greasy, and cold. Snape openly dislikes Harry and his friends from the very beginning, which leads Harry to question Snape's loyalties early on in the first novel. This suspicion remains a theme of the novels until the very end.
In the very first book, it appears that Snape is attempting to kill Harry but it is later revealed that Snape had been attempting to save Harry. But why? Why would Snape try to save the boy that he so openly loathes. Snape becomes the lightning rod for all of Harry's suspicions in the next three books. Every time something goes wrong, Snape appears to have a hand in it. However, Dumbledore again and again expresses that he trusts Snape implicitly. Snape's abysmal behavior toward Harry prohibits him from understanding how Dumbledore could possibly trust Snape. Aside from Voldemort, Snape was the seemingly evil contrast to Harry. He was a bully, spiteful, and at times just flat out mean.
We learn all sorts of nasty things about Snape. Snape and Harry’s father were enemies in school. Snape was a Death Eater. Snape is the Half-Blood Prince who had a habit for writing nasty spells in his potion’s book. Snape is the one that relayed the prophecy to Voldemort that would eventually lead to the death of both of Harry's parents. But the mystery still remains because there are patches of light that indicate that Snape may be loyal to the Order of the Pheonix after all.
And then Snape does the unthinkable: He kills Albus Dumbledore. At this point it seems fairly conclusive that Snape is a villain with zero heroic potential.
However in the final book J.K. Rowling presents what is arguably the greatest twist in the series. In Snape's dying moments, our entire perception of him is changed. The first important revelation: Snape didn't murder Dumbledore. Dumbledore had actually asked Snape to kill him for two reasons. First, Dumbledore had less than a year to live due to one of Voldemort's curses. Second, Dumbledore didn't want Malfoy to have to live with death on his conscious – Dumbledore wanted Snape to protect Malfoy by acting in Malfoy's stead. This revelation makes it obvious that Snape's loyalties do lie with the Order and the €˜good' side, but what are we to make of him now? This by no means elevates him to €˜hero' status.
But this wasn't the only revelation made in the moments just prior to his death. J.K. Rowling still had an ace in the hole. Snape had been in love with Lily Evans Potter for his entire life. This causes us to reevaluate all of Snape's past actions in this new light. Snape's hatred towards Harry may have been a misguided self-hatred. Harry was the physical embodiment of Snape's past mistake that lead to the death of the woman he had always loved. It is also revealed that this is the reason that Snape had kept Harry safe throughout the series, even though his actions were mostly behind the scenes. The hints had been carefully plotted throughout the series, but never pieced together until this crucial moment. Snape's love for Lily is what lead him to switch sides and to risk his life time and time again to help Harry triumph over Voldemort.
Snape is undoubtedly one of Rowling's most complex characters, something that Rowling has admitted in multiple interviews. But were his motivations selfish or selfless?
This now raises the important question – Does Severus Snape deserve the title of hero? He showed unquestionable bravery and loyalty to good and it is arguable that his contributions are directly responsible for Harry's triumph over Voldemort. Can we overlook his flaws and prior actions in the face of this revelation? Was it enough to both redeem himself to the point of heroism?
Both Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore thought so, and in the end that's more than enough for me to grant him the title. But the debate rages on amongst readers: did Snape find redemption and die a hero, or will he forever be a villain?
Below is a completely non-educational yet somewhat entertaining rendition of Snape's story in rap form. Once you get over the slightly chipmunk-esque voice, it's actually pretty funny. Be sure to read the lyrics!
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Being a huge Harry Potter fan myself, I have contemplated numerous times whether I think that Snape is a villain or a hero. But I honestly do not think there is an answer. Going back to the phrase, “a hero is in the eye of the beholder”, I think this applies to Snape. In the eyes of some people, he may seem like a brilliant wizard who is trying to do his job, but to others, well, he just seems like the perfect definition of a villain; an individual who is manipulative, untrustworthy, but extremely powerful.
Being a huge Harry Potter fan myself, I have gone back and forth with whether or not I think that Snape is a hero or a villain and I have yet to find the answer. I have read through all seven books , some more than once, and I still cannot make up my mind. I think he is a perfect example that whether or not someone is a hero is in the eye of the beholder. Some people may view Snape as an extremely intelligent wizard who is doing his job and thus is heroic for it. But others may seem him a manipulative, untrustworthy character who is only out for himself. Like I said, I have read each book, some more than once, and I still don’t know what to think !
I think Snape is an interesting example of a reluctant hero. As Claire described he is greasy, cold and altogether unlikable. Nevertheless his actions throughout the novel prove him to be a noble and heroic individual. Snape is an incredibly interesting figure because it is nearly impossible to like him but he is undeniably a hero. I think Snape helps highlight the more substantial qualities of heroism such as self sacrifice, bravery, and strength and makes us realize that we do not have to love or admire a person in order for them to be heroic.
Snape is a great example how in often in fiction, and even more in real life, an individual does not seem to be either a complete hero or a complete villain. There are shades of gray in everyone. Snape is a great example of how we cannot completely label someone as a hero or villain.
He is not going to be anyone’s favorite character of the series, but he is certainly the most interesting for the reasons Claire highlighted. There is no glamor behind Snape’s heroism, just his actions that prove he is a hero.
I think Snape is pretty cool. Definitely an unconventional hero. He got to Avada Kedavra the most powerful wizard ever and still gets to be called a hero. I’m not saying that murder is heroic, but i bet if you were having a bad day, Avada Kedavra-ing someone as hard as you could in the face would feel pretty good in terms of catharsis.