Movies News Talk
Although literary heroes are usually not perfect, Severus Snape goes to a whole different level. His character is so full of flaws that it makes swallowing his hero status at the end of Harry Potter difficult. But there is a particular purpose for this, and it fits my preferred theme for Harry's narrative. Harry Potter is crammed with ideas of good and bad as a hero's journey-type experience. Harry is decent to his very core; Voldemort is, hands down, a quite nasty character. Although this is a common literary device, actual morality does not operate this way.
Harry Potter probes Moral Ambiguity for a lot of time. While Harry and Voldemort mark the two extremes of the scale, the other characters—especially the adults—fall somewhere else. Though James Potter was a nasty bully in school, he was usually believed to be good. Though he fled his Dark-magic loving family, Sirius Black unwittingly sided with their old preconceptions. Though in many respects your usual brand of evil, Severus Snape was also, in many respects. His death affects his reputation.
Though Snape's morality is meant to be vague, I have witnessed many debates over years trying to fit him onto one side of the spectrum or the other. People like a precise and orderly approach of classifying Severus Snape. Some claim, despite of his death, his preoccupation with Lily, readiness to sacrifice James and Harry, and abuse of the Boy Who Lived firmly place him in the "bad" category. Still, I find that these objections exclude much too much of the whole picture.
Then there are some who overglow Snape. They contend that his love for Lily drove him to drastically alter his behavior and that, although he treated Harry poorly, he gave his life freely to atone for it. This group believes that the professor would have corrected matters if Harry and Snape could have had one last chat; but, his early death deprived him of that chance. This likewise leaves out a lot of Snape's narrative. Though he never stopped despising Harry for being James' son, he performed his duty to defend Harry since Dumbledore said was proper.
Though one of the most polarizing characters in Harry Potter, Severus Snape's absence from full Redemption makes me happy after all these time. Years of intense debate over whether Snape was truly good or wicked made him divisive even before his major unexpected ending was revealed at the series' conclusion. Of course, his twist ending showed that he had been against Voldemort since the Dark Lord killed Lily Potter, but this wasn't sufficient to clear the dispute. Snape's behavior throughout Harry Potter has never entirely matched that of a hero, and the character's death merely spurred more discussion.
Snape performed some really nasty things whether he was with or against Voldemort. Yes, he died a hero, giving all to dutifully follow Albus Dumbledore's orders. This does not erase the fact, though, that he tormented Harry six years before his death. More importantly, Snape's unmet love for Lily seemed more like obsession than actual attachment. Thus, although Harry pardoned the man at the end of Harry Potter, Snape was never completely redeemed—but this is a good thing.
Many Harry Potter readers have not found a clear Redemption for Snape, and with HBO's TV adaptation of the show on the horizon, there could be some demands for a closer examination of the moral predicament of the character. There will be plenty of time to dig into the nitty-gritty since the show will be spending whole seasons on every book. Although this presents many chances for examining Snape's character, I think it would be a big error for the Harry Potter remake to try to give him a clear moment of atonement.
It has always been a great annoyance for me since the Harry Potter films already chopped away much of Snape's less appealing scenes. Unlike in the literature, the character was cool and collected in the movies, positioning himself between the kids and danger. HBO might be inclined to act in such manner. The series might even provide Harry and Snape a last confrontation to mend their relationship, given even more time to kill. I really hope this doesn't happen, though, as someone who adores Snape left as a profoundly damaged person who could hardly be considered a hero.
Driven by a confluence of love, hate, and ambition, Severus Snape is a multifarious and sophisticated figure. His behavior over the Harry Potter books is sometimes morally dubious, hence it is challenging to label him as either entirely good or bad. Snape's character is shaped by his anger of James Potter, his unmet love for Lily Potter, and his relentless allegiance to Albus Dumbledore. Snape's relationship with Harry is complex, full of both resentment and an unexpectedly great degree of protection.
The part Snape plays in Harry Potter is absolutely vital. Working covertly to guard Harry, he also keeps up his façade as a rigorous and frequently nasty lecturer as a double agent. Over the run of the series, Snape's quiet and understated redemption narrative unfolds. Though frequently motivated by self-interest, his activities finally result in sacrifices for the sake of others. One of the most intriguing features of the Harry Potter series is Snape's character growth, which highlights the complexity of human nature and the possibility for change—even in the most improbable of people.