Character Sketch: Lord Voldemort

[ourobouros_1999 at yahoo.com]

No: HPFGUIDX 13740

--- In HPforGrownups at y..., meboriqua at a... wrote:
> 
> > 
> > 1. What is Voldemort's primary motivation?  To live forever?  To 
rid 
> > the world of the non-pureblood (I know, he doesn't qualify 
> > himself--racism knows no logic)?  Sheer lust for power?
> 
> Gosh, I think it is all of those things.  Powerful people (uh, 
beings) 
> seem to want nothing more than more POWER.  He also lives to 
> continually avenge his father's abandonment of his mother (like 
many 
> survivors of abuse who grow up to abuse do).

Agree here. I think they all kind of merge together in the Voldemort 
master plan which goes something like this:  Rule a world purged of 
muggles as an omnipotent, immortal emperor. Because we haven't seen 
situations in which his professed goals are in conflict, we can't 
really say which one is in first place. Certainly they aren't in 
conflict inherently. 

<Vold. immortal?>
> Killed, vanquished - sure, but I worry that he will kill Harry 
along 
> the way (the heartbreak of that is overwhelming just to think 
about).  
> I am quite sure that Dumbledore will also die along the way.  
Believe 
> me, Voldemort will not go peacefully!  

There is some sense in some passages that Voldemort is an immortal 
evil, or what he has come to stand for will never go away. However, I 
think it is quite possible now that the revived Voldemort is 
killable. 


<snip>

> > 
> > 4. Does he have an heir, and does he want one?  (I hate to ask 
this, 
> > but it seems obligatory:) Is he going to prove to be related to 
> anyone we know?
> 
> Please NO!  I hate the idea of Harry being related to him.  Am I 
the 
> only one who is tired of that surprise ending?
> > 

That's the problem with all these tropes. Done once, they were 
powerful, and we overlooked the downsides to them. Done for the 
thirtieth time, they can become irritating, if not executed in a very 
good way. Plus there is a certain paradox in this being referred to 
as a "surprise ending." I also agree that someone who wants to be 
immortal would have no need for an heir. 


> > 5. Is he your typical Evil Overlord who repeatedly makes 
> unbelievably dumb mistakes, or are we underestimating him?
> 
> I think his mistakes are all ego motivated.  You know, serial 
killers 
> like to collect memorabilia from their victims and brag about their 
> deeds.  Voldie sense of logic is almost gone, and when you lose 
focus 
> of your quest, you will get sidetracked and may not succeed.  Then 
> again, Voldie is no dummy.  I'd like to think that we are 
> underestimating Harry.  I also go back to point I made earlier: 
plot 
> development.
> > 

I think that Voldemort's sense of logic is not necessarily bad. You 
could also look at it this way. Whatever Voldemort's continual flaws 
as a plotter, leader, or manager of evil minions are, the fact that 
he's a genius at magic compensates for them, which is why he wasn't 
defeated before. Also, no matter how realistic it is to have his ego 
undo him, he has minions who can work to compensate for his 
misjudgements as well. 

Charmian