What's in it for Snape? Finding motive...

[potioncat]

No: HPFGUIDX 97203

 "vmonte" <vmonte at y...> wrote:
> 
> snipped
> > What motivates Snape?  Is he really working for the Order, 
> > Voldemort, or himself? Is he good, bad, or neither? 
> > 
> > Here is my problem with Snape.  I find it hard to believe that 
> > knowing what we know about him that he is working for either 
> > Voldemort or DD.  He seems to have contempt for both sides.  He 
also 
> > craves recognition (obvious when you read PoA). 
> > 
snip


Kneasy wrote:
snip< 
> Snape's motivation?  Revenge.
> It's in character and believable not just by posters but by 
Dumbledore. And it's personal. 
>snip> 
> And the reason he hates Voldy? Voldy was responsible for the death 
of his family.
 
> Too many past posts of mine to list, but if you're interested 
start with
> 69509 'Snape - A very good hater."
> 


Potioncat:
I snipped bits of both posts.
I think Snape has comtempt for some members of the Order, not for 
the Order itself, nor for all members.  He seems to respect DD, even 
if he doesn't always agree with him.  He does crave recognition, 
which I think would go with his ambitious Slytherin personality.  
He's also seen less capable wizards getting recognition. But I don't 
think he is in it just for himself.

I went back and read 69509, a very good post. I'm not skilled enough 
to cut and paste it here, but I am responding to it as much as to 
this one.

Kneasy's theory makes very good sense.  Snape's family was killed by 
LV and Snape wants revenge.  I think, however, there is more to it 
than that.  If his  only reason for going after LV was revenge, I 
think DD would have found somewhere else for him to wait than at 
Hogwarts.

I agree with another statement in that post, that Snape doesn't hate 
Harry because of his childhood rivalry with James.  That hardly 
makes any sense at all.  He possibly is indifferent and is putting 
on a show, as Kneasy suggested because it wouldn't look good to be 
nice to the one who nearly wiped out the Dark Lord.

Or, he could resent both Harry and Neville because they somehow 
survived LV when Snape's child did not.

But, I don't think he is tolerating DD and McGonagall while waiting 
for revenge, if anything, I think canon indicates a friendship 
there.  

So anyway, take a look at the post. It certainly has a ring of truth 
to it. 
Potioncat