Snape, the "Deeply Horrible Person"

[ghinghapuss]

No: HPFGUIDX 94439

> Brian writes:
<snipped a great post> 
> Someone once advised me to read _Ivanhoe_, by Sir Walter Scott, 
> because the villain, Sir Brian de Bois Guilbert is a "complex 
> villain."  After reading the admittedly plodding book, I realized 
> that de Guilbert was a complex villain because his epistemology and 
> worldview were quite individuated for the times in which he was 
set.  If Snape meets these criteria, we can add him to the list of 
complex villains.  Or, perhaps, he will join the ranks of redeemed 
villains, like Darth Vader.


Mandy here:
Interesting comments Brian, and I would like to add a comparison of 
Snape to another great villain. Possibly the greatest of all time 
imo.  

Milady DeWinter from the Three Musketeers. Which if you haven't' read

read it immediately!  It is truly fantastic adventure and full of 
characters who you think are good but have done, and are capably of, 
some terribly bad things, and characters who are very bad but who 
are, or were, decent people inside.  Much the way our Snape is 
turning out to be.

Anyway for those who don't know; Milady DeWinter is a truly 
despicable villainess who terrorizes and hunts down d'Artagnan and 
the 3 Musketeers for the Cardinal.  She is truly hated by you as the 
reader, until about half way through, then you begin to get glimpses 
of her story, and because of her treatment as a young woman, she grew 
into the woman she became.

To summarize briefly; because of actions by her brother, as a yoooung 
girl she is branded a thief, without trial. (Literally branded, on 
her flesh, with the French letter for thief.)  And shortly there 
after falls in love with a gorgeous young man who would willingly 
give his life for her. Her prince charming, or so she thinks.  When 
he finds discovers the brand whilst makeing love to her, he dosen't 
ask for any explanation but proceed to torture her.  He beats her, 
strip her naked and lynches her from a tree!  Leaving her for dead.  
This is young man grows up to be one of our Three Musketeers.  Later, 
DeWinter encounters another one of our four 'heroes' which would have 
resulted in her rape had she not had a knife on her and knew how to 
use it.   So much for chivalry, eh?  

With the revelation of this information it is no surprise that she is 
who she is.  Cold, calculating and heartless, and wants them all 
dead.  But suddenly she becomes this incredible, 3 dimensional 
character that you truly feel enormous sympathy for, whilst rooting 
for out heroes to win at the same time.  When her fate is finally 
reveled to us, itself terrible, I cried for her.

I think Snape is very much like Milady DeWinter.  Because of 
circumstances in his youth he is who he is today.  This is no excuse 
for bad behavior but it is a cause and effect.   He was treated 
horribly by his peers in school, and from school lived in a war.  
Wars bring out the best and worst in all of us and I think it brought 
out the worst in Snape who is now paying for those choices.  I really 
enjoy him even though I don't like him at all, and I find I want the 
best for him even though I know he is going to die.

Cheers Mandy.