Christ Figures . . .multiple examples

[caesian]

No: HPFGUIDX 97997

Lady McBeth wrote:
<snip>
> There are several characters that we have seen "rise from the dead", 
> literally and figuratively.
> 1) Voldemort has, at the end of GOF, effectively risen from the 
> dead.  His followers were persecuted after his initial downfall.  He 
> is currently working on his "second coming".
> 2) Barty Crouch Jr.: the entire wizarding world thought Crouch had 
> died in Azkhaban.  He reappears in GOF alive and well until the 
> Dementor's kiss
> 3)  Fawkes has done it twice.  Once in Dumbledore's office and later 
> in the Ministry.  He took the shot meant for DD and arguably saved 
> the WW from certain doom.
> 
Caesian responds:
And yet none of those were truly dead (or, in LVs case - it could perhaps be argued he is 
not truly alive - I wouldn't, but it could).  If we extend our resurrection parallels to the 
series, it is noteworthy that Harry goes through a certain pattern of trials at the 
culmination of each book - and he always "dies".  

For every climactic scene, Harry must first travel beneath the earth or into the world of the 
dead - "miles under the school" through Fluffy's trapdoor, "under the lake" to the Chamber 
of Secrets, under the Whomping Willow to see a "dead" man in PoA, to a graveyard in GoF, 
and into the bowels of the DoM to the "death chamber" in OotP. 

And in each of these scenes, he "dies" - everything goes black as he struggles with 
Quirrell!Voldemort for the stone, he is literally killed by Basilisk venom in the chamber, but 
resurrected by Fawkes, he dies at the hands of 100 dementors in PoA, in GoF he very 
nearly dies, and Cedric is killed, and of course he nearly dies in the DoM, sees Sirius die - 
and when he is possessed by LV, he "knows" he is dead.

John Granger - who's book The Secret Key to Harry Potter has been cited by other posters 
on this list - does an excellent job of breaking the Chamber of Secrets in particular down 
to the basic elements of a Passion Play - it is quite convincing.  (There's also some nice 
insight into the Alchemy references!)

I would agree that in each of these climactic scenes, the protagonist, Harry, is the most 
Christ-like figure because *we* identify most with him *at those moments* - and thus we 
also experience the passion of his struggle, suffering, death and resurrection.

Caesian