Parallels between Snape and Shylock in "The Merchant of Venice"

[Mari]

No: HPFGUIDX 134915

a_svirn wrote:
 
> Yeah, I guess since the Snape-is-a-vampire theory has been finally 
> shot down by JKR, the Snape-is-a-Jew one is the next best thing. Let 
> him crave for a pound of flesh rather than blood!

Ok, perhaps I didn't put my thoughts together very clearly :-( I 
certainly didn't mean to imply there's any support in canon for the 
idea that Snape is a Jew.

To make this summary as short as possible, my main argument 
is that Snape and Shylock function in a *very similar way* in 
narrative terms in their respective stories. They serve a similar 
function for the writer, and inspire similar kinds of arguments 
and debates.

The Jewishness or otherwise of either character was never an 
issue in my argument. Shylock  happens to be a Jew, but Snape 
is clearly not.

Readers respond to Shylock in the same way as readers 
respond to Snape; both characters are unsettling and 
ambiguous.

Shylock functions as a plot catalyst and complicating factor for 
Shakespeare, and Snape similarly functions as a plot catalyst 
and complicating factor in the story for Rowling. This is the main 
reason why I don't think Rowling is finished with Snape yet.

Here's the link to my original message and ideas about this:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HPforGrownups/message/134889

Mari.