A Cold Equation.

[eggplant107]

No: HPFGUIDX 141413

"zgirnius" <zgirnius at y...> wrote:

> if we are saying that Snape would
> be willing to walk away "long before
> the tower", then really, why should
> Snape do so earlier rather than later? 

Because after making that vow Snape was a ticking time bomb and if he
didn't walk away and die soon he might weaken and never do so, and
indeed Snape never did walk away and die, Dumbledore died instead and
for that I can never forgive Snape and neither can Harry.

> To me, if Snape is "good" and the Vow
> was a terrible mistake, the situation
> at the end is especially tragic.

If your theory is correct then Snape is not a tragic hero, he is a
comic villain. The classic tragic hero is a man of great virtue and
one flaw that leads to his downfall. The flaw can be many things, too
much ambition, too little ambition, jealousy, hair trigger temper, but
one thing it can not be is incredible stupidly because that would just
makes people laugh not cry. The Snape you describe is no more tragic
than Wile E. Coyote when he gets an anvil dropped on his head by the
Road Runner.

Eggplant