Is Snape good or bad?

[sbursztynski]

No: HPFGUIDX 141991

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "aussiegirl711" 
<rozcheeks at a...> wrote:
>
> Snape- when discussing this character I often get mixed views 
on his 
> attitude. Is he good or bad? Many who believe Dumbledore 
(lets call 
> him dd) is not dead, feel Snape is good. Others believe he is 
100% 
> evil. What is my opinion? Well honestly, I think Snape is neither 
good 
> nor bad. Although he isn't the happiest person, I don't think he 
is a 
> terrible Death Eater.I feel Snape (who *SPOILER* we learn is 
the HBP 
> and is AMAZING at potions) was asked by dd to put the potion 
in place 
> of the horcrux. The potion, which seemed to weaken dd, in fact 
made 
> him able to withstand the unforgivable curse. Other Death 
Eaters saw 
> dd die (so Snape would not be killed by the vow....he did 
"attempt" to 
> kill dd)I have many more unanswered questions (as do we 
all)and am 
> hopefully going to get more insight by chatting with all of you 
please 
> put your opinion.
> 
> aussiegirl711

Sue here:

We have one book to go and in the meantime plenty of time to 
have fun with this and other questions.

Personally, I think Snape is not a nice man, but that doesn't 
mean  he is working for the bad guys. As somebody said in GOF, 
the world isn't divided into good people and Death Eaters. (I 
think, ironically, it may have been Sirius, but can't recall).

I believe that, however we try to wriggle out of it, DD is dead. JKR 
doesn't mess around. His name is Dumbledore, not  Gandalf, 
even if there are some qualities in common, such as being both 
a great wizard and the kind of guy you'd be pleased to have a pint 
with and play a game of darts at the local pub. I think DD knew 
what he was letting himself in for and was willing to make the 
sacrifice if necessary - and perhaps Snape's fury was at being 
forced to go through with something he didn't want to do - but 
this is a topic for another thread, you only asked for Snape being 
good or bad and DD being dead or not. Now Voldemort has no 
reason to suspect Snape any more - DD gave him that.

Well, I could be wrong, Snape might well be the two-dimensional 
villain he appears, but I think JKR is a better writer than that. (On 
the other hand, hundreds of years after Shakespeare wrote 
merchant of Venice, people are still arguing about Shylock...)

Fellow Aussie girl Sue
>