Is Snape good or evil?

[dungrollin]

No: HPFGUIDX 148580

Eggplant:
> > 3) Snape killed Dumbledore but did so on Dumbledore's orders. 
(very difficult to find a viable reason Dumbledore would order such 
a thing and even if he did Snape would still be evil, at least in my 
book)
> 

Dungrollin:

Depends what your assumptions are. If you think that 

a) Voldemort *had* told Snape about Draco's task (canon, unless 
Snape was lying)
b) Snape and DD discussed Draco's task before Bella and Cissy's 
visit (perfectly plausible, given that DD knew about it on the tower)
c) The last clause of the Unbreakable Vow was a complete surprise to 
Snape; he was snookered and had to accept (the twitch)
d) He immediately told DD what had happened (DD was not surprised 
about the UV when Harry told him)

then it beggars belief to imagine that Dumbledore would have told 
Snape that he'd been stupid enough to make the vow, and he and Draco 
would have to die with the consequences. 

If you think that DD ordering Snape to help foil Draco's plan, save 
Dumbledore's life, and then die when the vow kicked in, abandoning 
Draco to be killed by Voldy, is consistent with Dumbledore's 
character as we've seen it, then I'm at a loss. Quite apart from the 
fact that DD is a little less selfish and a little more noble than 
that, it would be just the sort of order that could turn a bitter 
and resentful ex-Death Eater into a full-blown loyal servant of the 
Dark Lord. Hardly tactful or prudent.

When posters complain that they don't understand how Dumbledore 
could ever have asked Snape to tear his soul by killing him, I 
wonder what other choice Dumbledore could have possibly have made 
that would have satisfied them while still staying in character. 

Sorry – I'm obsessed with rotten choices at the moment...

Dungrollin