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Snape: a question

The thing about Snape is he is living in the past. He cannot let go of what happened to him. He did have a bad childhood (from what we can tell), but this is no excuse to bully school kids in his adult life.

I think one of the reasons Snape is such a popular character is because of Alan Rickman :eek:
 
I wouldn't say that he bullies them- yes, is strict, severe, and unfair, but he does no harm apart from sarcastic words.
And I disagree about Rickman- he is great actor, well chosen for that part, but people don't like Lucius Malfoy, because of Jason Isaacs. My favourite scenes with him are in OoP, which weren't filmed yet, and it's not sure whether we wil act then.
I think that Snape is mysterious and ambigous, which makes him popular- but not liked by everyone. Scenes with him are briliantly written and full of tension.
 
Marge said:
I think one of the reasons Snape is such a popular character is because of Alan Rickman :eek:
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I also don't agree with this - Snape is definately one of the better characters and for me it has nothing to do with Rickman.
 
I like the character of Snape because he is the baddy you love to hate, and Alan Rickman is the icing on the cake ;)
 
I'm with Lyra on this :D At first I was pretty sure that Snape was Slytherin stuff, but thanks to you guys, I am in a Snape-crisis ;) You sure have good arguements to proof that he could have been in Gryffindor.

I'm more or less with Beatrycze about Snape's behaviour. Of course Snape should behave as he is, but don't forget, he had quite a nasty childhood. He had basically no home: at home with his family there was abusive behaviour and at school it continued. Those are the only two places I see Snape spending most of his time. As far as I know, at home the abuse was not directly aimed towards Snape (although it could be quite possible that his father verbal abused him for crying or whatever), but all that leaves scars. Perhaps that is why Snape got interest in the dark arts to give him a sense of power over others. Don't underestimate the power of bullying. It can have effects for life. Just take a look at reality how bullying can often have a massive effect at the childrens lifes. Maybe what kept Snape on his feet was the prospective that one day he would make them all pay (becoming a Dead Eater and a person of power). If you don't even grow up with a proper set of morals from home, it is easy to start hating everything around you and become bitter.

His hate is so deep that he won't cut anyone, who has any kind of link with the humiliating part of his past, some slack. Not that I approve of his actions (you can't blame a kid instantly while the kid didn't even knew of anything and came in with the best purposes at mind), but Snape has his reasons.

Alan Rickman is not how I imagined Snape (Snape is described in the books as a greasy spider like person, with a hawk's nose, greasy locks hanging in front of his face, etc.) and he wasn't the first choice for Snape, but he's fine. But I'll always like the book Snape more :)
 
ITA, and let's not forget thay he constantly helps Harry, who never bothered himself to thank Snape, nor he felt bad about wrong suspitions for him. Not to mention intruding his private memories...
 
Speaking of Snape, in GOF, pg 720
What was it that Snape had done on Dumbledore's orders, that night that Voldermort had returned? And why...why...was Dumbledore so convinced that Snape was truly on their side? He had been their spy, Dumbledore had said so in the Pensive. Sbape had turned spy against Voldermort, "at great personal risk."
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Does anyone have any ideas as to what Dumbledore asked him to do? I thought at first that Snape had attempted to return as a loyal but not really loyal death eater and resume spying but then when the school term begins, Snape is still teaching in OOTP so I was completely stumpted, like Harry at this. Or what Snape did to convince Dumbledore where his loyalty lay?
 
Marge said:
I think one of the reasons Snape is such a popular character is because of Alan Rickman :eek:
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So do you think Voldemort is going to be popular as Ralph Fiennes has been cast in the role?
 
An interesting point. I wonder if RF is too good looking to play such a baddie? Perhaps an uglier actor would have been a better choice? Or an older one?
 
I think that Ralph Fiennes is a good choice. He is experienced in playing really bad, cruel, terrible characters.
 
Another fascinating aspect of Snape and let's remember that he's a member of the OoP and trusted by Dumbledore, is that perhaps his role is to steer Slytherins, as much as possible with Malfoy spies in their midst, to a more moderated empathy for the Dark Arts, the hallmark of Slytherin graduates. No wonder he is so intense!

Snape is a very complex character and I'm sure Rickman is overjoyed to have that kind of role in a "popular" film.
 
In the fourth book, Sirius says clearly that Snape was in Slytherin, because he talked about all his friends becoming Death Eaters. The comparison to malfoy and snape + harry is different; Snape is mean, but still is good, but malfoy is evil and wants harry dead, like father, like son.

With regard to voldemort, an evil character doesn't have to be ugly. remember voldemort was young when he lost his body
 
it says in the fourth book he's from slytherin because sirius is talking about how all his friends became death eaters. Also, snape is mean, but malfoy is evil- no comparison
 
Also when snape was in school he had no friends and was nerdy asnd ugly, until one summer he became heavily into the dark arts and then he came back to school with some friends. Draco has always had a little herd of friends because he has always had money, the family history/reputation, and the spells to atract them. so you are right. no comparision. although you can't help but want to compare the snape/james situation to draco/harry.
 
Rereading this thread after having reread GoF and OotP, I feel Rowling has been as explicit as possible in stating that Snape was a Slytherin as a student. I get the impression that some posters think that everyone coming out of Slytherin turns out a bad egg, Death Eaters all, and I don't believe that is explicit from the books. Slytherins exemplify a strong leaning toward the Dark Arts, but they are not all Death Eaters! DA training is a necessary for anyone wanting to be an Auror, for example, a profession that is opposed to the Death Eaters.

Harry's curiousity with the pensieve during Occlemency (sp?) training has taken an unfortunate turn in alienating Snape at a new level that goes beyond Snape's grudge against his father. The irony is that Harry could glimpse the unfairness and almost sympathize with Sanpe and that's the last thing Snape wants is pity. (Ahem, no one wants pity from someone else, this isn't something "evil" about Snape.)

What is truly marvelous about Snape is this mystery about why Dumbledore trusts him--there's a tragic quality about this prodigal son with the Death Eater sigul on his forearm who nonetheless owes allegiance to Albus. He will play a Gollum-like role in the denouement of these books.
 
Oberon said:
I get the impression that some posters think that everyone coming out of Slytherin turns out a bad egg, Death Eaters all, and I don't believe that is explicit from the books. Slytherins exemplify a strong leaning toward the Dark Arts, but they are not all Death Eaters! DA training is a necessary for anyone wanting to be an Auror, for example, a profession that is opposed to the Death Eaters.
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In the first movie (I don't know about the book, I couldn't find it if it is in there) Ron says to Harry that not a single person who was placed in Slytherin, has come out good. So there is a good reason that posters would think of Slytherin's as not so hot!
 
Much as I love Ron, I don't take his word as being unimpeachable evidence of Slytherin's reputation. Snape may very well be an example of a redeemed Slytherin ... If everyone coming out of Slytherin was going to turn out bad, why would Dumbledore or the Ministry allow the house to continue? Tradition? That's a flaw that goes to the core of the author's own craft and flies in the face of the evidence inherent in all her three-dimensional characterizations to date. Even Voldemort has tragic nuances of character that go beyond a simplistic "environmental" explanation: "nobody good ever came out of ____" :rolleyes:
 
But maybe Rowling did mean her words literally. In Ron's opinion everyone that is out of Slytherin is bad. Not necessarily to the point that they are Death Eaters, or if they are the ministry/Dumbledore can't prove it because they haven't been caught like the Malfoys but they suspect it or at least Dumbledore does can't say the same about Fudge though, maybe they just have the theories of Slytherin/Death Eaters without acting on them. Mudbloods and that the poor wizards are a discrace to the wizarding world. Ron would be the only person to say/know that because he has suffered abuse from his poverty by many wizards. Hermione had not been at the school long enough to pick up the impression herself, although Ron's theory proves true the way that Slytherin abuses Hermione of being a Mudblood.
 
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