Character sketch of Severus Snape

Department Of English

Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji

Bhavnagar University

Name: Bhatt Vidhi Rajeshkumar

Roll No.: 18

SEM: 04

Year: 2012-13

Subject: New Literatures

Assignment Topic: Character sketch of Severus Snape

Submitted To: Dr. Dilip Barad

Severus Snape is a fictional character in the Harry Potter book series written by J.K. Rowling. In the first novel of the series, he is hostile toward Harry and is built up to be the primary antagonist until the final chapters. As the series progresses, Snape's character becomes more layered and complex. Rowling does not fully reveal the details of his true loyalties until the end of the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Over the course of the series, Snape's portrayal evolves from that of a malicious and partisan teacher to that of a pivotal character of considerable complexity and moral ambiguity.

                       Snape primarily teaches Potions at Hogwarts, though in the sixth novel he teaches Defense against the Dark Arts, a position which he was known to have desired throughout the series. He ultimately becomes Headmaster of Hogwarts in the final novel. Rowling has described him as "a gift of a character".

Outward appearance

                       Snape is described as a thin man with sallow skin, a large, hooked nose, and yellow, uneven teeth. He has shoulder-length, greasy black hair which frames his face, and cold, black eyes. He wears black, flowing robes which give him the appearance of "an overgrown bat" The youthful Snape had a "stringy, pallid look", being "round-shouldered yet angular", having a "twitchy" walk "that recalled a spider" and "long oily hair that jumped about his face In the chapter illustrations by Mary Grandpre in the American editions of Prisoner of Azkaban and Order of the Phoenix, Snape is depicted as balding with a goatee, but in the next novel, Half-Blood Prince, he is depicted with long black hair.

Personality

                     Snape is generally depicted as being cold, calculating, precise, sarcastic, and bitter. He strongly dislikes Harry and often insults him by insulting his father, James Potter. As the series progresses, it is revealed that his treatment of Harry stems from Snape's bitter rivalry with James when they were in school together.

                     Rowling further described the young Snape as insecure and vulnerable: "Given his time over again [Snape] would not have become a Death Eater, but like many insecure, vulnerable people he craved membership of something big and powerful, something impressive. Was so blinded by his attraction to the dark side he thought would find him impressive if he became a real Death Eater."

                          The adult Snape, on the other hand, is portrayed as very self-assured and confident of his abilities, to a degree that Rickman described as "full of himself." Director David Yates said Snape is a character with gravitas, authority and power. His otherwise impassive and aloof attitude seems to stem from his belief that people who cannot control their emotions are weak.

                          Snape is shown to be a clever and cunning wizard. He is intelligent and has a keen, analytical mind. In an interview, Rowling adds that Snape is immensely brave, and when asked if she considers Snape a hero.

Magical abilities and skills

                        All seven novels show Snape to be a very powerful wizard and to have been outstanding while a student. He specializes in potion making and has talent and passion for the Dark Arts. Sirius Black claimed that Snape knew more hexes and curses as a first-year student at Hogwarts than most seventh-years knew. Particularly gifted in potion making, Snape added major improvements to his Potions textbook while still a student. Also as a student, Snape shows a rare gift for discovering new spells. Remus Lupin describes Sectumsempra as Snape's "specialty" in Deathly Hallows. Snape is shown using this spell as a teen ager and in the aerial battle in the last novel.

                    Snape is able to both access the minds of others and protect his own thoughts—indeed, though Snape does not care for the term himself, Harry forms the uncomfortable impression early in the series that the Potions Master is able to "read minds."

                          Snape is able to keep his betrayal from Voldemort, who is himself described as being "the greatest Legilimens" in history. According to Rowling, Snape is the only Death Eater capable of producing a full Patronus, which, like Lily's, is a doe.

                         Professor McGonagall later implies that Snape learned to fly without the use of a broom, a rare skill previously displayed only by Voldemort.

Loyalties

                           Snape's true loyalty was one of the most significant questions in the series up until the end of the final installment, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Although the first five novels depict him as unfair and vindictive towards Harry and his friends, he invariably ends up protecting or otherwise helping them when they or their allies are in danger. Several characters express doubts about his loyalty, but Dumbledore's trust in him is generally taken to be the final word. The sixth novel, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, departs from that model. In the second chapter

                           Rowling maintains this impression through the early chapters of the seventh novel. However, near the climax of the book, Snape leaves Harry his dying thoughts and ultimately reveals to Harry that he had been loyal to Albus Dumbledore throughout the series.^] Snape's fierce devotion to and love of his childhood friend, Lily Evans, Harry's mother, is the foundation of that loyalty.

The Death Eater

                     On the outside, Severus Snape has "Death Eater" written all over him. Greasy, ill-tempered, batlike and perpetually frowny-faced, Professor Snape really seems to fit the mold of the stereotypical villain. He's also notoriously anti-Harry; even though he doesn't appear to be trying to thwart Harry directly over the course of the previous six books, he certainly dislikes the boy. After killing Dumbledore at the end of Book 6, Snape has us convinced that he's on Voldemort's side for sure. And in the beginning of Book 7, he seems like the worst of the Death Eaters when he blasts off George Weasley's ear. He's a convincing villain, and a seriously amazing double agent.

Is Snape a good guy???

              A character like Snape where you’re not sure if he’s a good or bad gut that gives you a latent tension.

             We only get to see the true Snape emerge right before he dies but what we see in the pensive is a man completely different from what we expected whose far cry from the melodramatic, blooding stereotypical villain we thought he was. Though Snape has seemed to foster nothing but resentment, bitterness and flat-out meanness, it turns out he’s been motivated by the highest, best, most valuable qualities all along-love and loyalty. It’s a Hugh surprise.

             Our feelings for shape turn on dime, just like Harry’s do, as soon as we learn the truth about him; his love for Lily proved beyond a shadow of a doubt by his doe patrons reveals, a truly tragic, noble and self sacrificing character that we’ll admit we never suspected.