The Big Picture
- Snape's morality is complex and debated among Harry Potter fans, making him a puzzling character with no clear conscience or straightforward categorization.
- While Snape is technically a "good guy" for sacrificing himself to defeat Voldemort, his unkindness and obsession with Lily make him a creep.
- Snape's loyalty ultimately lies with Dumbledore, as he works as a spy for him and carries out heroic acts, but his everyday actions and motivations are not without fault.
Harry Potter is one of the most recognizable franchises around. Despite the family elements, the series contains complex themes and moral ambiguity that fans still debate more than a decade after the final film's release. From Dumbledore's (Michael Gambon) scheming to James Potter's (Adrian Rawlins) questionable past, it's hard to identify the story's true heroes besides Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and his friends, of course. Meanwhile, most of the villains are clear. After all, no one can argue that Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) had an altruistic goal. But no character's morality is debated as often as that of Severus Snape (Alan Rickman). Admittedly, it is a tangle of past mistakes, hidden loyalty, poor behavior, and undeniable sacrifice that is not easy to interpret.
There is no conscience on Snape because he isn't a straightforward character. Neither innately good nor fully evil, Snape's morality is a puzzle that no one can truly understand. And Rickman's proven talent for playing villains makes it easy to see Snape's flaws. Opinions about Snape vary wildly from a sympathetic martyr to a creep and bully. If you must draw a hard line, technically, he is a "good guy," as he sacrifices himself to defeat Voldemort. However, he isn't particularly kind, especially to the students he doesn't like, and his obsession with Lily Potter (Geraldine Somerville) crosses so many lines. Though Lily moved on, Snape's fanatic infatuation lasted beyond her death, impacting how he treated her son. Far from the tragic love story Snape sees, his feelings toward Lily make him a creep on top of his well-earned status as a hero.
Who Was Snape Loyal to in the 'Harry Potter' Series?
Harry, Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione (Emma Watson) spend many films thinking Snape is out to get them, and they're only partially wrong. Snape used his authority as a professor to mistreat many students, including Harry, Neville Longbottom (Matthew Lewis), and most other Gryffindor students, simply because he could. A childhood grudge against James made Snape dislike Harry instantly, and he was unafraid to make that known. In the early films, the trio is quick to blame Snape for helping Voldemort based on his cruelty and suspicious activity. But, in truth, he protects them when it really counts. Examples like Snape stopping Harry's enchanted broom in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and his shielding the trio from Lupin's werewolf form in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban prove there is some good in him. Yet he is vicious enough to them to make their doubts fair. It's not until his final moments that Harry and the audience finally gain an understanding of Snape's motivation: his love for Lily Potter.
Because of his undying love for Harry's mother, Snape promised to keep Harry alive — just not happy. Working with Dumbledore, the former Death Eater betrayed Voldemort before the end of the first conflict in an effort to protect Lily. He then proceeded to be Dumbledore's agent throughout the years, though Voldemort didn't know and continued to trust him. His position as spy raised doubts about his loyalties, but Snape did exactly as Dumbledore wanted, even killing the headmaster at his request to guard the Elder Wand for Harry. Snape played both sides, letting each believe he was their spy, but ultimately, his loyalty lay with Dumbledore. In helping Dumbledore, Snape does many heroic things yet hides them. Though some fans love Snape and others hate him, everyone must acknowledge he is far from a simple character.
Is Snape's Love for Lily Enough to Excuse His Actions?
The driving force of Snape's entire adult life is his love for Lily. Snape sees it as a tragic love story dating back to his youth when the love of his life chose another man — yet Snape stayed loyal to her anyway. But the story is more convoluted. Snape's hatred for James isn't only because Lily married him, but because James and his friends bullied Snape throughout their time at Hogwarts. There's no excuse for the bullying Snape endured, but it does not justify Snape's behavior. He displayed prejudice towards muggleborns like Lily, even weaponizing the word "mudblood" against his so-called love. Certainly, this was in a moment of distress, but it didn't stop there. Soon after graduating from Hogwarts, he willingly joined the Death Eaters, an organization that killed and tortured innocent people. And he turned from Voldemort for the wrong reasons. Though a good deed, it was for his selfish, unrequited love, not a realization that he was in the wrong. Snape is not the lone wronged party in this dynamic, though he seems to believe himself to be.
His adult behavior is not much better, neither towards Harry nor Lily. It's clear enough in the series that Snape despises Harry, and his mistreatment of him isn't doing Lily any favors. If she knew how he treated Harry, she would be furious. Beyond that, Snape maintains his obsession with Lily for decades. A childhood crush is nothing to be ashamed of, yet Snape held onto it even after being rejected. Lily is never once portrayed as a woman who doesn't know her own mind. She chose James, and Snape refused to accept that. Essentially, Snape believes he was unjustly confined to the "friend zone." Then, when Lily dies, he holds onto creepy feelings even harder, letting them impact every decision he makes. Admittedly, Snape does good things because of his love for Lily, but the quality of the choices makes the motivation no less disturbing. Snape not only idealizes the relationship he had with Lily, he remakes her in his mind to be the person he wanted her to be. To him, the Potter's marriage is all James' fault, as if Lily didn't agree to it. Snape may think holding onto his infatuation with Lily is romantic, but that couldn't be further from the truth.
Is Snape Good or Bad in 'Harry Potter?'
Though he tries to hide them, Snape's good deeds are well-documented. Without him, Harry would have struggled even more to defeat Voldemort. But his day-to-day actions are undeniably problematic, not to mention his obsessive infatuation with Lily. Though he fights for the heroes in the end, Snape is not without faults — but does the question of his morality come down to his final actions or his motivations and everyday life? Basically, is helping defeat Voldemort enough to erase his bad deeds? In short, the answer is that Snape is both a hero and a creep. He manages to be both, admittedly a rare skill, but it makes for a fascinating character arc as fans piece together his loyalties, motivations, and morality.
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