Write. Read. Repeat.

Below is an argumentative essay I wrote in my college-level English comprehension call. There were a few few different topics we could pick from, but they were all compare and contrast two things, then make an argument supporting one of the side. The topic I picked was compare and contrast two villains from movie or TV. Of course, I chose the Harry Potter series, but compared Snape and Lestrange. If you are saying “hell yah! A college essay on HP!” Then by all means please let me know what you thing. If you think thats lame then pop off. I received a 100% on this work.

***************************************************************

There are many antagonists among the characters in the Harry Potter movie series. Severus Snape is the main character’s (Harry Potter) professor and has a deep history with his family. Bellatrix Lestrange is on the side of Lord Voldemort and egged on the downfall of Harry Potter. The two villains, crossover at a few points, but in the end, it comes down to moral compass. When discussing favorability of villains, it is important to know the psychology of why the viewer feels empathy or passion toward an antagonist. Due to Severus Snape’s history, the overall affect of his actions, and how his secrets are revealed in the end, as a villain, he is more favorable to the viewer than Bellatrix Lestrange is.

Through the course of the eight Harry Potter movies, there is a multitude of negative interactions between Snape and Harry, both inside the classroom and out. Snape was bullied by Harry’s father during their time as students at Hogwarts. This had a major impact on shaping the person Snape would grow into in the sense that his hatred for James Potter would be passed down onto Harry. Snape kept his love of Lily Potter a secret from everyone except Albus Dumbledore; a fact that we learn during a look into his memories as Snape is dying in the last movie. Snape’s actions towards Harry seem to come from a combination of imposed survivor’s guilt and displaced aggression. Despite being a former Deatheater, the loss of Lily is what ultimately broke Snape’s soul. This created a pessimistic mindset and turned him into a cruel and overall, hateful person.

Lestrange is first introduced in The Goblet of Fire, when Harry and Sirius are in his parents house looking at Sirius’ family tree. Sirius calls her “-my deranged cousin-” and her portrait illustrates a women with a nasty expression full of disgust (Yates, Order of the Phoenix, 01:13:50). Sirius was explaining to Harry at the time, that his whole family, and thus Lestrange’s, held pure-blood ideals and that anyone not alike to them was not worthy of magic and in some cases life, fostering the mindset of a superior race and the ultimate loathing of muggles (non-magic beings). This is a clear example of how her upbringing affected her views on muggles and anyone who sided with them, which was the majority population of magical folk. Sirius then states “We’ve all got both light and dark inside of us, what matters is the part we choose to act on. That’s who we really are.” (Yates, Order of the Phoenix, 01:15:45-01:15:55). One may think that it is hard to overcome principles set by the family that you grew up in, but Sirius shows us that this is possible to break out of it. Though generational trauma could be to blame, it is evident by Lestrange’s actions, that she craves power and the  attention from the leader of mass genocide, more than the need to break the cycle of moral injustice.

Throughout all eight movies, we see consistent physical discipline inflicted on students by Snape for minor incidents like talking in class, not paying attention, or disrupting lectures. This is subtle, but gives an insight into how Snape communicates his frustrations and anger. Showing that since he was bullied in school, why not be the bully now. Though this sort of behavior is typically reserved for those not in Slytherin house, more times than not, it was aimed at Harry, creating a further divide between the two. As the story progresses, Snape is shown ‘supporting’ both sides of the race-war. He is frequently seen talking in hushed tones to Draco about the task that Lord Voldemort has instructed him to do and frequenting meetings with Deatheaters. On the other side, he is also a member of the Order of the Phoenix; a secret organization that was banded to stop Lord Voldemort during his first up rising and the current attacks. It is stated multiple times by various characters that “-Dumbledore trusts Snape, therefore I do-”, though Harry and others have a hard time doing so (Yates, Half-Blood Prince, 01:14:23). All of the member of the Order put their full trust in Dumbledore, and thus what he believes in, they do as well, including Snape. In Harry’s defense, it isn’t till later, that his double-agent position is confirmed.

Lestrange does not come into the story until the fourth movie, but her unstable mental state and love of the destruction is quickly discovered. It does not take long for the viewers that lean toward the crazier and more malicious characters, to begin to become fond of her. She is the epitome of chaotic evil. Modern psychology states, “-fiction acts like a cognitive safety net, allowing us to identify with villainous characters without tainting our self-image.” (Krausse, 2020). She acts as she pleases, but also on behalf of Lord Voldemort. Though, even with direct orders, she acts out on her own impulsive for pain and torment. After Snape kills Dumbledore in the astronomy tower, the Deatheaters and Snape go to the leave the school. In her wake, she senselessly destroys the Great Hall and burns down Hagrid’s home, all the while singing and dancing as she does so. Destruction for the desire to watch it all burn down. A ruthless expression of herself. This is further demonstrated when she murders Sirius in front of Harry in the fifth movie. After she takes away the last living member of Harry’s family, he chases her as she signs “I killed Sirius Black” over and over (Yates, Order of the Phoenix, 01:57:30). When Harry catches her, holding her at wand point, Lord Voldemort enters his thoughts, telling him to kill her. Lestrange looks deeply hurt by his words, even though Lord Voldemort is only using her to get to Harry. Once Lord Voldemort physically enters the room is she back to maniacal laughter and expresses joy to see the man who just instructed her death. A fair example of her unconditional love for a mad man who clearly values her life so little, and in itself, her mental instability. By killing Sirius, a very much loved character, Lestrange not only breaks Harry’s heart, but also that of the viewer. A sense of maybe she is just crazy and not the good kind, comes into play.

It is not until the final movie that we discover Snape’s true motives for his actions both personal and on behalf of Dumbledore. In the Deathly Hallows Part One, Dumbledore and Harry return to the astronomy tower, Harry is told to hide below when Deatheaters approach. Draco is told to kill Dumbledore, but he is too weak to do it. Snape then steps in and kills Dumbledore. We see in the Deathly Hallows Part Two, that Dumbledore had asked Snape to be the one to kill him. “Only then will the Dark Lord [Voldemort] trust you completely.” (Yates, Deathly Hallows Part Two, 01:20:08). Another example of the true faith Dumbledore placed in Snape. While Snape is dying in the boat house in last movie, he gives Harry his memories, telling him to look at them and do not let them go to waste. His memories show him growing up with Lily, then going to Hogwarts and being bullied by James. Lily and James fell in love at school and eventually start their family, leaving Snape to turn his emotions inward. It is then shown that on the order to kill the Potter family, Snape begs Dumbledore to save them, despite his feeling toward James. After their deaths, Dumbledore consuls Snape over his loss of Lily, by swearing to never tell anyone of it. That in saying “-I shall never reveal the best of you Severus-”, Dumbledore acknowledges his emotions and deep feelings that others believe him to not have (Yates, Deathly Hallows Part Two, 01:20:08). Add this to when Snape shows Dumbledore that his patronus is a doe, the same as Lily, and Snape pulls empathy from the viewer, unmasking his true self.

In the end, it is the senseless murder of Sirius that drives the view’s affection away from Lestrange. She digs herself a deeper hole with the destruction of Hagrid’s house and the torture of Hermione in the seventh movie, carving ‘mud blood’ into her arm, a slur against non-pure blooded witches. In contrast, Snape was disliked for the majority of the story, but gets the viewer on his side in the end. Snape shows someone who can change and right his wrongs. He is bitter and holds too tightly to the past, but he proves his loyalty time and time again. Lestrange is not only chaotic and power hungry, but she cares not who she hurts as along as it brings her closer to Lord Voldemort. Severus Snape is the more favorable villain out of the two because he pulls compassion and empathy from the viewer through the reveal of his true self.

References

Krause, R.J., Rucker D.D., (2020) Can bad be good? The attraction of a darker self. Psychological Science, https:///doi/10.1177/0956797620909742

Yates, D. (2007). Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Warner Bros.

Yates, D. (2009). Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Warner Bros.

Yates, D. (2010). Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One. Warner Bros.

Yates, D. (2011). Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two. Warner Bros.