Snape: Good or evil?

Question

I reckon he has to be good...
I mean, if JKR was really going to make him evil, it would make no sense to put the Spinner's End chapter in Book 6, she would make it a surprise that he was evil, or gradually build it up... Putting his 'plans' in the second chapter goes against the complex plots she normally has. Also, it serves no purpose really - if she wanted to show him as evil, there are many better ways I'm sure - the chapter shows that he's willing to protect Draco, a loved student of his, and is therefore not evil. Plus you can already see in tht chapter the doubts Lestrange has about him - in order to be a double-agent he needs the trust of Death Eaters - by killing Dumbledore he'd get this. Plus Dumby wouldn't plead for his life. And what else would Dumby and Snape have been arguing about than the unbreakable vow/malfoy? If Snape was arguing about wanting to go to the other side, he wouldn't TELL Dumbledore would he?!

Snape also ONLY kills Dumbledore, calls the others off the fight afterwards, and protects Harry from the Cruciatus curse. Though he says that is because Harry is Voldemorts, surely he's only Voldemorts to KILL? The curse would just cause him pain. Snape also apparently has the same hatred in his face whilst speaking to Harry as he did killing Dumbledore - yet all he's doing to Harry is telling him to basically learn to block his mind and stop using Snape's curses...

I still think snape;s a goodie!

Plus, plus, plus (sorry I get quite into this...) The choice is: Draco dies (Voldemort would kill him if he doesn't fulfil the task) Snape dies (he made the unbreakable vow to fulfil the task if Draco doesn't) or Dumbledore dies. And I bet Dumbledore, being the great man he was, would wanna die rather than either of those two...

Rowling did say Dumbledore's definitely dead though - but I'm sure he can give advice through his portrait and suchlike... Well, here's hoping anyway!

Answer 1

I don't think the question is so much whether he's good or evil, but whether he's really on Dumbledore's side or Voldemort's. Whilst I certainly don't believe he's evil I don't think anyone could call him 'good'. He's clearly an unpleasant man who takes great pleasure in being sarcastic and cruel towards his students and this is not just something he's doing to cover-up his real attitude towards Harry as the twins warned Ron and Harry what Snape was like in their first year.

Having said that I believe without question that Snape is on Dumbledore's side. When he made the unbreakable vow with Narcissa Malfoy, he had no choice but to go along with it. Had he not done so Bellatrix Lestrange would have had her suspicions that he was working against Voldemort confirmed. As it was his agreeing to the vow changed her mind about him. He took the first two parts of the vow easily, but when it came to the part where she asked him to carry out Draco's task should Draco fail his hand twitched within Narcissa's but he did not withdraw it. This to me indicates a gut reaction on his part to recoil, but he has immense powers of self-control and he manages to over-ride this reaction. I feel that Dumbledore's lack of concern whenever Harry tries to tell him about is suspicions regarding Draco are because Dumbledore is already fully aware of Draco's actions having been informed of them by Snape (although I don't think either of them knew the specifics - we see Snape trying to find out what he's up to after Draco was caught by Filtch during Slughorn's party). When Hagrid overhears Snape's argument with Dumbledore, I believe that Snape was trying to get out of his promise to Dumbledore to kill him if necessary but Dumbledore wouldn't let him.

When Snape does the AK at Dumbledore, it says his expression is one of revulsion and hatred. When Harry is pouring the liquid down Dumbledore's throat in the cave JKR uses the exact same words - revolted and hatered - to describe Harry's feelings about what his is being forced to do, having been made to promise Dumbledore that he will obey ANY order including ones that could lead to Dumbledore being endangered. I do not believe this is a co-incidence. Snape's revulsion and hatred is not directed at Dumbledore per se, but at himself for what he's doing and yes possibly at Dumbledore for forcing him to do this.

Snape's agonized cry to Harry of 'do not call me a coward' is very telling. Snape has just done something of immense courage - he has performed an act that will forever and irrevocably separate himself from the members of the order. Also why did he waste time giving Harry an impromptu lesson in the importance of using non-verbal spells? My belief, therefore, is that whilst Snape is not necassarily a 'good person' he is definitely on the side opposing Lord Voldemort.

Answer 2

Hmm, I've had the impression for quite a while that Snape doesn't want to truly commit himself to either side. I reckon he would have preferred to sit on the fence throughout the war, giving each side just enough information on the other to keep his seat at the table. This would have kept him in the good graces of whichever side eventually emerged victorious.However, unfortunately for Snape (and the entire good side), Narcissa's Unbreakable Vow forced his hand and in killing old Dumbledore, he tied himself irreversibly to Voldemort and co.

While this doesn't make him an out and out evil villain a la Voldemort, Bellatrix, Greyback etc, etc, he isn't one of the true good guys.
I find it hard to believe that Dumbledore might have encouraged Snape to fulfill the Vow by killing him, Dumbledore knows that he's the best weapon the Order of the Phoenix have, I mean what Harry and co. know about finding and destroying horcruxes could fit on a postage stamp.

Answer 3

I think that Snape is good because if he was really Evil he would have already turned in harry to voldemort but then that would be the end of the series. I do believe that dumbledor told Snape to Kill him or some unknown reason if my guess is right. Sanpe is good but Evil at the Same time. He is just caught between two rocks and doesn't know where his place is. Well at least for now. We will know soon in the last Harry Potter Book.

Answer 4

I'm really undecided on this one. After a read Snape killin DD a was adamint he was evil and nothing could change ma mind, and a realy couldni believe that any 1 was even doubtin that he was evil. But after a while a thot about and after readin folks view on it a started to change ma mind.
A dono, a hink, like me, Snape is undecided about whether he wants to be a goody or bady. A think for a while he wanted to *** bak to the good side, and at that time Dumbledore was rite to trust him, but u no, its not so easy to just say goodbye to Voldy, once ur a death eater u stay a death eater whether u like it or not. Look what happened to Regulus Black when decided to run away.
So a hink Snape has now gt no choice to be evil, and by kill DD he was savin his own skin.

Answer 5

Yeah, he's good. I think DD wasn't pleading for his life but for Harry's and Draco's. Snape knew that Harry was there, I think. He saw the extra broom and he knew Harry had his dad's cloak. I think DD was telling Snape to please kill him and get Draco out of there, and get the deatheaters out before they realised that Harry was up there too. Thats why he immobilised Harry; he didnt want him to do anything stupid and let the detheaters know he was there. There were signs all the way till he was gone that he was good. Even as Harry was chasing him he was telling Harry to close his mind, and all that stuff. I think occlumency is gonna be important in the last book....SNAPE IS GOOD!!!!!

Answer 6

I believe Snape is good, I have said this time and again and stand by it. I think that in order for Harry to get close to Voldemort he really is going to have to learn to become a good Occlumens and if he can Occlumens against Snape he can Occlumens against Voldemort. Snape will be his final teacher I think.

Answer 7

Yes, but this is the whole point of JKRs writing, she can change the way in which she writes, but i don't know if he is evil to be honest because if killing Dumby, to save Harry i recon that decision must have been made by him however even if he is good then it doesn't help him in the long run because hes going to still be hated by both sides in the end therefore killing himself! I spose we wont know till the book is out!!!

Answer 8

I agree. I think Snape will turn out to be good in the end as he has stuck by Dumbledore for years. I think that it could be a trick and Dumbledore is not really dead!

Answer 9

Yes!

It seems to be the only plausible answer to a man who has so many contradictions. He always comes through at the end yet he is also a major antagonist. Is he really struggling against the protagonist, Harry Potter, or not?

Answer 10

I think the whole thing is a ruse between Dumbledore and Snape and Dumbledore isn't really dead. It's to make the deatheaters trust Snape and to protect the students.