I read the book and recently saw the movie and for some reason, I must've missed something.
NOTE: if you haven't read book five, don't read any further.
What was Dolores Umbridge's motive for making the lives of the Hogwarts students miserable? Why was she "in denial" about using spells in the Defense of the Dark Arts class? Why did she insist that there was nothing to worry about? Was she "in cahoots" with Voldemort (I really doubt this but I'm just asking)?
2007-08-11 15:13:53 · 11 answers · asked by chrstnwrtr 7 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Books & Authors
Well first of all, she suffers from a strong case of kleptomania (she wants power and lots of it). She and Fudge's power blinds them from the truth (Voldemort's back), and since Fudge is Minister, he uses his current power to reflect his beliefs on the most of the Ministry of Magic. The Ministry and Umbridge are also paranoid that Dumbledore wants their power and is forming an army of students in Hogwarts to overthrow the Ministry. Therefore, Umbridge works has hard as the "decrees" allow her to stop Dumbledore from "gaining power" which is absurd because it is not what he is doing at all. She retards routine life at Hogwarts (if there is such a thing lol) to reflect the Ministry. She is not really in denial against the Defense Against the Dark Arts spells, but rather in fear. She does not want the students in Dumbledore's supposed "army" (I am not referring to Harry's DA) to fight back against the Ministry. She is in denial, however, about Voldemort. Out of influence from Fudge and her own natural fear and unwillingness to accept Voldemort's return, she tries to tell the students to have no worries. She is not in cahoots with Voldemort on our free will. But her fear of the Dark Lord causes her to do some dark things (ex. setting the dementors on Harry and almost using the Cruciatus Curse on him) and eventually become brainwashed and turned to his side (see Book 7).
2007-08-11 16:52:21 · answer #1 · answered by Tyler B 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Umbridge made the students miserable because that made her happy, and it suited her reason for taking over Hogwarts; she could stop any student (especially Harry) from learning Defenses against the Dark Arts, and maybe even get him/them kicked out of school eventually. She used a few dark arts herself, and didn't want any student to challenge her.
Which answered your second question. That's also why she insisted there was 'nothing to worry about'... she wanted to keep Harry away from any Dark Arts 'play,' and keep him away from Dumbledore, too. DD kept ducking HP, remember? so at first he missed out on being truly aware of all that was going on.
I'm not sure if Umbridge was friends with Voldy or not. I know she loved lording it over everybody as a tool of those in the Ministry of Magic (which she wanted to rule...I forget and wonder if she did...will have to check.) and since the Ministry was already falling into the grasp of the Death Eaters, that makes me not sure.
And so it goes with the HP crowd!
2007-08-11 22:47:54 · answer #2 · answered by LK 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Her personality is just that way.
She's stuck-up and she enjoys having power....she also enjoys watching students suffer
She's not in cahoots with Voldemort, but she does agree with many of his views as we find out in later books...
She's in denial about the spells because the Ministry is in denial and she works for the Ministry. They do not want the people to know that Voldemort is back and panic. If all the wizards and witches found out You-Know-Who was back, there would be chaos, don't you think? It's so much easier for the Ministry to pretend that everything is okay and Harry Potter has gone crazy.
2007-08-11 22:21:39 · answer #3 · answered by QQaid 3 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Well, Umbridge was working for the Ministry and the Ministry's official position was that Voldemort had not (and could not) return. Voldemort's return would mean total chaos in the Wizarding world and the Ministry (and Umbridge) was not ready to accept that reality. That's why she was punishing Harry by making him write 'I Must Not Tell Lies'...
I hope that answers a bit of your question. I'm sure other people can bring you more insight!
C
2007-08-11 22:23:38 · answer #4 · answered by Catenabi 2 · 4⤊ 0⤋
No, she wasn't in cahoots with Voldemort but she was an idiot. Fudge, the prime minister, was in complete denial that Voldemort was back. If he admitted Voldemort was back than he would have to admit that dark times had come again and he was scared of that. Delores was trying to make the students miserable because she was a miserable person and thought just like Fudge did. She sent dementors after Harry in the beginning because she wanted to stop him from "spreading his nasty little lies". She's just a nasty person. No excuse for any of her actions. She just wanted to be up the prime ministers butt.
2007-08-11 22:28:41 · answer #5 · answered by NYinFL 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
She was part of the faction in the Ministry of Magic under Fudge that was in denial about Voldemort's reincarnation; they thought that Harry was lying at Dumbledore's behest so Dumbledore could take over as Minister of Magic. She was curtailing the student's magic use and studies because she (and the Ministry) were convinced that Dumbledore was training the students as an army to help overthrow Fudge.
2007-08-11 22:22:48 · answer #6 · answered by Jailer218 2 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Most of the answers here have covered what I think, that she was just a tool of the ministry who was overly zealous about her job.
Spoilers ahead - have you read book 7????
However, here is something else to think about: we find out in book seven that Umbridge wears a locket that is a Horcrux (part of Voldemort's soul). When Harry, Ron and Hermione take turns wearing the Horcrux, they get really testy with each other, and Ron gets the worst of it, making him eventually walk out on his friends.
If this happened to these friends who had the best of intentions, imagine what it did to Umbridge!
2007-08-12 08:14:07 · answer #7 · answered by dswilborn 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
In order of the questions asked:
1. her personality. she needs to show off her dominance and control not only over all the students, but over the teaching staff as well.
2. If you read the book it clearly states (and I am not picking on you) that Fudge has gotten SO neurotic that he believes that Dumbledore is raising the school as an army to shove him off his post.
3. Because her boss, Fudge, refuses to believe that Voldemort, sorry You-Know-Who, is back and he wants to assure the rest of the Wizarding World that there is no threat, including Hogwarts.
4. No, she was not.
2007-08-11 22:56:04 · answer #8 · answered by s.v.m.t. 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
she and the minister believed that harry and dumbledore were making up the whole thing about voldemort coming back so they can try overthrow the minister by building up an arny of students using the dark arts.
2007-08-12 00:30:42 · answer #9 · answered by Mafalda 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
She was a typical government bureaucrat, doing whatever her masters told her to do. She wasn't directly in cahoots with Voldy, but it amounted to the same thing. When you serve evil, you become evil yourself, if only indirectly.
2007-08-11 22:22:52 · answer #10 · answered by texasjewboy12 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋