Do you think that Snape was redeamed in the end of of the series?

Question

I think he was, my mother disagrees. We want to know what other people think.

Answer 1

Snape was never all bad. Although he treated Harry and his friends badly, he DID teach students their potions lessons and did it quite well. He could also be depended on to make complicated potions for Lupin, inform for the Order of the Phoenix, etc.

In fact the worst part of Snape's character is he hated James Potter and every time he saw Harry, he was reminded of James and how Harry could have been HIS SON.

That and he never washed his hair which smacks of child neglect. Have you ever wondered what kind of home life produced Snape?

Snape was not redeemed at the end of the 7th book. He was found out.

Answer 2

Yes. He was still an evil git but he helped Harry thoughout the series. Harry just didn't realize it. Snape loved Lily and any amount of hatred for James couldn't stop that. I think Snape only hated Harry because Lily's child could have been his but he messed it up. So Harry reminds Snape of what he could have had. In the end Snape even couldn't face the fact of Harry dying because he told Dumbledore, "like he's a piece of meat." Snape couldn't understand after all the protection he had to die. Deep down Snape liked Harry because he reminded him of Lily but the hatred of him not getting what he wanted overpowered it. Harry knew that Snape loved his mother and that fact and the fact that Snape tried to protect Harry just because of that fact redeemed him. Also the fact that Snape gave Harry memories, him being such a private person in all, really showed that he trusted Harry and wanted to tell him because he didn't give Harry just the one about him having to die but the others, explaining his past actions.

Answer 3

I think in the end it showed that Snape was a hero. He did have very many flaws, he was mean, bitter and nasty to lots of people, Harry included, however, he loved and showed great loyalty to that love, and in the end he did the right thing and was on the right side. Everyone has there flaws and you learn a lot about that in the last book. Dumbledore was also very flawed with his past of Dark Magic and the death of his sister and even Harry has his flaws, but that doesn't make them bad people, they just let the world know which side they were on, as did Snape but you find out that he was just a spy.

I think that when you go back through Snape's childhood memories you see that he was a nice guy to begin with, but like so many others were drawn to Dark Magic and the power which came with it. He expected Lily to come with him but she didn't want to. By that time Snape was already in to deep and couldn't see why she didn't want to join him. He believed he was on the better side.

So when it shows that he goes to Dumbledore and asks for forgiveness and becomes a spy for the right side then I think that took heaps of bravery on Snape's part. Also when you find out that he killed Dumbledore on Dumbledore's order and he was dying anyway I think he deserves in the end for every, especially Harry, to know that he was on the good side and Dumbledore had every right to trust him like he did.

Therefore I believe that in the end Snape was redeamed and as Harry saids the bravest man he knew, a very flawed hero I believe.

Answer 4

I'm with your mother.
So, Snape spent 6 years torturing Harry at school, punishing Hermione for doing well, taking out his grudge against Gryffindor in general.
At the end, we find out that he loved Lily, and had been a double agent to redeem himself for informing Voldy of the prophecy.
Well, cry me a river. He's a nasty man who takes out his aggression on the children of his enemies. He always loves Lily - but if he hadn't been so helpful to the KING OF ALL EVIL, she might still be alive. As an adult, Snape acts like the worst of children, enjoys being able to inflict a little revenge on the child who wasn't born when Snape was wronged.
Thanks, I feel better. I've seen a lot of Snape defenders, and hadn't really let that out yet.

Answer 5

In a way I think he was redeemed in the end of the series I'm mean in the order of the phoenix he pulled out his memory of James picking on him and I think that it was because he didn't want Harry to see what had happened so that he wouldn't feel like his dad wasn't a great man but someone who would pick on people like he had and also because in his memory after his death Dumbledore asked him if he was starting to get feelings toward Harry and Snape said that he always had feelings for Harry not to mention that it took so much courage to kill Dumbledore and then go back there and try to face everyone who thought he had wanted to kill Dumbledore and obviously by naming his son Albus Severus we see that Harry has forgiven Snape so I believe that everyone should.

Answer 6

It depends on the type of redemption you're looking for. On the one hand he's redeemed in that he really was working for Dumbledore and he did not actually murder Dumbledore but was merely obeying orders to ease Dumbledore's pain by ending his life. But on the other hand you have the way he constantly treated non-Slytherins. He was still very mean and nasty to them, especially to Harry.

Harry should end up being the compass here because he forgave Snape for his sins against him. He even named one of his sons after both Snape and Dumbledore, claiming Snape was one of the bravest men he'd known. If we use Harry as the compass on this subject, then we have to say Snape was redeemed whether we truely wish to or not.

Answer 7

I tend to go with your mother on this. Snape was a nasty person who, because of personal reasons and not his own values, wound up fighting on the right side.

I think part of what Rowling is saying is that good people can do bad things, and vice versa. Snape is an example of this on one side, and I think she suggests Draco, and probably Narcissa, are on the other. Draco is selfish and spoiled, like many rich brats, but when it comes down to it, he isn't truly evil in the books. (The movies portray him a bit nastier than the books do.) The story really tells us very little about Narcissa, but we do know that what she really cared about was her son's safety, not which side won. Quite likely she married Lucius largely to satisfy her family's demand that she marry a pure blood wizard, and was dragged into his plots fairly unwillingly.

Part of it comes down to what you mean by redeemed. Snape's actions did more good than harm, although he did them for poor motives.

Answer 8

Yes, he was redeemed. Perhaps not in the best way, but he wasn't an evil git like Harry and everyone else thought he was. (well, he's still a git...) He does have a heart, past his selfishness. He most likely had a hard childhood, and the Maruaders didn't make it any better. So, he was redeemed, but he's still not an innocent little jewel. Then again, is there anyone in ths series that really is? In this WOLRD? Okay, maybe Teddy... but noone else!

Answer 9

i would say he wasn't redeemed because he had nothing to be redeemed for--he had been good all along! yes, he was an a**hole to Harry all the time, but who can blame him--Harry is James's son, & James was horrible to Snape his whole life & married the woman Snape loved--so it would be pretty impossible for Snape to like Harry given all the history...

in my opinion, what he did was positively heroic--and all in the name of love! (lol...I tear up every time i read it....)