Severus Snape Saga: What is a Hero?

Mellissa G. Brown

15 September 2009

Severus Snape Saga: What is a Hero?

Harry Potter names one of his sons Albus Severus Potter. This name is a derivation of Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape. Harry explains the importance of his name in the epilogue of book seven. “You were named for two headmasters of Hogwarts. One of them was a Slytherin and he was probably the bravest man I ever knew” (Rowling 758). Even though Harry thinks so highly of Snape at the end of the series and describes him as the bravest man he ever knew, is Snape truly a hero in the series?

Clearly, Harry thinks that Snape is a hero by honoring his name and giving the name Severus to his son. Also, Dumbledore trusts Snape with his life and always trusts his judgment. It is safe to infer that Dumbledore would be convinced that Snape was in fact a hero of the series. Before I can determine whether or not Snape is or is not a hero, it is necessary to compare qualities that Snape possesses with other heroes such as Achilles, Atticus Finch, and Hercules.

One hero from Greek Mythology is Achilles. “He was the mightiest of the Greeks who fought in the Trojan War, and was the hero of Homer’s Iliad” (Hunter 1). Achilles was a hero who fought to the death, even though he knew he was going to die. We very frequently refer to Achilles as a hero because of his sacrifice in fighting in the Trojan Wars. Snape could be considered in this same manner a hero. Snape fights throughout the series, even though we do not know it, for Harry to be able to succeed. Snape also ends up giving the ultimate sacrifice of his life for the greater good just in the same manner as Achilles falls fighting.

Along these same lines, Achilles did have an obsession that may devalue his heroic acts. “Achilles reflects a paradigm of the hero that has fallen in deep love with honor and glory. Behind every action or decision of Achilles lies his thirst for everlasting honor and reputation” (Metsovitis 1). In this sense, Snape is very similar to Achilles because of how he acts out of his love and loss of Lily Evans. For arguments sake, I would like to say if Achilles is still considered a hero with this obsession, than we cannot rule out the idea of Snape being a hero also.

Another hero similar to Achilles is Hercules. In Greek mythology it is important to remember that although Greek heroes often did amazing things with their talents, they were not always selfless. Hercules is required to do the twelve tasks as punishment for killing his wife and children. Even though this is a great feat that shows amazing strength, he does not do it for selfless reasons. In this sense, Snape is very much like the Greek hero Hercules. Snape is very selfish in his reasons for wanting to protect Harry. Another important detail to note is that Greek heroes always die. “The precise moment when everything comes together for the hero is the moment of death” (Harvard 4). This is both true for Hercules and for Snape. When Snape’s final task is done and he delivers the memories to Harry is his moment of death. As everything comes together, it is his time to die.

A famous literary hero that must be addressed is Atticus Finch. Atticus is the hero in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird that demonstrates all the ideal values of a hero. Atticus Finch is moral, virtuous, and acts on behalf of the innocent. Atticus does the right thing no matter what the cost was to him and in doing so shows his courage to take on fight even though it was clear he was going to lose his case. In acting, he did something risky and disagreeable, but he did it because it was the right thing to do. I think Snape, even if the readers sometimes disagree, is a lot like Atticus Finch. Snape puts himself at risk to protect Harry and spy on the Death Eaters. He takes the initiative to spy on the Death Eaters and he plays a very dangerous role in protect Harry and providing information to Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix. Snape is different from Atticus in a sense that Atticus is very clear to his intentions and his actions, whereas Snape is very secretive about what he is doing and whose side he is truly protecting.

Throughout all these comparisons my main point is that Snape shares many similarities and differences from classic historical and literary heroes. He is very qualified to be considered a hero yet there are many other factors that must be considered before determining the answer to that question. All these characteristics and similarities with other heroes does not mean that Snape is a hero because there are other factors that must be considered. Since Harry Potter is the hero of the series, can there be more than one hero in these stories? Do Snape’s motives need to be considered before demining him worthy or unworthy of being a hero? These are questions that I would like to examine in other papers as I continue to determine if Snape is or is not a hero. “Is Snape just a coward who serves two masters? Or is Snape a true hero who protects Harry for the noblest reasons?” (Schoen 107). The Severus Snape Saga will continue to decode and determine the answers to these questions.

Works Cited

Harvard. "The Concept of Hero." Harvard University. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2009. .

Hunter, James. "Achilles." Encyclopedia Mythica. N.p., 3 Mar. 1997. Web. 15 Sept. 2009. .

Metsovitis, Stathis. "Is Really Achilles a Hero?" MIT. N.p., 10 Oct. 2005. Web. 15 Sept. 2009. .

Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. New York: Scholastic Inc., 2007. Print.

Spartz, Emerson, and Ben Schoen. Harry Potter Should Have Died. Berkeley: Ulysses Press, 2009. Print.