The character of Snape is worked on very skillfully and laboriously by Rowling. He is the most analyzed and debated character so far in all the novels, the most intriguing of all the characters. He has been the subject of various studies ever since the novels came into popularity. From symbolic perspective too there is enough of the scope to blaze the tail. Assuming Snape as a symbol of Christ Figure, John Granger writes in his article: “I like the theory developed by Dave Kopel about Snape as St. Christopher (Reprobus) and I agree that he figures sometimes as Christ symbol himself.” Joyce Millman in one of the chapters of The Great Snape Debate: The Case for Snape’s Guilt/ the Case of The Snape’s Innocence draws the parallel between Satan and Snape. The book contains several of essays by three different authors presenting their own views and analysis of Snape’s character and place in the novels.

The most recent book Snape: the Definitive Analysis of Hogwarts’s Mysterious Potions Master by Lorrie Kim touches many aspects of Snape’s character hitherto untouched. The book is being widely praised by the scholars for the whole new treatment of the character.

Virtue in Disguise: Gradual Recognition of Snape’s Symbolic Actions

The character of Snape is weaved with such skill and technique that he remains an enigmatic figure, somewhat hated, until the final novel Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. He is portrayed as a strict teacher, grimly looking, always with a cold expression on his face, and of course his dislike for almost all of the students out of his own house. But it takes gradually for the reader to grasp underlying symbolic meaning of his behavior.

From his first year in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Harry catches the eye of Professor Snape and becomes the object of his ridicule and sneer most of the times during classes or every time he found him doing anything out of law of the school. In pursuit of his finding truth about events or odd happenings at the college, Harry, unwillingly ran several times into Snape causing his own punishment and being the object of Snape’s dislike partly because of his resemblance to his father.

It is Snape’s gloomy disposition that gives the reader first impression that he is a loathsome teacher, hating students. But it is revealed to the reader in the end of the novel Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, that he is not all bad for Harry, and it is someway related to what happened in past between Harry’s father and Snape, as Prof. Quirrel who is working in the hands of the Dark Lord, is confronted by Harry telling him about Snape :

‘But Snape always seemed to hate me so much.’ ‘Oh, he does, ‘said Quirrel casually, ‘heavens, yes. He was at Hogwarts with your father, didn’t you know? They loathed each other. But he never wanted you dead’ (Rowling 312)

The above lines make it clear that Snape despite his hatred always inclined on helping Harry. He appears as a symbol of paternal love and support for him as he constantly tried to find out what were the motifs of Quirrel being suspicious of him from the time he was appointed as a teacher. And it was due to his interference that Quirrel was unsuccessful at several places to kill Harry. For instance in Harry’s first Quidditch match it was Quirrel who was bewitching Harry’s broom to fulfil the word given to his master Lord Voldemort by killing Harry. Here Snape started a counter charm to prevent Quirrel from attacking Harry and saving him but Hermoine and others get suspicious of him instead, not knowing the truth. And not only Harry but also his friends Ron Weasley and Hermoine Granger have been saved many times owing to his interference. It was due to his constant questioning to Quirrel and vigilance on him that Quirrel failed every time to kill Harry and he could manage to escape from the attack of Voldemort in the climax of the first novel. As Jason Wiese says, ‘Severus Snape’s unpleasant demeanor toward Harry Potter is not out of blind hatred. Truly, it is out of and inner conflict that rests within himself.’

As the story moves gradually unfolding the secrets, the character of Snape grows to be more and more enigmatic to the reader. And the reader feels more and more intrigued by his character.

Snape always managed to hide his goodwill behind the scornful look and seemingly forced smirk on his face every time he came across Harry or any of his friends, especially when he is in trouble, then immediately coming forward to help without showing a trace of emotion on his face. This is the situation that can be seen on different places in the novel. In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, there isn’t considerable appearance of Snape except on several places, as when there is being conducted a Dueling Club by Prof. Gilderoy Lockhart with his help. Harry was decided to face Malfoy. When Malfoy mischievously cast a spell to procure a serpent, Snape being on Malfoy’s side, he however came forward to get Harry rid of the snake though also enjoying the sight because of the fact that he was being bullied by his father and his friends the same way years before:

‘ Malfoy raised his wand quickly and bellowed, ‘Serpensortia!’ The end of his wand exploded. Harry watched, aghast, as a long snake shot out of it, fell heavily onto the floor between them and raised, ready to strike. There were screams as the crowd backed swiftly away, clearing the floor. ‘Don’t move, Potter,’ said Snape lazily, clearly enjoying the sight of Harry standing motionless, eye to eye with the angry snake. ‘I’ll get rid of it...’(Rowling 204)

However he finally ends the mayhem created by a thick black garden hose, by waving his wand and letting the snake vanish into smoke. 

In Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Snape has a significant role again. Being suspicious that Lupin the professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts can ultimately cause some harm to Harry, Snape at once turns out at Shrieking Shack ( though out of his own grudge for Lupin too ) where Harry together with his friends is led to know the truth about Sirius Black.

Snape has always been calm and patient about his plans and actions especially about Harry. Much of the action of the novel Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire passes without his considerable appearance and interference in matters. Only it is revealed to the reader in the end of the novel that Dumbledore got him set to a secret mission which was not revealed throughout the next novel Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix and until the sixth novel Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, that is, to join Voldemort’s army of Death Eaters to get the information of his plans and at the same time, pretending to spy on Dumbledore on Voldemort’s side. He began to work as a re – doubled agent. Dumbleldore’s orders in this matter were only a kind of pretext to hide his emotions and goodwill for the boy’s well being. It was always his inner self to encourage him to do anything and come forward to his help.

Cruciality of His Symbolic Role

Snape’s actions and behavior proved crucial to the plot in every consecutive novel. In Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix, when it is revealed that Harry’s having nightmares and visions of Voldemort getting directly into his memory, Dumbledore asks Snape to help Harry by giving him Occlumency lessons. Occlumency is one’s protection of mind from leglimency which is probing into one’s mind by keeping eye-contact. There shouldn’t be any thoughts in the mind of the person to counter leglimency. Snape explains him that he should try hard not to let him enter his mind during the lessons as it is revealed that Voldemort is the one who is expert in leglimency among the all wizards. But it was much hard for Harry to keep going with these lessons as he was painfully unable to get hold on his mind. Here Snape is sort of teaching his student how to arm your mind against the attacks of enemy; he appears as a symbol of Harry’s own psyche appealing to protect it from getting wounded by the tortures of Voldemort as he enters his mind.

In the climatic event of the same novel, when Dolores Umbridege was appointed as the headmistress of Hogwarts owing to ministry’s motives to get into the matters of school, here again we see Snape’s effort to save Harry from the punishment she tried to inflict twice on him. Insisted on knowing from the Harry the whereabouts of former headmaster Dumbledore she asks Snape to provide her with veritaserum (magical serum to get the person speak truth). Snape denies delivering the potion to her at that moment, telling her the supplies of serum are spent as she has already asked for it to use on Harry. Later, it was disclosed that Snape does supply Umbridge with false veritaserum on her earlier attempt.

More significantly is he presented in the penultimate novel of the series Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. As the story furthers, the character of Snape riddles the reader more into thinking of his motives behind actions, whether he is on the good side or the bad one. Towards the end of this novel, here Snape does something unexpected which at once strikes the reader to be the most heinous act (killing of the headmaster Dumbledore which was later revealed to be a part of their plan as Dumbledore could not stand the effect of one of the horcruxes on him and was soon to die). Here Snape not only helps Malfoy to get rid of the fatal commitment he made to the Dark Lord and of course there was much good done for Harry too. Here he appears to be a symbol of princely scapegoat (the eponymous half blood Prince of the novel).

But at such zenith of events Harry gets starkly embittered with his Potions teacher thinking he is in league with Lord Voldemort to kill him, as his words reveal his disgust in an argument between him and Snape : 

‘That is just as well, Potter, ‘said Snape coldly, ‘because you are neither special nor important, and it is not up to you to find out what the Dark Lord is saying to his Death Eaters.’ ‘No – that’s your job, isn’t it?’Harry shot at him. He had not meant to say it; it had burst out of him in temper. For a long moment they stared at each other, Harry convinced he had gone too far. But there was a curious, almost satisfied expression on Shape’s face when he answered. “Yes, Potter,’ he said, his eyes glinting. ‘That is my job’ (Rowling 546)

To speculate more, it comes out that as in this novel Harry gets a book authored by a half blood prince and as he reads it, he begins to perform well and excels in his potions classes, here for the first is seen the blessing of the knowledge of Snape that Harry was having almost unknowingly. But that knowledge adds to his personality more that he owes to Snape the half blood prince, the author of the book which Harry comes to know after Snape fulfill his promise to the Headmaster by killing him in the climax. And when Harry tries to attack with one of the spells from the book after he kills Dumbledore, Snape himself reveals – ‘You dare use my own spells against me, Potter ? It was I who invented them. I, the Half Blood Prince!’(Rowling 503)

This reveals to the reader about his lineage a half blood son of Tobias Snape who was a muggle and his mother Eileen Prince a pure blood thus a HALF BLOOD PRINCE!

After becoming the source of the utter hatred in the eyes of every student, finally the time comes for Snape to reveal his real character and purpose behind his deeds, in the last novel of the series Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Things turn to the worst ever they had been at Hogwarts and everything seems out of place with the new headmaster Prof. Severus Snape. Nearly everyone else takes Snape to be the supporter of Voldemort and is under the dread that now he is going to be openly severe in his deeds and will be more open in his services to him. And this is the feeling that runs through the reader at the same time. But the truth is concealed between only the headmaster and Snape which the author lets finally open to the reader. Here in the novel the reader for the first time sees a concern for Harry in the words of Snape in his private conversation with Dumbledore, as he says and almost seems to accuse him of protecting the boy for a scapegoat till now as the their talks gradually reveal the serous content of the forthcoming events in the novel to be happened. It is revealed that Dumbledore confides both to the astounded Snape and the reader that Harry would have to die, a truth that Dumbledore says, Harry himself sort of knows. Snape is shocked to hear all this:

‘Snape looked horrified. ‘You have kept him alive so that he can die at the right moment?’… ‘You have used me.’ ‘Meaning?’’I have spied for you and lied for you, put myself in mortal danger for you. Everything was supposed to be to keep Lily Potter’s son safe. Now you tell me you have been raising him like a pig for slaughter --’ ‘But this is touching, Severus,’said Dumbledore seriously. “Have you grown to care for the boy, after all?’ ‘For him?’shouted Snape. ‘Expecto Patronum!’ From the tip of his wand burst the silver doe: she landed on the office floor, bounded once across the office, and soared out of the window. Dumbledore watched her fly away, and as her silvery glow faded he turned back to Snape, and his eyes were full of tears. ‘After all this time?’’Always,’ said Snape (Rowling 561) This conversation proves enough to the reader to get the idea behind all his doings in the novels, also heart touching that Snape had been helping to save Harry and not to get him killed or any desire of that kind. He always stepped out to save the life of the boy of Lily Potter’s son, the thought which was always behind his every effort to save the boy from danger. This novel is crucial in the developmental popularity of the character after much debate and studies about the character of Snape. He has been the source of so much speculation and analysis since the first appearance in the story. He has been intriguing the minds of the reader for being in league with the Dark Lord as other characters in the novel too felt. And it’s not abruptly but in well organized thread that all about his character is revealed in the climax of the story and what could be more better than the truth of him through his own mouth that Harry was fortunate to listen first hand and not through any other. Harry feels remorse and deep sympathy for Snape as he is on the verge of death in the climax of the story. The touchier to everyone is the remark or compliment given to Harry by dying Snape is, ‘Look at me. You have your mother’s eyes.’ Harry comes to know at last, that it was all the light of goodness and care that Snape was having for him all through his years at college and not utter hatred which makes him too remorseful at the end of his living patronus which is now dead. And it is fully visible to the reader too now that it was the love of Lily Potter that has been driving him to be inclined towards goodness and not evil all through his life that he always tried to save her son. A point here also, is that like Harry’s parents who died saving him, at hands of Lord Voldemort, Snape too meets his end ultimately having the same motive. The pursuit of the victory of goodness over evil was incomplete without Harry knowing all the things about his hidden godfather other than Sirius Black. This is what ultimately strengthens him and inspires to get to every clue to the horcruxes. And, after much findings and adventures, finding every link, Harry was fully in his sprits to face the Dark Lord with strength he had from the love of his parents and friends.