Opinion: Snape...good or bad, after all is said and done?

Well everyone, post your opinions on the topic here, and when we've got a nice fiery discussion going, we can combine all the replies into an opinions article!

Sooo. I still don't like Snape. I think he's very confused, delusional, probably a little insane and severely scarred by his horrid childhood. I've said it once somewhere, that if he were a Muggle he'd probably be on drugs to control his mood swings and stalkerish tendencies.

In my opinion: He is not a good person. But it isn't completely his fault.

It is partly his fault though, because some people DO rise above childhood abuse and are good people. However, most people fail and turn out to be abusive just like the ones who raised them. This happened to Snape. I would say he is incredibly brave and strong, and if he would've had just ONE person who loved him completely, he might have turned out different. Love is a strong theme in the books and I think with Snape Jo might be showing what happens if someone is completely deprived of love.

They become monsters, basically. The only good things Snape ever did in his life, he did in the name of the love he had for Lily. He is not a good person. He is not a bad person. He has however done some very bad things. More bad things than good I'm afraid, so if we judge a person by their actions, than I believe him to be overall a bad person. Though he's gray, he's more black than white.

What are your opinions?

I have always said that Snape is misunderstood.

Like JKR said, he is a complex charecter and who can argue with that?

I think deep down, Snape was a good man, he just made many mistakes, terrible mistakes on occasions, but come on, he paid for his crimes, he lost the one woman he loved more than life its self, and because of that loss he turned to Dumbledore, the one man who gave him a second chance, if Snape were not capable of feeling regret and remorse (the only things that can fix a broken soul) he would not have spent 7 years protecting Harry, he would not have stood as Dumbledore man through and through.

Again, Snape is merely misunderstood, he is not a hero, he is human, and like Dumbledore said in DH "perhaps we sort too soon" well i think that senatnce applies to everyone who said Snape was evil and unloyal to Dumbledore, it took great strength and courage and humanity to face his mistakes, to right the wrongs he did, if Snape is bad, then so is Dumbledore for allowing so many people to die.

Like streamies said, Snape is Gray, but arent we all?