Harry Potter: How Films Distorted The Image of Severus Snape 

Movies didn't show the full extent of Snape's cruelty.

Snape wasn't a good guy himself, but he was on the team of the good guys.

Movie Snape is someone you can believe was a double agent and actually cared about Harry. Book Snape is someone who I would still punch in the face even after knowing he wasn’t a traitor

Exactly, I hate how everyone sees him as some purehearted hero.

I think you forgot to mention one of (if not THE) the most important scenes the film changed from the books. In Dumbledore's Office when the Principal asks Snape if he grew attached to Harry. In the film Snape just creates the patrons charm. In the books however Snape says " To him?!?" And then performs the patronus charm.

Snape has a great deal of expertise in his field but cannot understand why others don't find his subject as easy, interesting, absorbing (pick your adjective). Therefore, he becomes impatient, aggressive, dismissive of students who just don't catch on as fast as he did when he was a student. This is called the curse of knowledge and, believe me, it does not make for a pleasant learning experience. Additionally, he saves his worst treatments of Harry for when there is no one else around. In HBP he goes to meet Harry when Tonks clearly expects Hagrid, who is running only a little late. (Harry sees him already in the hall when he and Snape arrive). Snape has made an actual effort to be alone with someone he hates so he can use the oppportunity to have a go at him without interference. That is sadistic. He behaves very differently, however, when under the inspection of High Inquisitor Umbridge. Harry, failing yet again to concentrate in class and instead focusing on Snape's and Umbridge's interactions, has bungled a strengthening solution. Snape sets him an essay which will outline the proper way to make a strengthening solution and why his (Harry's) went wrong. This is the only time when he acts entirely appropriately for a teacher and it is significant that he does it while an authority is present. This is classic abuser behaviour. Adults in authority who abuse children do this so they will not get caught - demonstrating knowledge of their wrongdoing but doing it nevertheless. While some fans argue that Snape grew )at least morally) over the course of his involvement with Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix, I would disagree. Here is Snape, tears running down his gaunt face, defacing a precious family photo of the Potters (which does not belong to him) just so he can take away the portion containing Lily Evans Potter. He also takes the second page of a letter (which is also not his), just so he can have Lily's signature. This demonstrates that the primary reason for his spying is still Lily and not the greater moral one of defeating an evil force and restoring peace to his community. However, it cannot be denied that despite his motivations and crule, sadistic behaviour he still successfully completes the job that is in front of him. I don't think that redeemed him, but it does show he is redeemable. When I first read Book 7 I remained sad that he never got the chance to be redeemed.

8:06 Considering that in the book, Snape built a stretcher and gently lifted out an unconscious Sirius (probably the living person he hated the most) while when the tables were turned, Sirius let Snape's head dangle and repeatedly banged his head against the wall, Snape clearly would have protected them given the chance.😊

The name and word mispronounciations bother me. The voice work is fine, but the script writing and analysis is poor. The speculations border on dumb, or maybe that they think I'm dumb.

With George, it was an accident. Snape was aim at the DE's wand hand. That's a difficult and small target to hit. They're all on brooms, travelling at how ever many kph it is. If George had been fully hit. The impact would have been the same as Malfoy, resulting likely in George and Remus's death.

Harry did not invade Snape's thoughts for no reason by stepping into the Pensieve (even if he did, it would be just considering _he_ was not offered a Pensieve and had to endure Snape's comments about his private memories). Harry hoped that he'd learn something about Voldemort's plans and considering the fact that Dumbledore's policy this year was 'Do not tell Harry anything important', it was no surprise that Harry jumped in. It was unfortunate that the memory was such a blow to both Harry and Snape. Also, afterwards, Snape tossed Harry out of his office, cancelled the occlumency lessons and threw one of his jars at Harry, nearly hitting him with it. Also, you quoted Snape wrong after the teeth incident. The exact quote was "I see no difference." I'm sure I don't have to tell you why telling a child that he sees no difference between buckteeth and giantn spell induced tusks is just awful?

I also think movie Snape is the reason that so many people see Snape as a hero. He is my favorite character and has the best written arc - BUT I will not argue, that he is a pleasant person, Although I think if you watch some interviews Alan did on Snape he stated, that JK ha tol him that Snape never raises his voice and is always calm and settled. And that is how Alan played him. (I loved Alan since I saw him in Robin Hood, Prine of thieves but I still think he was to old for the role and had heplayed him like a book version it would have been comical ) I do not approve of book Snapes actions/treatmet especially of the students who were not in Slytherin I have a problem with people nagging and harking on even book Snape an saying things like "he never grew up" - well Sirius idn't either, his attitude was as bad as Severus s was. Also... Sirius decided as a 15year old it would be great to kill a fellow student and never it a decent punishment for that (and do not even get me started what would have happened to Lupin had Sirius "prank" worked). I see Snape as severly falwed BUT I also see that he at least tried to redeem his actions (even though not as a teacher) So I see him in a grey light and the grey is actually more dark grey they light. But as for his story in the book for me it's definetly the best backstory /and one of the sadest at that - like abusive, poor ome without a lot of vare - bein bullied at school, because he wanted to be Slytherin - proabbaly because his mum was - and because "he was there" /that's waht even Lupin calls it); loosing the only person he cared for - and yes I have a unpopular view nón Lily and her "kndness and inteeligence"): Over the years I have learne not to try to argue to much in Snape s favor, since people who do not liek the character are never willing to see the few good things he dd (and O am agaon not saying his student bullying is great - but ever considered WHY he was a teacher? Because first Voldemort and then DUmbledore made him teach. So ... maybe blame Dumbledore on not being able to reign him in better, because he unleashed him on the students in first place) I still thin that Snape as Regulus Black did saw the errors of his youth and tried to make a difference. Which is actually more then can be said for Daraco who gets the sympathy for a LOT LESS!

I mean he was taking notes. Has anyone read Snape: A Definitive Reading Book by Lorrie Kim? She studied Snape and everything. She gives a good insight into his actions in the book. I really like it. But yeah Snape was never a good guy. In Lorrie's book it also tells us that Snape's question about potion ingredients was also his way of saying I am sorry for your loss of Lily. Aka Snape was giving condolences in a snarky way about the loss of Lily. Also Snape had to be an asshole in potions class. If he coddled them then there would be more accidents. He is giving them a hard time to make them focus and pay more attention. Potions is dangerous. Slughorn was said to have plenty of accidents because he coddled his students. Snape did not. Neville was only person supposedly that had such issues. Unless Slytherins were the cause by throwing things. Also someone had to protect the Slytherins when and since no one else did. Also why would a progidy want to teach simple students? Potion masters mostly only took apprentices and only apprentices that showed promise. He could have done anything but no Dumbledore pretty much forced him to be a teacher. I don't blame him for hating the job. Plus the class he wanted was Defense and proved it. Also by the time he tried to teach him occlumency, it was too late for Harry to really trust him. You need trust in teaching this.

The text of the American books are quite different. The duel is much closer to the movie.

If you notice, Snape only got pissed at Potter when he did things that would blow his cover, or when Harry actually Messed up

It was a lot harder to see Snape as a good individual in the books

I decided to read Harry Potter as a Percy Jackson fan, and im on the 5th book. It's great. But this video is right. I hate snape in the books (so far). I can't imagine liking him. Im going to have to watch the movies when im done with the book series. Great video, btw.

26:32 If you look up the nature of conversion, it is very rarely complete and immediate, and it is often driven by personal relationships rather than ideological conviction. Only gradually does one accept the beliefs. This is common. And Rowling herself said that Snape only used the slur one time. Yes, it is one time too many, but the only time he ever ignored threats against Malfoy was when he used the slur against Hermione and Ron had to be restrained.

I will never *EVER* understand people who look at Snape as a good or sympathetic character. I really feel this is mostly due to Alan Rickman’s performance than anything, and the fact he wanted them to tone Snape down for the movies so he doesn’t come across as vile and hateful as he really is. And most of the women who like him wish they had a man to creepily obsess over them like he did with Lily and it’s SO WEIRD. He literally tried to strangle Harry for saving Sirius from the Dementors for a crime he didn’t commit and Snape KNOWS Sirius is innocent but he doesn’t care because of some silly schoolboy beef they had in school almost 20 years ago! He literally bullied Lupin into quitting Hogwarts because he was so upset. And considering all of Lupin’s struggles that makes Snape’s actions EXTRA grimy. He bullied children. Like WTF. He’s the worst.

Snape was a (explicit description of a male appendage) But he was the most fleshed out character in the entire series aside from Dumbledore

Where did you take the quotes from the books, since they are like paraphrases and not direct quotes from the books? I have the British version, but 1. I don't think the American version has been so thoroughly rewritten 2. You quote from "Harry Potter and the PHILOSOPHER'S stone", which means you quoted the original British version.

Yes Severus in the books hated harry because of his father, all he could see in him was his dad with his mothers eyes. he just could not see the boy was not his hateful horrible dad! he protected harry out of love for his mother. that is noble and very brave of him dispite hating him. severus could not let go of the hate he had for james and sirus and the abuse he went though for 7 FUCKING YEARS! Lily his only friend abandoned him over a slur! lily was not some saint she had major flaws! Severus Snape had alot of pain and suffering he had to deal with but at the end he protected harry potter no matter what. He is such a wonderful tragic and misunderstood charactor!

Mr. Potah 😂

He had IBS.

Either this is a chatbot, or the narator is mispronouncing Snapes given name.

Lucy Malfoy (jason isac) should have been snape

You say worst character deviations I say best amendments to the source material

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I stringly dissagree with your oppinion on Snape and teaching. He sort of never had a choice. Firstly Voldemort placed him in the school as his eyes and ears - and after Voldemorts diwnfall Du,bledore (the big saviour who had kept Snape out of Azkaban) made him teach. In my oppinion it would have been a better choice to let Snape be a potioneer - invent and do researcg then force him to teacj. But Du,bledore had to make sure he could keep an eye on Snape and remind him what he ows him So I strongly disagree. Teaching (or working with people) requires PASSION. It's a bad thing if you are forced to do so for years. PLUS potions is arguably the most dangerous subject Hogwarts teaches ADN each student has to take it for 5 years regardless of their abilities. There are clear instructions to follow so if you do things wrong - yeah read better XD (I do not really mean it that way - but if people keep saying it's Snapes fault, ...= He has 2 pairs of eyes and like what 24 students in a classroom? So how can you see hwat everyone is doing? I do not approve of him feeding an untested potion to a childs pet. I still find it interestesting, that everything that wents to peices in a class where even water can be explosive and there are gouse rivlaries it's all his fault. as for Slytherin just winning because of Snape Honestly? Mc Gonagall also takes points and hands out detentions. I really hate the notion of "Slytherin is bad" I mean... thank you for not giving this a thouhr after nearly 25 years,,, So all Slytherins are bad and bulleis why the heck did the Marauders not end up being Slytherin? They were the biggest bullies apart from Fred and George Weasley. I mean - stuffing aontehr student in a vanishing cabinet where he is stuck for days and getting away with it? What would you call that? Revenge? No the school just makes sure that the houses do not get along and the teachers are happy to work with it

Snape was the most evil character in the series!