The Master and the Potions Master
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Rowling does know a fair bit of literature, and she managed to come up with at least one vivid and interesting character by borrowing wholesale from several books. As many other readers have noted, Snape's literary antecedents are Dante, Heathcliff, and Saint Exupery's little Prince.
Actually, the most obvious model for Severus Snape is Sherlock Holmes. When I first read PS/SS, I thought, "Hey, this guy is just like Sherlock Holmes! It's like Sherlock Holmes with magic!" The similarities between them are so great, in fact, that I'm surprised Rowling has never been sued by the Doyle estate. That would be a nice irony. ; )
The gory details will have to wait for my full essay on the subject, but briefly, the major points of sameness are these:
Appearance: Both are thin and have black hair, hooked noses, and sallow skin, although Holmes's eyes are gray and his hair is short. Since Holmes is a smoker, he no doubt has yellow teeth, also. BTW, Sidney Paget's famous drawings of Holmes show a man who is quite attractive, even handsome. So much for the fanon idea Snape is ugly. See here for examples, noting particularly the pictures for "The Red-Headed League" and "A Case of Identity": http://ignisart.com/camdenhouse/gal
Personality: Both are INTJs on the Myers-Briggs or Keirsey personality tests. (So am I, BTW, which is why I'm such a fan of them both.) Both are sarcastic, impatient, bossy, perfectionistic, and have no tolerance for stupidity or incompetence, in either themselves or others.
There are several of Doyle's stories in which Holmes treats Watson so badly, I've always thought they would have been greatly improved if Watson had hauled off and slugged Holmes. Like Snape, Holmes would probably be an atrocious teacher of dumb, disinterested kids.
Talents/Accomplishments: Holmes is an expert chemist and accomplished fencer and boxer. Snape is a potions expert and accomplished duelist.
Professional and Extra-Professional Activities: Holmes is a detective who undertakes secret assignments for the British government, including working as a double agent during WWI. Snape is a teacher who acts like a detective, tracking MWPP as a student and the Trio as a teacher. He undertakes secret assignments for Dumbledore, who's operating a shadow government in the Wizarding World, and works as a double agent during Vold Wars I and II.
Clothing: Both wear a lot of black. In the movies, Snape wears a frock coat, which is also what Victorian gentlemen wore.
Miscellaneous: Both like fine wine and live in a smallish, cluttered home. During HBP, Snape even has a roommate, the way Holmes did with Watson. Snape is a Potions Master, and Holmes's fans refer to him as the Master. Both came to be hated by their creators, who were furious at the fans for paying "too much attention" the characters. Consequently, both Holmes and Snape suffered gratuitous, manufactured, yet heroic deaths facing down their series' major bad guys.
However, Holmes came back from the dead, and Snape...didn't? I've always said that if Rowling really wants to write adult mysteries, all she has to do is say she made a mistake, Snape's not really dead, and use him as her detective. He already has the requisite training and expertise, not to mention a built-in fandom.
The only major difference between the two characters is the filter: Harry is a self-centered kid who hates Snape, so he portrays the man as a nasty scumbag who occasionally does something decent, almost in spite of himself. Watson is a grown man and disabled combat veteran who loves and respects Holmes, so he portrays the man as a brave, noble, self-sacrificing hero who occasionally acts like a jerk. One is largely reviled by the fandom he's in, while the other has been a cultural icon of virtue and heroism for 120 years.
Stick that in your pipes and smoke it, Snape-haters!
Actually, the most obvious model for Severus Snape is Sherlock Holmes. When I first read PS/SS, I thought, "Hey, this guy is just like Sherlock Holmes! It's like Sherlock Holmes with magic!" The similarities between them are so great, in fact, that I'm surprised Rowling has never been sued by the Doyle estate. That would be a nice irony. ; )
The gory details will have to wait for my full essay on the subject, but briefly, the major points of sameness are these:
Appearance: Both are thin and have black hair, hooked noses, and sallow skin, although Holmes's eyes are gray and his hair is short. Since Holmes is a smoker, he no doubt has yellow teeth, also. BTW, Sidney Paget's famous drawings of Holmes show a man who is quite attractive, even handsome. So much for the fanon idea Snape is ugly. See here for examples, noting particularly the pictures for "The Red-Headed League" and "A Case of Identity": http://ignisart.com/camdenhouse/gal
Personality: Both are INTJs on the Myers-Briggs or Keirsey personality tests. (So am I, BTW, which is why I'm such a fan of them both.) Both are sarcastic, impatient, bossy, perfectionistic, and have no tolerance for stupidity or incompetence, in either themselves or others.
There are several of Doyle's stories in which Holmes treats Watson so badly, I've always thought they would have been greatly improved if Watson had hauled off and slugged Holmes. Like Snape, Holmes would probably be an atrocious teacher of dumb, disinterested kids.
Talents/Accomplishments: Holmes is an expert chemist and accomplished fencer and boxer. Snape is a potions expert and accomplished duelist.
Professional and Extra-Professional Activities: Holmes is a detective who undertakes secret assignments for the British government, including working as a double agent during WWI. Snape is a teacher who acts like a detective, tracking MWPP as a student and the Trio as a teacher. He undertakes secret assignments for Dumbledore, who's operating a shadow government in the Wizarding World, and works as a double agent during Vold Wars I and II.
Clothing: Both wear a lot of black. In the movies, Snape wears a frock coat, which is also what Victorian gentlemen wore.
Miscellaneous: Both like fine wine and live in a smallish, cluttered home. During HBP, Snape even has a roommate, the way Holmes did with Watson. Snape is a Potions Master, and Holmes's fans refer to him as the Master. Both came to be hated by their creators, who were furious at the fans for paying "too much attention" the characters. Consequently, both Holmes and Snape suffered gratuitous, manufactured, yet heroic deaths facing down their series' major bad guys.
However, Holmes came back from the dead, and Snape...didn't? I've always said that if Rowling really wants to write adult mysteries, all she has to do is say she made a mistake, Snape's not really dead, and use him as her detective. He already has the requisite training and expertise, not to mention a built-in fandom.
The only major difference between the two characters is the filter: Harry is a self-centered kid who hates Snape, so he portrays the man as a nasty scumbag who occasionally does something decent, almost in spite of himself. Watson is a grown man and disabled combat veteran who loves and respects Holmes, so he portrays the man as a brave, noble, self-sacrificing hero who occasionally acts like a jerk. One is largely reviled by the fandom he's in, while the other has been a cultural icon of virtue and heroism for 120 years.
Stick that in your pipes and smoke it, Snape-haters!