The following work will firstly give a brief definition of the term “evil” and its representations in literature, secondly it will analyze Joanne Kathleen Rowling’s depiction of evil in her Harry Potter-series by means of Lord Voldemort’s development, actions and character on the basis of the storyline and her literary language in order to emphasize how she succeeded in creating the ultimate evil character. Afterwards, a brief comparison of Voldemort and two other antagonists, William Shakespeare’s Iago and Suzanne Collins’ President Snow will be elaborated to shortly delineate the commonalities of this characters and the development of villains in literature.
Although the last movie has been published in 2011 and the last book in 2007, Joanne Kathleen Rowling’s Harry Potter-series still manages to be up-to-date, so that its main plot and leading roles have become some sort of general knowledge. Rowling succeeded in creating such a prepossessing and impressive fictional world, that it made her to one of the wealthiest women of the world. Despite the fact that the story itself prepossesses its readers, the characters that Rowling created are impressive and famous. Especially Rowling’s antagonist Lord Voldemort tends to remain on the reader’s and society’s mind due to his immense cruelty.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Definition of Evil
3. The Harry Potter-Series
4. Voldemort as The Ultimate Villain: A Language Analysis
4.1 Tom Vorlost Riddle’s Childhood
4.2 Tom Riddle’s School Career
4.3 Voldemort’s Youth
4.4 The Dark Lord’s Rise
5. Comparison of Lord Voldemort to Other Evil Characters
5.1 William Shakespeare’s Iago from Othello
5.2 Suzanne Collins’ President Coriolanus Snow from The Hunger Games
6. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
The primary objective of this research paper is to analyze how J.K. Rowling successfully constructed Lord Voldemort as the ultimate literary villain, focusing on his development, actions, and the literary language used to depict his evil nature without providing a external justification. Additionally, the paper aims to contrast Voldemort with other archetypal antagonists to illustrate the consistency of evil depictions in literature.
- The psychological and narrative development of Lord Voldemort.
- The conceptual definition of "evil" and its application in literature.
- Comparative analysis of literary villains, specifically Iago and President Snow.
- The impact of literary language on the portrayal of complex antagonists.
- The conflict between good and evil as a central thematic element.
Excerpt from the Book
4.2 Tom Riddle’s School Career
During his youth, Tom Riddle appears to be a brilliant and good-looking student, standing out due to his politeness, inquisitiveness and charm and popular amongst his teachers although he has never tried to ensnare Dumbledore (cf. 2005: 363). He drums up a group of friends which are actually followers as Tom never shows empathy for them and which are responsible for several incidents at school, yet they manage to never get caught (cf. 2005: 364); and although Tom succeeds in opening the Chamber of Secrets during his fifth school year. He has to interrupt it because of Dumbledore observing him, accuses Rubeus Hagrid and covers up his own guilt (cf. 2005: 365). After years of research, Tom accepts that he cannot find any information concerning his father and starts seeking for his grandfather Vorlost’s family which are the last descendants of Slytherin (cf. 2005: 365), a fact he has always been proud of and which he uses to justify his uniqueness and hatred against Muggles. This animosity just increases when he finds his bedraggled Uncle Morfin who tells him about his sister’s love for the good-looking Muggle Voldemort resembles, her theft of Slytherin’s medallion which was their family heirloom and how Riddle senior had left Merope (cf. 2005: 368). Voldemort steals his Uncle’s wand, kills his father and grandparents and changes Morfin’s memory with the Memory Charm so that he is convinced he is the one who killed the Riddles (cf. 2005: 369). Rowling reveals the enormity of Voldemort’s hatred against Muggles since he murders his father and his family without hesitating, furthermore he gets his Uncle imprisoned without remorse and additionally steals the last heirloom he has, namely Vorlost’s ring (cf. 2005: 369). Again, it is emphasized how merciless and bloodthirsty Voldemort is, due to the fact that his animosity does not solely apply to his father who has left his mother and him but also to his grandparents and his Uncle, who did not harm him at all. Yet, he does not care about his last relatives, kills three and imprisons one of them, leaves and solely refers to his relatedness to Slytherin from then on, dissimulating the fact his father was a Muggle. The contradictoriness in his behavior and ideology concerning his hatred against Muggles, Muggle-Borns and Half-Bloods is obvious for the reader but apparently not of importance for him.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter provides an overview of the enduring popularity of the Harry Potter series and outlines the paper's intent to analyze Voldemort as the ultimate evil character.
2. Definition of Evil: This section explores various literary and theoretical definitions of "evil," establishing a framework for interpreting the nature of villainy.
3. The Harry Potter-Series: This chapter contextualizes the narrative development of the Harry Potter novels from children's literature to complex, mature storytelling.
4. Voldemort as The Ultimate Villain: A Language Analysis: This chapter serves as the core analysis of Voldemort’s progression, covering his childhood, schooling, youth, and eventual rise to power.
5. Comparison of Lord Voldemort to Other Evil Characters: This comparative study highlights the thematic commonalities between Voldemort, Shakespeare's Iago, and President Snow.
6. Conclusion: The final chapter synthesizes the arguments, reaffirming Voldemort’s status as an iconic villain who remains terrifying precisely because he lacks a sympathetic justification.
Keywords
Lord Voldemort, Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling, Evil, Literature, Villain, Antagonist, Iago, President Snow, Literary Analysis, Character Development, Christian-Augustinian, Morality, Symbolism, Cruelty.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on examining how J.K. Rowling constructed Lord Voldemort as a definitive, ultimate villain within the Harry Potter series, analyzing his characterization, actions, and the lack of traditional justification for his evil nature.
Which specific themes are explored in this work?
The central themes include the nature of evil in literature, the role of power and symbolism in character development, the distinction between good and evil, and the impact of the protagonist’s vulnerability compared to the villain's hubris.
What is the primary research question?
The research explores how Rowling succeeds in creating an ultimate evil character who remains deeply impressionable and terrifying to readers without providing a conventional or sympathetic motive for his villainy.
What methodology is applied in the paper?
The author uses a qualitative literary analysis approach, examining the storyline and textual references from the Harry Potter series, while also employing a comparative analysis with other famous literary villains.
What does the main body of the work address?
The main body provides a structured breakdown of Voldemort's life—from his time as Tom Riddle at an orphanage and Hogwarts, through his early employment, to his rise as the Dark Lord—followed by a comparative section with other villains.
Which keywords define this paper?
Key terms include Lord Voldemort, evil, character development, literary analysis, and comparative literature, among others related to the psychological profiles of antagonists.
How does the paper categorize Voldemort's evil compared to Iago?
The paper argues that both characters share a "devilish" quality where they exhibit intense cruelty and manipulative behavior without clear, rational, or sympathetic justifications for their actions.
What significance does the "Christian-Augustinian" view have in this analysis?
It is used to define Voldemort as an antagonist whose evil acts as a corruption of what is good, emphasizing that he has no substance or reason for his behavior, which contributes to his portrayal as purely diabolic.
Why is President Snow included in the comparison?
President Snow is included as a contemporary example of a ruthless, power-hungry antagonist in young adult literature, serving to illustrate that the archetype of the merciless villain remains consistent across different fictional settings.
What is the author's final conclusion regarding Voldemort?
The author concludes that Voldemort's effectiveness as a villain stems from his arrogance and his inability to understand love or friendship, which ultimately leads to his downfall, confirming his status as an unforgettable and complex literary figure.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Talia Baskaya (Autor:in), 2017, Villains in literature. How Joanne K. Rowling succeeded in creating Lord Voldemort as the ultimate depiction of evil, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/513416
